A Little Tombstone History...
Today's mail brought my book order from the Real West Publishing,
"Aristocracy's Outlaw" by Sylvia D. Lynch, and
"The Illustrated Life and Times of Doc Holliday".
The latter book is the one which the catalog claimed would answer the
question about who made a better Doc, Val or Quaid. Well, here's what the
book itself says on the subject:
(Note: above this article is an artist's rendition of Val and Quaid as
Doc--gotta admit, the likenesses are VERY tenuous so I was glad that a
caption was included--back to back guns pointed straight up in the air. The
caption reads: You're No Daisy: Val Kilmer, (left) and Dennis Quaid squared
off as Doc Holliday in the two most recent film depictions of the Deadly
Dentist. When the smoke cleared, both had scored a bullseye." Oooops!
Just read the artist credit--its the author! Yikes!)
"Dennis Quaid portrayed Doc Holliday in 1994s 'Wyatt Earp' as Bat Masterson
described the Deadly Dentist in 1907: 'Physically, Doc Holliday was a
weakling, who could not have whipped a healthy fifteen year old boy....and
the knowledge of this fact was perhaps why he was so ready to resort to a
weapon of some kind whenever he got himself into difficulty. He was
hot-headed and impetuous, and very much given to both drinking and
quarrelling, and among men who did not fear him, was very much disliked.
"Val Kilmer's slant on Doc in 1993s 'Tombstone', however, mirrors Wyatt
Earp's eulogy to Holliday, written in 1896. 'He was a dentist, but he
preferred to be a gambler. He was a Virginian, but preferred to be a
frontiersman and vagabond. He was a philosopher, but he preferred to be a
wag. He was long, lean, and ash blond and the quickest man with a
six-shooter I ever knew.'
There is a photo of an alleged Holliday portrait beside the Dueling Docs
article. It shows a man looking like Holliday who sports the handlebar
moustache and the imperial goatee. The following caption lies below:
"SPLITTING HAIRS: Both Val Kilmer and Dennis Quaid chose to portray Doc
with an imperial (the triangle of whiskers under the lower lip). There is
only one alleged photo of Doc Holliday that shows him wearing an imperial
(above). Ironically, the photo is not of Doc Holliday."
Dennis Quaid's performance in 'Wyatt Earp' is too richly realized to be
ignored. Warner Brothers and Kevin Costner were reluctant to share stills
from their film with us (Warner Brother's legal department denied us the
right to publish any photos from the film). Quaid devastated his body by
shedding forty-some pounds to capture the comsumptive, cadaver-like Holliday.
Bellicose, bilious and as unsavory as a festering canker, this version of
Doc Holliday beautifully captures the quality of character which so alienated
virtually all who met him. Here we have dissipation personified. Dennis
Quaid deserves and Oscar."
Lisa
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Subject: Val mentions in Holliday bios pt 2 & Earp/Doc 1st meeting
Aristocracy's Outlaw contains the following references to Val and "Tombstone"
"Just when it looked as though the story was destined to be forgotten
material, Hollywood Pictures brought it back in 1993 in a most dramatic
fashion, and the impact was phenomenal and far-reaching. With the release of
George P. Cosmatos's TOMBSTONE, the people and events as they came together
in Southern Arizona in the fall of 1881 were suddenly given new prominence on
the market. All at once, the Earp brothers and John Holliday were real
people again, and it seemed the public couldn't get enough of hearing their
stories once more. Kurt Russell played the intense and driven Wyatt Earp,
and for the first time his brothers Virgil and Morgan were presented as
well-rounded, believable characters by Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton.
"There can be no doubt, however, that the featured role was Val Kilmer as Doc
Holliday. From the first moment Kilmer appeared on screen he was a scene
stealer and totally captured the audience's interest, their sympathy and
their admiration. Kevin Jarre's screenplay was one of the overall accurate
chronicles of the turmoil in and around Tombstone ever done, and it was
apparent that Kilmer had done his homework. There was a myriad of details
evident in his performance right down to minute gestures and mannerisms which
demonstrated careful study of his character for the role. ((NOTE to the
on-going Billy the Kid discussions: the same can be said of that role --Lisa
)) One particularly remarkable scene which clearly illustrates his attention
to detail was in the climactic scene when Doc faces off against Ringo. Even
though the event itself is fictitious, Kilmer's process is remarkably
accurate. Colonel John T. Deweese, an attorney who occasionally represented
Mr. Holliday, claimed that Doc had a technique he employed when he was
involved in actual gunplay whereby for a split second his face took on a
retreating, almost frightened expression. His opponent would catch that
brief moment of hesitancy and uncertainty and drop his guard for the most
microscopic space of time--just enough time for Doc to finish the job.
Deweese's recollection is intriguing, and one wonders if Doc were indeed
really frightened for a moment or if he was using a deliberate ploy. During
the Doc/Ringo scene in TOMBSTONE, Kilmer mirrors the tactic in a cut just
before he goads Ringo one last time.
"Kilmer's interpretation of Doc Holliday showed a man who was polished and
refined, yet at the same time irritating and exasperating, and was overall a
good composite of all that was John Holliday. He was very obviously alone,
even in a crowd, and he was persistent to the point of obstinance. The real
Doc was both likeable and detestable, and Kilmer brings that paradox to the
screen beautifully. Everything that is known about the real John Holliday
came together nicely in Kilmer's portrayal, and his brilliant performance
made a sort of cult hero of Doc.
"After the release of TOMBSTONE bookstores could suddenly not keep
information about him, and museums and libraries were bombarded with requests
to know more about the real Doc Holliday. Mr. Kilmer and his co-stars had
succeeded in piquing the interest of the public, and the effects would prove
"About one year later, Warner Brothers released its very ambitious version of
the saga of Wyatt Earp and company. The more than 3 hour epic related Wyatt
Earp's entire life and was largely a very factual account. Again the scenes
with Doc Holliday are some of the more memorable in the film, and Dennis
Quaids performance is outstanding. As far as physical appearance, Quaid most
definitely outsteps any other actor ever cast as Doc Holliday. In preparing
for the role, he lost more than forty pounds and his gaunt frame and sunken
face were very accurate representations of Doc's appearance in the 1880s.
Like Val Kilmer's, Dennis Quaid's portayal captured the many faceted
personality of John Holliday very well. His characterization ranged from
that of a pathetic, pitiable figure to an exacerbatin individual, the
transformation occuring in a matter of seconds, and yet there was always the
underlying element of grace and performance, and he expertly showed the
prismatic quality of Holliday's demeanor. Throughout the film, he just
seemed to be enduring, a befitting comment on the state of John Holliday's
existence at the time."
The chapter containing this commentary is followed immediatly by a black and
white full page photo of Val as Doc ( medium shot, on horseback, hat on,
clothing dark, looking off into the distance) with the following caption:
"Val Kilmer in Hollywood Pictures' 1993 box office hit Tombstone, superbly
resurrected John Holliday after an almost twenty year absence from the
screen. Kilmer was outstanding and the film sparked a new interest in the
whole Tombstone era."
Backing this page is a full page b & w still of Quaid as Holliday, similar
set up, a bit less than medium shot, on horseback, but with gun drawn and
pointed skyward, with the following caption: "In 1994 Warner Bros. released
Wyatt Earp close on the heels of Tombstone. Dennis Quaid was right on target
with his interpretation of the gentleman from Georgia. He definitely gets
the prize for physical resemblance."
These bios, by the way, do mention that the "Rudabaugh" meeting in Ft.
Griffin was the first introduction of Wyatt to Doc and vice versa, but both
quote Earp as saying that it was the incident where Doc unexpectedly came out
of nowhere and saved him from ambush as the birth moment of their friendship.
Wyatt had expected to die in that moment, and Doc saving him led him to
state: "I'm a friend of Doc Holliday because when I was city marshal of Dodge
City, Kansas, he came to my rescue and saved my life when I was surrounded by
desperadoes."
Lisa
I got a catalog today that has some items that might be of some interest to
Tombstone fans. It is from a small, women owned publishing company called
"The Early West" and offers a variety of books on U.S. history of the West,
and usually devotes at least a page or two each catalog to the Earps or O.K.
Corrall fight.
Included this time are titles such as:
THE EARPS TALK edited by Alford Turner, hc $19.95 from which a passage is
quoted: "And so I marshal my characters. My stalwart brothers, Virgil,
Morgan, shall stand on the right of the stage with my dear old comrade Doc
Holliday; on the left shall be arrayed Ike Clanton, Sheriff Behan, Curly Bill
and the rest....Nor shall a heroine be wanting for Big Nose Kate was shaped
for the part by nature and circumstance. Poor Kate! Froniter whiskey must
have laid her low long since.... Wyatt Earp, August 2, 1896"
THE EARP DECISION by Jack DeMattos (this covers Wyatt's involvement in the
heavyweight championship boud between Robert Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey in
1896 in San Francisco. HC $21.95
THE OK CORRALL INQUEST by Alford Turner (includes all testimony of
participants and witnesses heard at Coroners Inquest and the monthlong Wells
Spicer Hearing)
HC $19.95.
JOHN RINGO THE FINAL HOURS, by Michael M. Hickey, due August 1995, HC $39.95
STREET FIGHT IN TOMBSTONE, NEAR THE OK CORRALL by M.M. Hickey, (stiff
pictorial wrappers) $19.95
THE COWBOY CONSPIRACY TO CONVICT THE EARPS my M.M. Hickey, SC, $23.95
ILLUSTRATED LIFE AND TIMES OF WYATT EARP by Bob Boze Bell, HC $35 (due August
1995) or SC (stiff pictorial wrappers) $25
Of special interest to those interested in finding out more about Doc
Holliday:
ARISTOCRACY'S OUTLAW by Sylvia D. Lynch, "the story of a remarkable man in an
astonishing fight to cheat death through sheer will and determination, while
deliverately taunting fate the whole way. It is the story of a gambler who
played the hand he was dealt by fate in the best way he saw fit....the
somewhat tragic story...the true life story of John Holliday, aristocracy's
outlaw." 312 pp, index, sources, photos, notes, SC $25.00
and:
THE ILLUSTRATED LIFE AND TIMES OF DOC HOLLIDAY by Bob Boze Bell. "In
addition to never before published photos and a scene by scene account of the
gunfight, Boze will also delve into the question of the year---Who was
better, Val Kilmer as Doc in Tombstone or Dennis Quaid as Doc in Wyatt Earp?
Which one of the "Dueling Docs" captures the true spirit of John Jenry
Holliday? Read the story of his life and decide for yourself.
Also in this catalog are several books on Billy the Kid ,including one by Bob
Boze Bell same size, format as the aforementioned books on Wyatt and Doc. The
Lincoln County War also sports several titles They also have coffee mugs
with your choice of Billy the kid, Wild Bill Hickock, Wyatt Earp, Doc
Holliday, Pat Garrett, Jesse James and Bat Masterson--individual price $5.95,
or a set of five, (your choice) for $19.95.
If interested in any of the above, they have a number for credit card
ordering: 1-800-245-5841. Or you may write them for a catalog or to order:
THE EARLY WEST, Box 9292, College Station TX 77842 ph. 409-775-6047.
Lisa
Subject: Val Mentions in Holliday bioraphies #1
DUELING DOCS
"Both performances are dead on."
This page is faced by one which features a black and white shot of Val and Kurt from
Tombstone ( on horseback, looking back over their shoulders). Beneath this
is a full color version of the video box (it so appears anyway!) There is a
small article and a caption, they follow below:
"DOC OUTLIVES 'WYATT EARP'
The caption to the Tombstone photo reads as follows:
"Val Kilmer (left) as Doc and Kurt Russell as Wyatt set out on the vengeance
trail in 1993s "Tombstone". Kevin Jarre spent well over a year crafting a
script that reflected not only history but also the other Earp-Holliday
movies. For instance, when the Earps arrive in Tombstone, Virgil (Sam
Elliott) mutters the line, 'What kind of town is this?' This was a line of
Henry Fonda's in 'My Darling Clementine'. When Doc is leaving Kate (in a
scene cut from the film but available on laserdisc) he asks, 'Have you no
kind word for me before I ride away?" This is a wonderful play on the lyrics
to Dimitri Tiompkins theme song for 'The Gunfight at the OK Corral". The
lyrics went in part: 'Have you no kind word to say before I ride away?'"
to be long-lasting. Even though TOMBSTONE was passed over when the Academy
Awards were handed out, it proved to be a box office favorite. Video stores
began receiving requests for the old classics about the OK Corral, and the
Western genre enjoyed a revival that transcended different media. The
Western was back, the year after TOMBSTONE's release, there were reportedly
sixty-five Westerns in production in Hollywood.
Earp and Holliday books from The Early West Publishers
1st ed. HC
$35
SC $25.