It’s hard to name a Western in the last 30 years more iconic than Tombstone, a film widely considered to be one of the greatest modern Westerns that’s chock-full of iconic performances, bold action shootouts, and—most importantly—a plethora of endlessly quotable dialogue. Indeed, the 1993 cult classic starring Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, and the late Val Kilmer revitalized the Western genre with a gritty retelling of Wyatt Earp’s standoff at the O.K. Corral, which has been a staple of cowboy cinema since sound was introduced to the medium nearly a century ago. However, what separates Tombstone from other films depicting the ever-mythologized gunfight is an over-abundance of witty, gritty, and unreservedly badᴀss one-liners audiences quote with ease even 32 years later.
Nevertheless, what’s unknown to many is the true origin of one of Wyatt Earp’s coldest lines, and how screenwriter Kevin Jarre borrowed the iconic quote from a Western 37 years Tombstone‘s senior. While some might initially be thrown off by this homage, it’s important to recall other examples of borrowing and reinvention in Hollywood, such as the heavy inspiration Tarantino took from the Hong Kong film City of Fire when crafting the script for Reservoir Dogs. By directly echoing the dialogue of past Westerns, Tombstone pays homage to the genre while symbolically carrying the torch for a new generation, ultimately cementing its reputation as one of the greatest Westerns of the ’90s.
One Of Wyatt Earp’s Best Quotes In Tombstone Came From Another Movie
This Iconic Line Dates All The Way Back To 1956
Though Tombstone is renowned for its gritty shootouts and iconic one-liners, one of the best moments comes in the first half of the film before all the bloodshed and drama (ignoring the film’s opening). When Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) arrives in Tuscon, Arizona, local marshal Crawley Dake (Gary Clarke) tries to recruit Earp to the US marshals, an effort the former lawman promptly declines, telling Dake he wants to get on with his life and become rich. When Dake remarks that he “never saw a rich man that didn’t wind up with a guilty conscience,” this prompts Earp to sharply retort, “I already got a guilty conscience. Might as well have the money, too.”
Simply put, the superb one-liner paired with Russell’s stern delivery tells the audience all we need to know about Earp’s character, hinting at a dark past the lawman seeks to escape in Tombstone, AZ. However, as noted by Collider, the line’s origin can be traced back to the 1956 film The Last Hunt, an obscure Western starring Stewart Granger and Ivanhoe actor Robert Taylor. In The Last Hunt, Granger plays Sandy McKenzie, a seasoned buffalo hunter who comes out of retirement after his herd of cattle are killed by a horde of stampeding bison. When McKenzie is asked why he’d returned to the prairie for one final hunt, he delivers a near-identical line to Earp’s, reasoning that he might as well make money in the midst of his guilt and weariness.
Tombstone Is Rapidly Being Recognized As One Of Cinema’s Most Quotable Movies
No Film Has Depicted The O.K. Corral Gunfight As Well As Tombstone
By directly quoting from The Last Hunt, Tombstone references and pays tribute the lineage of the Western genre while painting Wyatt Earp as a delightful antihero looking to escape the demons of his past. However, this is not to do a disservice to the rest of Tombstone‘s script, nor the actors that made the film’s dialogue so endlessly quotable. From Doc Holliday’s “I’m your huckleberry” to Wyatt Earp’s “You gonna do somethin’ or just stand there and bleed?”, there’s a treasure trove of iconic lines and moments that make the ’90s cult classic one of the most memorable Westerns in recent memory.
There’s a fitting reason that the legendary showdown at the O.K. Corral has been recreated so many times throughout cinematic history—it’s a hallmark of poetic American justice.
So, as we approach Tombstone‘s 35th anniversary, it’s only fitting to look back at some of the film’s greatest quotes and one-liners and understand the context of their origins. There’s a fitting reason that the legendary showdown at the O.K. Corral has been recreated so many times throughout cinematic history—it’s a hallmark of poetic American justice; nevertheless, no film has truly captured the heart of the legend with the intensity and gravitas that Tombstone has. Certainly, we have the cast to thank, whose talent and precision rivals even the ensemble of The Godfather. However, I think the film’s true success can be boiled down to one critical element: iconic and unforgettable one-liners.
Source: Collider
