The iconic WesternTombstonewas released with a major source of competition at the box office in Kevin Costner’sWyatt Earpbiopic, but the legendary Sam Elliott never had a doubt thatTombstonewould win the day. 32 years after its release, Tombstone is still viewed as one of thevery best Westerns of all time, and is one of the most memorable movies of the 1990s regardless of genre. It is loaded with well-known quotes and memorable performances, while its direct competition from that same calendar year is all but forgotten by most audiences.
As thede facto director ofTombstone, it makes sense that Kurt Russell would be concerned about its performance, even if he hadn’t carried any of the blame if it didn’t perform well. While the outcome is now well-known, at the time there was a very real concern thatKevin Costner’sWyatt Earpbiopic would outshineTombstone, given its star power, a more willing studio, and higher budget to work with. However, Russell’s co-star Sam Elliott, who played Wyatt’s brother, Virgil Earp, didn’t share the same worries, entirely due to his confidence in their finished product.
Only 1 Tombstone Actor Didn’t Grow A Real Mustache For The 1993 Western Movie
The glorious mustaches of the entire cast of the 1993 western classic are a calling card of the movie, and only one actor didn’t grow a real one.
Sam Elliot Didn’t Share Kurt Russell’s Worry About Tombstone’s Competition
Russell Was Concerned About Kevin Costner’s Other Wyatt Earp Film
Kurt Russell is widely regarded as the real director ofTombstoneafter original director Kevin Jarre was overwhelmed and dismissed from the project. Action director George P. Cosmatos is technically credited as the movie’s director, but it was reportedly Russell who made most of the most influential decisions, includingcutting down his character Wyatt Earp’s role. Given how much behind-the-scenes strife there was, Elliott recounted toEntertainment Weeklyin 2019 that Russell was genuinely worried about how Tombstone would stack up against the other Wyatt Earp-focused movie:
I remember sitting in the Holiday Inn one night. It was before we started, and Kurt was kind of angst-ridden about all of it because he was looking at a much bigger picture that I was, much bigger than all of us. I said, ‘What the f— are you worried about, man?’ He said, ‘What do you mean?’ We had this kind of contentious relationship throughout, and I think it was really born in the relationship of the brothers, and we never got past that. I said, ‘They haven’t got this f—ing script and they haven’t got this f—ing cast.’ And that was the f—ing truth, you know? ‘Apart from that, sweat all you want.’
Kevin Costner’sWyatt Earphad more than double the budget ofTombstone, and with Costner at the height of his powers in the early 1990s, the studio behind it was far more willing to back his vision. Conversely, the studio behind the movie was so concerned aboutTombstonethat they essentiallyhid it from Siskel and Ebert, the premier movie critics of the 90s. However, Elliott knew that they had caught lightning in a bottle with Russell’s pared-down, well-paced script and a talented cast that gave outstanding performances, directorial uncertainty notwithstanding.
Sam Elliot Was Right, Tombstone Was A Better Movie Than Wyatt Earp
It’s Superior In Just About Every Way That Matters
As it turned out, Sam Elliott could not have been more correct in his assessment.Tombstonedestroyed Costner’sWyatt Earpat the box office, tripling its more modest investment, while the drearier biopic failed to even recoup its budget. Simply put,Tombstonewas a better movie in just about every way that matters, from entertainment value to rewatchability and theater experience.Wyatt Earpis beautifully shot and well-acted, but as is the case with many of Kevin Costner’s epics, the story drags and meanders to the point that it becomes unenjoyable.
December 25th, 1993
$25 million
$73.2 million
74%
93%
June 24th, 1994
$63 million
$55.9 million
31%
61%
Pick any movie review platform and it’s evident that time has only made the gap between the two movies grow larger.Tombstone’s Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer scorenearly doubles that ofWyatt Earp, and the majority of the current reviews are unkind to Costner’s epic.Tombstonebecame a cult classic thanks to how quotable it is, its string of amazing, iconic scenes, and the incredible, committed performances of the whole cast. Elliott was right to not be concerned aboutTombstone’s success way back in 1993, as time has proven him to be prophetic.
