Also, Tombstone far outdoes Wyatt Earp in the moustache department,

I’ll shut up now and save my (semi) pro-Kasdanisms for when you actually move on to Wyatt Earp!

I vastly prefer “Tombstone” to “Wyatt Earp” on every level, finding it much more vigorous and entertaining - not to mention less sentimental.

One of the “failings” of Kasdan’s Earp is that it does exactly what John indicates (and is what I love about it): the characters are pretty unlikeable (Costner’s Earp is quite hard to muster any sense of sympathy for, and doesn’t come across as anyone’s definition of hero) and, in attending to an anti-sensationalist telling of the myth, can seem to be quite dusty and dull (and, yes, pompous). It’s the antithesis of Dances With Wolves.

As for Victor Mature, I know my opinion of him is really just a personal prejudice, but I like to indulge it.

Glad you’ve enjoyed this soon to end series John, I’ve enjoyed doing it.

I’ve got a lot of time for Kilmer’s fey interpretation (and indeed Russell’s fire breathing, bantam cock Earp), I agree that Quaid makes a brilliant Holliday, and I personally don’t think Mature was ever better; think of that wonderful Shakespeare scene, and picture him slumping into the dirt leaving his ever present handkerchief fluttering in the breeze - brings chills to my spine.

Whatever one thinks of their overall merit, every ‘O.K. Corral’ film brings something new to the table; the truth (whatever that is) is not only not very pretty and bereft of anyone to sympathise for, it’s actually quite dull.

Agree, disagree; I’m enjoying this ‘Earp’ series Colin.

I’ve written in an earlier review that I have serious issues with accepting Victor Mature in pretty much any western role. I quite like his performances in a number of other pictures but he just sticks out like a sore thumb in oaters - I just feel he doesn’t belong. I generally don’t worry too much about the degree of realism, but Kilmer was a lot closer to the actual Holliday than Mature, who looked the picture of hearty good health for a dying man - not to mention his not being a doctor of medicine, dying a the O.K. Corral etc.

As for ‘Wyatt Earp’, I’m going to look at that next. However, I will say in advance that I’ve never liked it one bit. It may be more accurate than ‘Tombstone’ in some respects, but that doesn’t make it a better film. I see it as having too much of Costner written all over it, which for me means: dull, ponderous, long and more than a little pretentious.