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Dakota Turk
Mr. Hawkins
ENGL 1113
24 March 2015
Myths and truth of the famed Wild West
It is not a rare trend when familiarizing yourself with a movie that you find yourself
contemplating a deeper meaning within the film. Film makers purposely do this I believe to draw
in critiques and movie watchers while their movie sweeps across the main stream and makes
them absurdly amounts of money. In the 1993 film Tombstone, I believe the makers took
advantage of this development and buried meanings within the characters and displayed them
discretely throughout the film. This film also takes a stand behind Revisionist politics and
corrects myths of the Wild West.
Three brothers by the name of Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil Earp are successful lawmen
from Kansas. Wanting to retire, the brothers loaded up their belongings and their beloveds and
traveled to Tombstone, Arizona. Tombstone is a small mining town in the midst of becoming a
booming success. They travel here in hope of finding a claim and lead a profitable and peaceful
life. Upon their arrival, Wyatt finds the brothers a stake in a pharaoh game at a local saloon and
they meet up with longtime friend Doc Holliday. Doc is an American gunfighter, dentist by trade,
deputized U.S. Marshall, and an avid gambler, mostly known for his longtime friendship with
Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. While attempting to find
peace, the brothers find themselves in a feud with the Cowboys, a local gang of ramblers
identified by the red sashes they wear. After the Shooting of the O.K. Corral that left 4 cowboys
dead, the gang pursues vengeance amongst the brothers that leaves Virgil maimed and Morgan

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dead. Turning this around, Wyatt then seeks retaliation against the cowboys and puts an end to
their gang, killing all members wearing a red sash.
From watching the film looking specifically searching for a deeper meaning, I think the
directors try to emphasize how wicked society can be when law and order doesnt exist. A scene
that sticks out in my mind when thinking of the law enforcement of Tombstone is when Turkey
Creek Jack Johnson and Texas Jack Vermillion are introduced by barging out of a saloon and
killing two men who crawfished a bet and swore them liars. The two are punished by getting
their guns taken away by the law; they argue their end by saying it was a fair fight, but end up
still getting their guns taken until after the court date. By filming this, I think the directors are
trying to highlight that this is the way our everyday life would be without the use of laws and
people could in fact die regularly by ways forced upon them and ways deemed unlawful. I also
think they portray Wyatt as an innocent lawman that does only good but in all reality, he is far
from that. He killed a lot of men because of what they did to his brothers and he deemed in
appropriate to kill them. Throughout the Wild West, this was the case in any sort of law and
order. There was only a town Marshall to reckon whether or not the crime somebody committed
was rightfully executed or if in fact they should be punished. Its a decision made in present
times by a judge and jury usually, but in these times it was all up to the personal belief of one
man. I think the writers and film makers brand Wyatt as an innocent man in his actions but in
contrast, may have made him a bag guy in many cases.
Another meaning I believe the directors try to convey is that the image of women has
grown less modest and the change in mannerisms used by women have changed drastically but
even in the day and age of this movie, there have always been free spirited women. In the
film, you are introduced to the spouses of the Earp Brothers; Allie being the wife of Virgil,

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Louisa the wife Morgan, and Wyatt who was married to Urilla Sutherland, appearing in the film
as Mattie, but who actually died in 1871, which was 8 years prior to the brothers settling in
Tombstone, and thus the introduction of their spouses. When presented, all three women appear
modest and are very ladylike in their actions, living up to the standard portrayed amongst every
woman of this age. When later introduced to Mary Katherine Cummings, known as Big Nose
Kate and the wife of Doc Holliday, she portrays the image of the modest wife but is actually a
prostitute and companion of Holliday is his gambling addiction. Within the movie, Holliday is
gambling with some men when Kate comes along and sits on his lap. Holliday proceeds to point
out that she is not wearing bustle, which was scowled upon for women of this era. Later in the
scene she helps Holliday rob the saloon after he enters a predicament with a man he was
gambling with, leaving the man dead and Holliday to blame. Kate then points a gun at the
bartenders head and proclaims touch that gun, Ill burn you down. It was absolutely below
etiquette, practically unheard of, for a woman to carry a gun or let alone threaten a man with one
during this time. You are also introduced to a traveling entertainer named Josephine Marcus who,
from the moment you meet her, displays a custom not comparable to the other women. When
introduced she immediately exhibitions her liking of men and is instantly drawn to Wyatt Earp.
During the movie when Josephine and Wyatt finally meet while riding horses, she is aware that
Wyatt is a married man but still proceeds to flirt with him drastically. During a series of
questions between the two curious bodies, Wyatt asks her what her idea of heaven might be with
which she responds with room service. She then goes on to explain how she doesnt like being
the stereotypical lady and wants to never settle down and travel the world and just have fun, also
emphasizing that she gets bored easily when asked about her relationship with Sherriff Behan.
Wyatt accentuates on the way she talks and her response is I dont have time to be proper. I

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wanna live. Im a woman, I like men, if that means Im not ladylike then I guess that means Im
just not a lady. At least Im honest. Later in the film prior to the shooting at the O.K. Corral,
Behan barges into a building, unknowingly that Josephine was inside taking inappropriate
pictures. Nowadays girls can be alone and snap a quick picture of whatever they desire, but in
this era, its a group effort to take a picture. There has to be a person taking the picture and a lot
of time and preparation is needed in order to take just a single picture. Actions such as these for a
lady are entirely inferior to the protocol that women abide too in this day and age, thus just
making Josephine that much more free spirited in her actions. Comparing this to other western
style movies of the time and even prior to this, you never encounter women of such beliefs as
you do in Tombstone. 90% of women in earlier westerns play the innocent and modest house
wife of the time and are rarely sought out as being free spirited.
The film itself was a colossal success, but it may have not been as successful at
conveying messages as hoped for. When referring to Wyatt throughout the movie, he is looked at
as a hero that does no wrong but doesnt actually live up to the true meaning. He murders a
handful of men for the only reason of them killing his brother. Ive always been taught that two
wrongs dont make a right and in my eyes he definitely doesnt handle the situation very well.
Now in the scheme of the way the women are portrayed, was a great success in my opinion.
They told it how it really was and didnt sugar coat anything. By doing this the makers put
everything into better perspective and busted the myth of the wonderful house wife of the Wild
West.