Goofs for
Tombstone (1993) More at IMDbPro »

• Factual errors: Curly Bill Brocius is shown as the leader of the "cowboys" prior to the arrival of the Earps. In truth, the "cowboy" band was under the control of "Old Man" Clanton until his death, during a rustling expedition into Mexico, about 1-1/2 years after the Earps arrived.
  
  
• Factual errors: The 3 Earp brothers, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan are shown arriving in Tombstone. In truth, Wyatt, Virgil, and James Earp arrived together. At the time, Morgan was already en route, and Warren Earp would soon follow.
  
  
• Factual errors: At the time of the Earp's arrival, Tombstone is portrayed as a prototypical (i.e. studio backlot) rowdy cowtown, with lots of new wooden buildings. It was, in fact, a mining boom town in the early stages of development. The few wooden buildings were outnumbered by adobe ones, which were in turn outnumbered by tents.
  
  

• Factual errors: Upon arrival, the Earps are greeted by Johnny Behan, the sheriff of Cochise Country. When the Earps really arrived (1879), there was no Cochise County. Tombstone was still in Pima County and Charles Shibbell was sheriff. Cochise County was gerrymandered out of Pima County in 1881, when Democrat Behan was appointed sheriff by the Democrat governor. Much of the history involved the conflicts between Republicans (miners, townspeople, the Earps) and Democrats (Behan, ranchers, the "cowboys").
  
  
• Continuity: The amount of damage to the window panes after Ike Clanton breaks the window to shoot at the Earps during the OK Corral scene
  
  
• Anachronisms: The Bird Cage Theater did not open its doors until December 25, 1881, almost three months to the day after the gunfight at the OK Corral, yet in scene 7 of the movie you see Curly Bill Brocious and Johnny Ringo enjoying the show, along with all the Earps, BEFORE the gunfight took place.
  
  
• Continuity: The amount of chips and money on the poker table after Doc and Kate make a quick escape from the bar approximately 12 minutes into the movie.
  
  
• Anachronisms: Marshall Fred White is shown being killed after the Earps visit the Bird Cage Theatre. White was actually shot on an empty lot where the Bird Cage Theatre was later built.
  
  
• Factual errors: Virgil and Morgan Earp were not ambushed during the same evening. Virgil was shot in December, 1881, Morgan was killed in March, 1882.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: After Morgan dies from the gunshot wound, Wyatt goes outside into the rain, which is localized to 20 feet around him.
  
  
• Continuity: The delay between Curly Bill shooting his pistol and the smashing of the window and lamp is too long.
  
  
• Continuity: The pool balls on the table.
  
  
• Continuity: When Morgan is shot and being worked on by the doctor with Wyatt's help, the blood on Wyatt's hands changes from shot to shot from totally drenched in blood to just enough to add some color to his skin.
  
  
• Factual errors: The Earps did not shoot at Ike Clanton in Fly's Photography studio.
  
  
• Factual errors: Mattie Earp didn't die shortly after leaving Tombstone, but met up with Big Nose Kate and lived for another 8 years.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: As Marshall White steps up to Curly Bill, prior to Curly Bill shooting him, a wire is clearly visible emerging from his pant leg and trailing off camera. Presumably this is for the upcoming "shot in the chest" special effects.
  
  
• Continuity: During the OK Corral gunfight, Doc Holiday fires three shots from the same shotgun without reloading. While the second and third shots do in fact produce the same injury to the cowboy, they are completely different shots. With the first shot we see Doc point the shotgun to the air and fire, making the horse rear up. In the second shot Doc shoulders the shotgun, aims down the barrel and fires. While the last shot shows Doc running sideways while holding the shotgun almost at his hip.
  
  
• Continuity: When Curly Bill shoots up the town, he fires more than 20 shots. There is a pause during the cut to the dialog interior scene but it is not nearly long enough to reload 12 rounds by someone who is intoxicated.
  
  
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the gun fight at the O.K. Corral, gun shots are being fired from all participants and yet the horse still rears at a blast from Doc Holliday's shotgun later in the battle. That gun was louder than the others, and possibly closer to the horse.
  
  
• Factual errors: At the start of the fight at the O.K. Corral, Doc Holliday fires three shots from his double barreled shotgun.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: Before Marshall White is shot you can see the bulge under his shirt where the blood packet is.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Wyatt and the others leave two cowboys hanging in front of the Dragoon Saloon, you can see clearly that neither man actually has a rope on his neck. As the one man swings around, on his jacket you can see the outline of the rope going straight down into the harness that's holding him.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Josephine is supposedly riding side-saddle with Wyatt, we see, when it turns, that she is actually straddling the horse.
  
  
• Continuity: After the gunfight at the OK Corral, there is a funeral procession at sunset. In the long shots, Ike's hand carrying the flowers is at his side, but in the close-ups he is holding the flowers up.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the opening scene, we see a Winchester Model 1873 being loaded. A round is then levered onto the chamber. The sound is that of a different rifle as the model '73 has a very distinctive "clank" caused by the heavy brass cartridge lifter.
  
  
• Continuity: In the gun fight at the O K Corral, Frank McLaury's hat is on/off /on.
  
  
• Continuity: When Virgil gets surgery on his arm, Wyatt slams the door as he leaves, but it bounces back open. In the shot just following that, when Wyatt is on the street outside the house, the door is closed.
  
  
• Continuity: When Doc Holiday keels over and falls from his horse, there's a substantial amount of blood coming from his mouth as he spits up. Once on the ground and before he's assisted, there is barely any blood present.
  
  
• Anachronisms: When Wyatt first arrives in Tombstone, the Bird Cage Theatre is in the background. Wyatt's arrival was in 1879, the Bird Cage was not built until 1881.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Morgan dies his eyes are wide open. As Wyatt lays him down rolling his head to the side Morgan's eyes continue to focus at the ceiling instead of turning with the motion of his head as dead eyes would do.
  
  
• Continuity: During the shootout at OK Corral, Frank McLaury (Robert John Burke) is wearing his hat, but during his close-up it's off of his head, then when the shooting starts it's back on.
  
  
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Wyatt holds off a small mob wanting to lynch Curly Bill for shooting Sheriff White. One must assume they witnessed the shooting since they came up so quickly. Later, Wyatt complains that Judge Spicer dismissed the case due to lack of witnesses. It is possible, however, that the witnesses refused to testify for fear of Cowboy retaliation.
  
  
• Continuity: During the first Mexican village scene, when the wedding party is leaving the church the preacher puts on his hat inside the church. As the party leaves the church he is seen putting it on again.
  
  
• Continuity: Early in the movie, when Wyatt Earp meets his brothers at the train station they stand for a moment looking in a mirror. The reflection of the group shows the there are no shadows on their necks and shoulders. When the camera looks directly at the group one can see shadows on the group's necks and shoulders.
  
  
• Continuity: During the barroom scene showcasing Johnny Ringo's gun handling skills, Wyatt's hand alternates between being on the shotgun under the table and then again on top of the table all while he is conveying the impression of covering the Cowboys.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the group first meets Marshall White and he's explaining how the "Cowboys" run the town, he points out "3 of them over there" by their red sashes. When you look, there are actually 4 men with red sashes.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In the scene when Virgil returns to the Oriental after being shot, Wyatt and Morgan are sitting at a table eating Chinese noodles with vegetables, among which is broccoli. Broccoli was practically unknown in the United States until it began to be commercially cultivated in California in the 1920s.
  
  
• Anachronisms: When Doc is playing poker with Ed Bailey and Doc lays his guns on the table, a Washington quarter is clearly evident on the table. These type of Washington quarters began being minted in 1932.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In the "showdown" scene between Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday, a close up of Johnny's eyes reveals the clearly visible outer edges of contact lens.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In Tombstone a 50-star US flag is flying from a building (it should have had 38 stars).
  
  
• Continuity: A few scenes prior to the OK Corral shootout, members of the Cowboys gang are seen riding towards town as the sun is low in the sky. In the next scene, as they slowly ride past the Earps who are in front of the sheriff's office, from the Cowboys' perspective the sun's light shines on the Earps from the horizon. When the camera switches to the Earps' perspective, however, the sun's light is shining directly down on the Cowboys from overhead. The camera switches back to the Cowboys' perspective and then the Earps' one more time, and in each case the sun is in different positions in the sky.
  
  
• Factual errors: In reality, Fred White did not die the night he was shot. In fact, it was his testimony that the shooting was accidental that led to the freeing of "Curly" Bill, not a "lack of witnesses" as shown in the film. He died two days after he was shot.
  
  
• Continuity: In Doc Holliday's first scene, once he pulls his guns on Ed Bailey, he immediately throws both guns' hammers back. Then, it cuts to a different angle and shows him slowly pull one gun's hammer back again. Then, when he puts his guns down, somehow, neither hammers are cocked anymore.
  
  
• Factual errors: In one saloon scene, Ike Clanton makes threats against the Earps and Virgil hits him over the head with the butt of his gun. Actually, that took place on the street outside, and it was Wyatt who struck Ike across the mouth with his Smith & Wesson, leaving a small gouge in the lower left side of the barrel of the gun (presumably from one of Ike's teeth).
  
  
• Factual errors: Wyatt did not carry the Buntline Special Colt at the OK Corral. His preferred gun was a Smith & Wesson American .44, nickel plated and scroll engraved.
  
  
• Factual errors: In the film Ike Clanton runs inside Fly's Photo Studio, takes a gun from someone and begins firing at the Earps through the window. Clanton never actually fired a shot during the infamous gun fight. He ran straight through Fly's and out the back door.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When Virgil goes outside on the night of the storm after seeing Wyatt and Morgan, the arm of a crane is visible in the background behind the roof of a building. It sticks vertically up in the air, probably for mounting lights.
  
  
• Miscellaneous: During the show at the Bird Cage Theatre, one of the Cowboys says he saw Professor Gilman in Bisbee, however, in the English subtitles, the town is spelled "Bisby" instead of "Bisbee."
  
  
• Factual errors: Contrary to the film's portrayal, Doc Holliday did not leave the O.K. Corral gunfight unscathed. He received a minor glancing blow to the hip, possibly from Frank McLaury, towards the end of the skirmish.
  
  
• Factual errors: The Iron Springs shootout between Wyatt's posse and Curly Bill's gang is depicted as an ambush by the latter. In reality, the two parties met almost by accident; Earp and his men were looking for water and came across Bill and his men, who were camping in the area.
  
  

• Revealing mistakes: SPOILER: In the scene where Morgan is shot in the pool hall, while laying on the pool table bleeding to death. Wyatt is stroking his forehead with his thumb which is drenched in blood, but leaves no marks at all on Morgan’s head.
  
  
• Continuity: SPOILER: When Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan are playing pool after Marshall White is shot, Virgil and Morgan are wearing their guns and gun belts. However, when Virgil steps outside and hears the gunshots he reaches for his gun and it's not there.
  
  

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