Tombstone

Goofs for
"Tombstone" (1993)

• Factual errors: Curly Bill Brocious 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: 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.
  
  
• Continuity: When Morgan dies, Wyatt is rubbing his forehead with a hand that looks very wet with blood, but none of the blood rubs off onto Morgan's forehead.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In Tombstone a 50-star US flag is flying from a building (it should have had 38 stars).
  
  
• 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: In the scene where 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 Corall, 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.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: 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.