Val Kilmer’s performance as Doc Holliday in Tombstone was full of classic moments, but these 10 are the best. Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc Holliday was considered one of the best performances of Tombstoneand one of the best performances of any Western, for good reason. Many of Doc Holliday’s scenes are also among the best scenes in Tombstoneand he basically commanded every sequence he was in. As such, none of Doc Holliday’s moments were bad, but there were still 10 that were better than the rest.
Doc Holliday was one of the central characters of Tombstoneand he managed to interact with almost everyone. From his rivalry with Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) to his friendship with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), Doc was involved in almost everything that happened in Tombstone. This also means that Doc has had a lot of chances to shine, and several different moments where he’s shown why he’s such a popular character. There are a lot of great Doc Holliday moments in Tombstonebut these 10 are the best.
10
Doc Holliday’s taunts in the OK Corral shooting
Holliday played with his opponents even in the face of grave danger
The most notable moment in the true story of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp was the shootout at the OK Corral and Tombstone He nailed the adaptation of the event. The scene focuses mainly on the Earp brothers, and Doc only joins in when they approach the Cowboys, but he still manages to shine the brightest. Near the end of the shootout, one of the Cowboys said he was going to kill Doc, and the gunman responded, “You’re a daisy if you do that.” It was the perfect way to end the shootout at the OK Corral and was one of Doc Holliday’s finest moments.
Part of the reason Doc Holliday’s taunts during the shootout at the OK Corral were such a great moment is because they perfectly encapsulated a huge part of his character. Even after taking down Cowboys and finding himself in an extremely dangerous situation where his gun was unloaded, Doc still made jokes. He took almost nothing seriously, and it was mainly because he was so much better than everyone he fought that he didn’t need to. Even with just a loaded gun, Doc knew he could handle Cowboy, so he decided to play with him before killing him.
9
Doc Holliday calls himself Johnny Ringo’s Huckleberry
‘I’m Your Huckleberry’ is an iconic phrase for a reason
Doc Holliday’s rivalry with Johnny Ringo was one of the best parts of Tombstoneand even the middle stages of their “game” were extremely tense. After the shootout at the OK Corral, a drunken Johnny Ringo challenged the Earp brothers to a duel, but Doc Holliday intervened with his iconic line: “I am your blueberry” instead of. Doc’s blueberry line is iconic for a reason, as it basically stuck a knife into the scene and immediately turned it into a huge moment in Tombstone.
Doc’s line of blueberries also highlights something only Val Kilmer was capable of doing in Tombstone: immediately stealing a scene. Until that moment, Wyatt had been the focus of Johnny Ringo’s anger, but Doc immediately stole his attention, as well as the audience’s, with three words. Kilmer had an incredible screen presence while playing Doc Holliday, and it was so powerful that it even infiltrated the plot of the film itself. It’s a great demonstration of why Kilmer was perfect as Doc Holliday and why he’s still the best character in Tombstone until today.
8
Doc Holliday calls Wyatt Earp his friend
It’s not Val Kilmer’s most memorable quote, but his delivery was totally perfect
Many of Doc Holliday’s best quotes in Tombstone make their respective scenes classic, but Val Kilmer was able to deliver common dialogue perfectly. After Wyatt began hunting the Cowboys, Turkey Creek Jack Johnson (Buck Taylor) asked Doc why he was traveling with them instead of recovering from tuberculosis. Doc responded by saying that Wyatt was his friend, and when Turkey Creek said he had a lot of friends, Doc gave a wistful response of “I am not.” None of the words Doc said were particularly memorable, but Kilmer’s line was absolutely perfect.
It’s hard to imagine Doc Holliday being as iconic as he is without this sympathetic core.
Doc Holliday’s simple words don’t sound like much on paper, but his voice told an entire story. In just a few words, Kilmer showed all the regrets Doc had about his life and the loneliness he felt. But, he also showed how highly Doc thought of Wyatt, and mixing those two messages together was an impressive performance.. In addition to Kilmer’s performance, Doc’s words also deconstructed the personality he had throughout the film and showed that, despite all his sarcasm and bravado, he was a vulnerable man. It’s hard to imagine Doc being as iconic as he is without this sympathetic core.
7
Doc Holliday robs the bar at the beginning of Tombstone
Tombstone made the perfect introduction to Doc Holliday’s character
Doc Holliday is a legendary character and proved what a great figure he could be in his first scene in Tombstone. Doc’s first scene saw him win a poker gang and subsequently rob all of the bar’s customers with the help of his lover, Kate (Joanna Pacula).. The scene is full of great lines like “You’re not wearing a bustle. How obscene”, Doc’s jokes and teasing, and his trademark laissez-faire attitude towards everything, even a robbery.
What makes the robbery such a great Doc Holliday scene is how well he presents his character. In just a few minutes, Tombstone showed the audience that Doc was a lovable, playful gunslinger with a quick draw and a quicker tongue. It’s incredibly efficient and effective and instantly hooks the viewer into Doc’s story for the rest of the film. The beginning of a character’s story is almost more important than its ending, and Tombstone nailed it at the beginning of Doc Holliday’s story.
6
Doc Holliday finding Wyatt Earp on tombstone
Doc’s dismissal of Johnny Tyler is so perfectly condescending and scathing
The first time Doc Holliday actually interacted with Wyatt Earp in Tombstone it’s also one of his finest moments. The scene instantly established Doc and Wyatt’s friendship, which is the cornerstone of the Tombstonebut also gave the gunslinger one of his best reviews in the entire film. When Johnny Tyler (Billy Bob Thornton) tried to confront Wyatt, Doc dismissed him by simply saying, “Johnny, I apologize. I forgot you were there. You can go now.”
Doc Holliday’s encounter with Johnny Tyler is yet another example of how he could bring someone down with nothing more than his words. What makes it truly memorable among Doc’s countless iconic insults, however, is Kilmer’s performance.. He dismissed Johnny effortlessly, and his Doc lines made it clear that he didn’t consider the man holding a loaded shotgun to be the slightest threat. Kilmer really sold the idea that Doc considered Johnny to be as harmful as a fly and equally bothersome.
5
Johnny Ringo trades Latin insults with Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday was as quick with his words as he was with his weapons
Johnny Ringo was almost a match for Doc Holliday in the shootout, but he also put up quite a fight in the wordplay. When the two met, they exchanged several insults and taunts entirely in Latin. Even though most viewers couldn’t understand what Doc and Johnny were saying to each other, the verbal confrontation was still one of Doc Holliday’s best scenes.. Val Kilmer’s demeanor and inflection drove the entire exchange, and even though all the words were in Latin, Kilmer’s acting ensured the scene still worked.
Everything that makes Doc Holliday an endearing character was on display during his argument with Johnny Ringo.
There were also so many great details that added flavor to Johnny and Doc’s Latino confrontation. From Doc’s comments to Kate and Wyatt grabbing the shotgun hidden under the table, the entire scene was full of suspense. Doc trying to decide whether he hated Johnny or not was also the perfect way to inject humor into the scene, and it didn’t lessen the tension of their conversation at all.. Basically, everything that makes Doc Holliday an endearing character was on display during his argument with Johnny Ringo.
4
Doc Holliday’s Final Words to Wyatt Earp
Doc Holliday’s final words cemented his friendship with Wyatt as one of the best
Doc Holliday’s friendship with Wyatt Earp gives Tombstone its emotional heart and the end of the relationship gave the film its most bittersweet moment. On Doc’s deathbed, he asked Wyatt to leave him behind and go on living, and the two friends parted for the last time in an emotional exchange.. Everything about the scene, from Doc using some of his last breaths to tell more jokes to Wyatt’s reluctant granting of his desire to leave, made for a truly great moment in Tombstone.
Doc’s death scene in Tombstone it also proves why the western has become a classic since it was released. For all the shootouts and tough guy moments in Tombstonethe film also has a huge amount of heart. The end of Tombstone it’s as much about Wyatt saying goodbye to an old friend and listening to his advice to move forward as it is about getting revenge on his brothers. Without those deeply emotional scenes, Tombstone it wouldn’t have as much staying power, and Doc Holliday is responsible for that.
3
Curly Bill’s arrest and Doc Holliday’s two guns
Even when drunk, Doc Holliday could take anyone down
Even after a day and night of heavy drinking, Doc Holliday could stand up to anyone. One scene blatantly proved this, when Wyatt arrested Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) for shooting the Tombstone marshal. Doc came to Wyatt’s aid, and when Billy Clanton (Thomas Haden Church) said he was seeing twice because of his intoxication, Doc simply responded, “I have two weapons. One for each of you.” Even when he was very drunk, Doc Holliday was as quick and quick-witted as ever.
Even when he was very drunk, Doc Holliday was as quick and quick-witted as ever.
One of the most underrated parts of Doc Holliday’s character in Tombstone it’s what he can do in a scene when he’s not stealing the show. Doc was not the main figure in Curly Bill’s arrest, as Wyatt was still the central focus of the scene. Doc, however, added a lot to the scene, from tension to comedy, and made everything better just by being there. He had a tendency to overshadow other characters, but his confrontation with Billy Clanton proved that Doc could easily improve on the other characters in Tombstone.
2
Doc Holliday matching Johnny Ringo’s gun tricks with a cup
Doc’s Cup tricks defused the stalemate and brutally insulted Johnny Ringo
When they met and soon after exchanging insults in Latin, Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo also exchanged some jokes. Johnny twisted and turned his revolver in an impressive display of delicacy, but Doc responded by performing the same tricks with his tin cup.. Doc’s cup tricks are a classic moment in Tombstonepartly because it was the perfect joke to break the tension the scene had been building. The tricks were even more impressive than that, and there’s a good reason they’re so memorable.
Doc’s cup tricks are so special because the moment is so profound. On the surface, it’s a funny moment and shows Doc’s playful side once again. Digging deeper, though, it becomes clear that it was the perfect – and possibly the only – way for Doc to defuse his confrontation with Johnny, and that he played his tricks in a very calculated manner. Even deeper than that, however, is the fact that the cup tricks prove that Doc was watching Johnny closely to learn the speed of his draw and his mastery of his pistols, and that he had effectively won a shootout without even drawing his revolvers.
1
Doc Holliday’s shootout with Johnny Ringo
Doc Holliday’s jester persona became a chilling intimidation tactic when he killed Johnny Ringo
Doc Holliday’s penultimate scene in Tombstone it’s also his best: his confrontation with Johnny Ringo. The two fighters finally had the chance to face each other in the final moments of the Tombstoneand their duel more than lived up to the suspense that all the previous fights were building up to. From the Doctor “It looks like someone just walked over your grave“From the fear in Johnny’s eyes and the moment they fired, the duel was a fantastic confrontation. It is proof that Tombstone It’s a great classic Western, but it’s also a great moment for Doc himself.
Johnny Ringo was the only character in Tombstone which almost managed to match Doc Holliday, and also gave the gunslinger a chance to let the mask slip. All of Doc’s cheerful, confident taunts disappeared when he faced Johnny. His once playful demeanor turned into a terrifying presence, and Doc’s duel with Johnny showed exactly why everyone was right to be afraid of him.. A moment that manages to show a completely new side to a character like this is always impressive, and it’s easily Doc Holliday’s best moment ever. Tombstone.