This 54-Year-Old Stacy Keach Western Is Perfect for Tombstone Fans (& It Features Doc Holliday)

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral has been central to several Westerns. From Frontier Marshal to the modern classic Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday have been central characters in the genre. But one of the best renditions of the story came in 1971 with Frank Perry’s Doc.

Doc tells the same story fans have come to know and love. But this time, instead of focusing more on the Earp brothers, the story focuses on Holliday and his relationship with Kate Elder. For those who love Tombstone, Doc delivers all the familiar characters and shootouts that genre lovers expect. However, it offers a darker and more personal spin on the tale, a welcoming change for those who want a deeper glimpse into one of the genre’s favorite characters.

Doc Is all About the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Doc tells its version of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. But instead of putting Wyatt Earp front and center, its main focus is on Doc Holliday. Played by Stacy Keach, Doc is a sick gambler and gunslinger who drifts into Tombstone with his partner, Kate Elder (Faya Dunaway), where the Wyatt brothers are already at war against the Cowboys.

Doc won several awards, including the 1971 Western Writers of America Spur Award for the Best Movie Script by Peter Hamill.

As the Earps try to clean up the town and the Cowboys push back, Ike Clanton (Michael Witney) and his men refuse to disarm and challenge the Earps’ authority. With arrests, warnings, and betrayals, it all comes to its natural conclusion with the Earps, Holliday, and Clanton’s men facing off in one of the most infamous gunfights in Western history.

Wyatt Earp Takes a Backseat in this Western Classic

Doc wasn’t the first film to center on the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and, obviously, it wasn’t the last. Just four years before its release was Hour of the Gun, and before that there was Frontier Marshal and Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die, among others. However, while Doc may not have been anything remarkably new to the Western genre, it was interesting for its focus on Holliday, rather than solely on Wyatt and the Earp brothers. Of course, Holliday was a major character in other Tombstone films since he played a big part in the actual events. But most do center more on Wyatt and the Earps’ control over the town, with Holliday being more of a supportive character rather than a main one.

Doc doesn’t delve completely into Holliday’s backstory, but it does offer more of a glimpse into his life after the Civil War, his training to become a dentist, and his relationship with Kate Elder. In fact, the film frames much of the story through his relationship with Kate, presenting Wyatt in a different role. Instead of being a noble lawman, Wyatt is more like a rival to Kate, trying to pull Doc back into his old ways. He’s in Tombstone running for sheriff because he wants control and brings Doc to town not out of friendship, but because he needs a hired gunman. In return, Doc gets a piece of the town’s gambling scene.

This puts Wyatt in a much colder light than most versions of the story. He’s consolidating power, using Doc as muscle while keeping his own hands clean. Meanwhile, Doc is caught between his loyalty to Wyatt and his relationship with Kate, who wants him to walk away from all of it. It’s interesting to see Wyatt in this light, as it presents Doc as a much more central and loveable character than in other renditions. In Tombstone, audiences are rooting for the Earps just as much as Doc, their friendship being one of the emotional cores of the story. But in Doc, things are more lopsided. Wyatt comes off as self-serving, while Doc is the one carrying the weight. His illness, his weariness, and his longing for something better all make him a more sympathetic figure. By the time the gunfight happens, it feels like the natural, tragic end to a string of choices that pulled Doc further away from the life Kate hoped they could have.

Doc Is the Perfect Follow-Up for Tombstone Fans

For anyone who loves Tombstone, or any other Tombstone-centered film for that matter, Doc hits all the right notes. It’s a classic Western through and through, with all the characters and shootouts that fans of the genre crave. But it’s a darker and more personal take on the story, one that fans of Tombstone will find refreshing.

Where Tombstone’s Doc is often the quick-witted and charming gunslinger with a darker edge, Doc offers a more vulnerable side to the character. His illness, his fatigue, and his weariness all come through, making him a character viewers can’t help but feel for. Fans who loved Val Kilmer’s Doc in Tombstone will find this version just as compelling but slightly more complex. He’s a man in pain, caught between loyalty to his old friend and a desire for something better.

But even with this extra emotionality, Doc never forgets that it’s still a Western at heart. The action is intense, the confrontations are thrilling, and the film doesn’t shy away from delivering the violence fans of Tombstone expect. Whether it’s a barroom brawl, a standoff, or the build-up to the gunfight, the action is perfectly paced and loaded with high stakes. For Tombstone fans who came for the shootouts and don’t want to be let down, Doc delivers plenty of that Western action.

One of the biggest draws of Doc is its strong cast, with Stacy Keach delivering a memorable performance as the titular character. Okay, it isn’t Kilmer, who delivered an unforgettable performance and is perhaps one of the best on-screen versions of Holliday. But Keach is just as impressive, albeit slightly calmer than Kilmer’s version. Alongside Keach is Faye Dunaway as Kate Elder, and their chemistry anchors much of the story, making their troubled relationship a compelling watch. Ultimately, if viewers loved the strong performances in Tombstone, they’ll find Doc equally impressive in its ability to bring its characters to life.

For those who are yet to watch Doc, the film doesn’t offer anything remarkably new, but rather a different spin on the story fans already know. While it may revisit familiar events, it does so from Holliday’s perspective. For Tombstone fans, this is an opportunity to see a beloved character in a new light, offering a deeper dive into his motivations and relationships. With its action and performances, Doc is a worthy addition to the Western genre and a fitting companion to the more famous portrayals of the O.K. Corral story.