One of the most watched Westerns in recent memory is Tombstone. It tells the tale of renown lawman Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and centers on his time spent fighting outlaws in Tombstone, Arizona, with his brothers and closest friend, Doc Holliday, a former dentist turned poker-playing gunfighter.
It is Val Kilmer’s scene-stealing portrayal of Doc Holliday that most fans point to when discussing their love for the film. The amazing dialogue, delivered with ease by Kilmer, elevates the character to icon status. Here are Doc Holliday’s 15 best lines from the movie.
Added by Mark Birrell on December 12th, 2020: Nearly every phrase delivered by Val Kilmer in his role as the illustrious Doc Holliday feels like an all-time classic, and many of them are remembered by fans long after the final credits have rolled. We included an additional five quotes because we couldn’t stop at just 10, so enjoy reading them.
“You know, Ed, if I thought you weren’t my friend, I just don’t think I could bear it.”
Doc Holliday is depicted in the movie as an excellent card player and this gets him into his fair share of fights. When he’s introduced at the beginning, one such argument happens right off the bat.
Holliday is playing against a man named Ed Bailey, who takes exception to Holliday’s victory and begins getting aggressive only for Holliday to crank up his sarcasm and push right back.
“I stand corrected, Wyatt. You’re an oak.”
When Wyatt Earp first meets his main love interest, the actress Josephine Marcus, face to face after a performance, she enters the saloon by dancing with various men across the floor towards Earp.
Holliday had deliberately set Earp up by getting him to insist that he was a faithfully married man who would forsake all other women before she walked in and, when Earp proves to be a man of his word and declines to dance with Josephine, Holliday is forced to admit defeat. Even though he’s ultimately dead right, and probably knows it too.
“Evidently, Mr. Ringo’s an educated man. Now I really hate him.”
Holliday’s main rivalry in the movie is between him and the ruthless gunslinger Johnny Ringo, whose reputation appears to match Holliday’s own as does his intellect and skill with a pistol.
On first meeting, the two immediately get into a little war of words, spilling over from English into Latin. This prompts Holliday to explain in a typically hilarious and sardonic manner.
“I know, why don’t we have a spelling contest.”
Val Kilmer’s Holliday is a character who just can’t help himself when he sees an opportunity to amuse himself and verbally take his opponent down a few rungs.
Once the main issues have started to emerge at the halfway point of the film, Holliday gets into a fight again as a result of playing cards too well. Things got heated after 12 consecutive victories over Ike Clanton. Holliday jokes that poker isn’t Ike’s game and offers this alternative because he sees the chance to really pressure his opponent, which finally causes Clanton to lose it.
“My Hypocrisy Goes Only So Far.”
Doc Holliday was deputized before joining Wyatt Earp on his vendetta ride to hunt down the cowboys responsible for murdering Wyatt’s brother Morgan. Before dueling with Johnny Ringo, Holliday was sure to show his opponent the badge letting him know he had the legal right to shoot him dead.
Doc removed his badge after killing Johnny Ringo and laid it on the body. He spoke the aforementioned remark to express to Wyatt that, despite being delighted to support his friend in his quest for vengeance, he is content with the reality that, on the inside, he will always be a murderer.
“There’s No Normal Life There’s Just Life. Now Get On With It.”
In his final conversation with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday drops the above quote on his best friend after the hardened lawman confesses all he wants now is a little normalcy.
From his deathbed, Doc tells his one and only friend the harsh reality: No matter what we do, we’ll all end up in the same spot. As a result, you’d better enjoy life while you still can. Wyatt appears to be motivated by Doc’s advice as he makes an effort to find Josie, the woman he has been in love with but has been reluctant to commit to because of his fears.
“I’m Your Huckleberry.”
Perhaps the quote most associated with Doc Holliday, he spoke the line twice in Tombstone — the first time was in response to Johnny Ringo’s open challenge to Wyatt Earp and his crew. However, Ringo’s fellow cowboys broke up the fight before anything could happen.
The second time, when Johnny Ringo approac hes someone he believes to be Wyatt Earp only to discover it is actually Doc Holliday who has come to fight, he wouldn’t be as fortunate. With his most well-known statement, Holliday calmly announced his coming before quickly dispatching Johnny Ringo.
“Johnny I Apologize, I Forgot You Were There.”
Wyatt Earp was walking the dusty streets of Tombstone discussing business with his brothers, unaware he was being stalked by a gun-toting Johnny Tyler (Billy Bob Thornton) whom he had slapped around moments earlier. Before Tyler could pounce he was interrupted by Doc Holliday who had been watching the scene play out.
The mere sight of Holliday was enough to make Johnny Tyler feel extremely nervous. Doc eventually let the cowardly Johnny Tyler off the hook by dismissing him with the aforementioned phrase as Holliday and the Earp brothers stood catching up in the street.
“I’ve Not Yet Begun To Defile Myself.”
Besides gun fighting and poker, Doc Holliday had another destructive hobby – drinking. As he got older and the effects of tuberculosis began to worsen Holliday relied even more on alcohol to soothe his pain.
Doc proceeded to make fun of the dim-witted cowboy as he played poker and beat him hand after hand. Ike retaliated violently before Wyatt Earp intervened and offered an apology on Holliday’s behalf, attributing his behavior to intoxication. But no one is more aware of their own limitations as Doc Holliday, who gave the impression that he was just getting started by using the aforementioned phrase.
“Why Johnny Ringo, You Look Like Somebody Just Walked Over Your Grave.”
The sadistic cowboy known as Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) had challenged Wyatt Earp to a duel to the death but it was Doc Holliday who showed up instead. As confident as Ringo was it was hard to ignore the fact that Holliday was a well-known killer with legendary speed.
When Johnny Ringo saw the old dentist, he was unable to contain his inner terror, and his doubts about his abilities to defeat him came to the surface. The aforementioned remark merely highlighted what was obvious to everyone who looked at Ringo’s face because Holliday had undoubtedly seen similar expression before on many of his previous opponents.
“I’m afraid the strain was more than he could bear.”
After shooting and killing Johnny Ringo in their climactic duel, which was supposed to take place between Ringo and Wyatt Earp before Doc showed up to save Earp (as he confirmed to Earp before the duel that Wyatt could not beat Ringo), Earp arrives to find Holliday kneeling over Ringo’s body.
Before Earp’s arrival, he laments rather sarcastically that Ringo was just too “high-strung” and adds this explanation when Earp walks over. This, like the manner in which Ringo dies, is in reference to the theory that the real Johnny Ringo may have actually committed suicide.
“In Vino Veritas.”
Upon meeting Johnny Ringo Doc Holliday immediately insults him. In an attempt to broker peace, Wyatt Earp apologizes on Doc’s behalf attributing his behavior to being drunk to which Doc replies in Latin, “In Vino Veritas,” or “In wine there is truth.”
Doc Holliday is merely emphasizing the fact that a person’s inebriation does not preclude him from expressing the truth. Ringo, who is also intelligent, engages in a difficult dialogue with the other gunslinger entirely in Latin. To know that these two are headed for battle, you don’t need to understand what they are saying.
“I Have Two Guns, One For Each Of You.”
Earlier in the evening, Doc had been playing piano after a night of drinking and poker. He is interrupted when Wyatt finds himself surrounded by a group of cowboys wanting to free their leader who is accused of murder.
Doc wanders into the street to help his friend when one of the cowboys refers to him as “the drunk piano player,” and tells him he’s so drunk he’s probably seeing double. Never at a loss for words the deadly shootist pulls out both pistols and remarks, “I have two guns, one for each of you.”
“You’re A Daisy If You Do.”
Doc was in the sights of cowboy Frank McLaury during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, who yelled, “I’ve got you now, you son of a bi**h.” Holliday, who is always composed under pressure, merely said, “You’re a daisy if you do,” and then watched as Morgan Earp shot McLaury.
According to witnesses of the gunfight, Doc Holliday actually uttered the now-iconic line when he found himself in the crosshairs of Frank McLaury which only adds to the legendary outlaw’s legacy.
“I’m Dying How Are You?”
Doc Holliday was still able to deliver even at his worst moments. Doc’s reply to his one and only friend Wyatt Earp was as stated above. The lawman had been to see Holliday, who was nearing the end of his fight with tuberculosis, as was customary.
Doc was laid up in bed at a Colorado sanitorium. Wyatt casually asked Doc how he was doing. Holliday just as casually replied, “I’m dying, how are you?” Doc Holliday kept his amazing sense of sarcasm with him until the very end.