As the writer of a movie script and being the director, you would think that you would have the prerogative to demand things be a certain way. For Kevin Jarre, this was precisely the thing that got him fired off the set of “Tombstone”. It couldn’t have been easy losing that vision from the movie, and Michael Biehn describes this as being one of the hardest times.
The cast must have felt the void and certainly felt sad over Jarre’s departure. Every aspect of that movie was envisioned by that director and it is hard not to convey it. He just wanted everything to be the way he imagined it. He was there from script to casting and the early stages of production. He had a hand on everything from saddles and spurs to even mustache length. Ultimately, it was because of his rigidity on the set, that the actors felt so creatively stifled. As a result, Jarre was fired from the movie, and George P. Cosmatos was brought in to replace him.
The Movie Was Fun
With all these legends around on set, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that it was actually a lot of fun to film. Michael Biehn has been vocal about the movie’s shortcomings, calling it a “bubble gum version” as well as the problems with production, sacking Kevin Jarre, and bringing in George Cosmatos very early on — and even he still reflected on how much fun it was to make.
It wasn’t just the making of the movie that was fun but the film itself. Helped by its excellent script and some equally great performances but some of the world’s best actors. The fun they had on set definitely translated onto the screen, and as Michael Biehn puts it, “By the time it got cut together, and I saw it, I thought it was really good.” The audience clearly felt the fun too as it got a lot of laughs. Perhaps it was the gun twirling or the excellent script that people could quote. The characters enjoyed their roles and played them well, which added to the fun and enjoyment.
(Almost) Everyone Grew Their Own Mustache
You may have realized this when watching the movie, almost the entire male cast have mustaches. Moreover, they are the same kind of mustache that curls up at the end. Michael Biehn explained that the writer, Kevin Jarre, had a vision about how the mustaches should look and that he wanted them to curl up. To do this, you have to grow the mustache long enough, so then you can use wax on the ends to curl it. Perhaps it was for authenticity purposes, but almost everyone grew their own mustache for the film.
Talking about the mustaches, Michael Biehn said that everyone was pretty proud that they grew their own mustache. Jon Tenney, however, was the exception as he had a commitment to another project which required another style of facial hair. As Biehn added, he thought Tenney always felt a little bit like the small dog of the group because it wasn’t his real mustache.
A Sad Departure
It was not an easy decision, and many members of the cast and crew were sorry to see Jarre be fired from the movie. According to Sam Elliott, this was one of the biggest challenges in the making of "Tombstone". It mainly affected Kurt Russel, who found it very difficult without Jarre on set. Elliott added that it was actually heartbreaking as Jarre was the one with the vision.
On hearing the news, everyone involved in the making of this film pulled together to make this vision alive. They felt that they wanted to do that for Kevin and honor the script the way he imagined it. Kurt Russel, who felt particularly sad when Jarre was fired, said that he felt they had to pull it off and do it for Kevin.
A Modern Retelling
Kevin Jarre’s vision was specific, and even though it was released in 1993, he wanted the look and feel to be like it was shot in the 1940s, like a classic Western. Jarre wanted the movie to be done in a long master shot, but the production crew didn’t agree. Even though this was how things were shot in the 40s and would have been more authentic, the idea was scrapped and it was decided that Jarre should not be the director of "Tombstone".
The production crew was eager to do a modern retelling of an old story. Kevin Jarre fought for his vision as he was so passionate about this movie. It would eventually be the main reason why he was fired.