Famous Western actor Robert Mitchum's role in Kurt Russell as the lawman Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as his associate Doc Holiday. The film explores the real 1880s people and old-west Arizona events, including the OK Corral Gunfight, and is considered a classic of the genre.

Tombstone has a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and remains popular over 30 years later. This success is partly due to its writing but also heavily relies on Tombstone's cast, which features many iconic actors, many of whom were starting their careers at the time of the film's release. Unlike these actors, Mitchum already had an impressive Western resume, which explains the alteration to his role to ensure his involvement in the movie despite being unable to perform in person.

Robert Mitchum Originally Played "Old Man Clanton" In Tombstone

Old Man Clanton Was Ike Clanton's Father

Mitchum's original role was as Old Man Clanton, a real cattle rancher who lived between 1816 and 1881. While Old Man Clanton didn't appear in the movie, his son Ike Clanton did. He was played by Stephen Lang and appeared along with other of the Clanton family. The father of four, two of Old Man Clanton's sons were involved in real-life stagecoach robberies and cattle rustling. Though Old Man Clanton would have made a satisfying addition to the film, Mitchum's part was written out after he sustained an injury after falling from a horse and could no longer act in the movie.

Unlike much of the film's cast, who were still early in their careers, Mitchum already had an impressive resume. With over 100 films in his catalog, about a third of Mitchum's projects were westerns. His roles varied throughout Western tropes, including the loner, drifter, lawman, and outlaw. However, just because he couldn't physically appear as Old Man Clanton doesn't mean that Mitchum was completely lost from the project.

How Robert Mitchum's Narration Helps Make Tombstone's Opening Great

Mitchum's Voice Sets The Tone For The Film

Mitchum's powerful voice opens the film as he takes the role of the Narrator. Mitchum's words establish the historical context of Tombstone's ending, as he reveals the post-credits fate of Earp.

Mitchum's pivot to Narrator proved to be just as appropriate and thematic as his potential role as Old Man Clanton. Though he was unseen, Mitchum's gravitas and booming voice frame the film well, setting the dramatic tone. Though the film is highly associated with its stars Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, Mitchum's contributions as the Narrator can't be overstated. The insistence of Mitchum's inclusion, even after he could not appear on screen, helped Tombstone and contributed to the Western genre as a whole.