i have to thank kevin costner for take me west . wyatt earp lead me to pick up a copy of the early earp bio by stuart lake while work in canada and and i be surprise to find photo of the actual historical people tip inside . the resemblance of the actor to those they portray impressed me . i continue to research . i go to tombstone and stay at a nearby ranch . the town itself decline costner office to rebuild it with accuracy and prefer the leave thing a they be ( very touristy ) . the gunfight be actually hold in the street and etc . my research match at least strike physical or type casting for 17 character and from major character ( the earps and their wife or woman ) to the cowboy and beehan and doc holiday and his kate and and bat masterson . linden ashby be the most striking doppelganger while indeed and he seem to be a physical reincarnation of morgan earp . dennis quaid lose some 40 pound or so for the role of doc holiday and his resemblance to the tb plague gambler from valdosta and georgia be eerie as well . costner catch a lot of flack for this film while in fact and few critic note the historical sense that he achieve . grant and some cut be make in time frame or continuity to speed plot along ( i. e. timing of attack on morgan and virgil ) and and the film be lengthy . i learn that the cowboy or earp feud be not mere ill will and but that the strife represent political difference and clash economic interest and as well a the theft of a lover . the old diary and biography be fascinate . i learn that morgan earp tell allie earp something like and i want to leave tombstone and never come back moment before he be shoot to death . of note and johnny beehan partner in the dexter corral in tombstone be a man name john dunbar . this be costner character name in dance with wolf . go figure . read more about it . grant lake embellish earp image and but the place and the time and the issue be fascinate .