Rooster Cogburn (1975) User Reviews

See it for the actors

[gee-15 · 8/10 · 15 February 2000]

This is one of a few movies that I can watch over and over again and still enjoy. That said, it's also my favourite Western. (And I'm not a big fan of the genre.)

The story is simple. Cogburn (Wayne) is tracking down a load of nitro stolen by Hawk (Jordan)and his gang. As the gang of outlaws bid a hasty retreat, they stumble upon Eula (Hepburn), her minister father, and several Indians including a teen-aged boy named Wolf.

The plot is simple and had their characters been played by any other actors besides Wayne and Hepburn, the film would have been mediocre at best. Their performances make the film shine. Every scene they have together crackles with chemistry. When Wayne says to Hepburn, "being with you pleases me", I got the feeling he meant it and that Hepburn received the compliment with genuine pleasure. Well, maybe it's just good acting.

In any event, the film is a nice way to pass some time for those unfamiliar with Wayne or Westerns and a must-see for all Wayne and Hepburn fans.

The Same Sense of Integrity

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 5 April 2006]

A reading of the other reviews of Rooster Cogburn indicate that only fans of the two stars should look at this film. That's not saying a whole lot since this was a vehicle created for the two stars and only the two stars in this film could have brought it off.

It was a happy marriage of convenience with John Wayne's character of Rooster Cogburn from True Grit being so popular that a sequel was inevitable given Wayne's health holding up and Katharine Hepburn looking for something she could co-star with Wayne.

Hepburn was one of John Wayne's biggest boosters of his talent, politics aside. I remember reading that she thought John Wayne projected the same sense of integrity that Spencer Tracy did on the screen. Coming from her, I've got to believe that's the best compliment she could offer.

Wayne as Cogburn is on the trail of a gang that massacred an army patrol and stole a gatling gun and nitroglycerin for use in a planned bank robbery. The gang headed by Richard Jordan with Anthony Zerbe who used to scout for Wayne go to an Indian settlement with a missionary school headed by father and daughter preacher and teacher Jon Lormer and Katharine Hepburn. The gang shoots up the place and kills Lormer.

When Wayne comes he gets a lot more than he bargained for when he finds himself saddled with Hepburn and young Indian boy Richard Romancito. They accompany him on the trail of Jordan and his gang and get enough adventure to last a lifetime.

Everyone compares Hepburn as Eula Goodnight to her portrayal of another missionary, Rose Sayer in The African Queen. Both are on a chase in The African Queen with Bogey after the Germans who destroyed the mission in East Africa and killed her brother and with Wayne after some outlaws. And both films feature a very fine sequence of the two stars riding some rapids. But I think Eula Goodnight is a far more experienced woman of the world than Rose Sayer. Both disapprove of the alcoholic behavior of their male counterparts. Rose however takes some direct action.

As the film was designed around the two stars they settle comfortably in their roles. The chemistry between them is infectious, that they liked each other would be obvious to an alien from another planet.

I really envy young Richard Romancito to be in all those scenes and be able to watch a pair of screen legends.

... or "The African Queen" out West

[MOscarbradley · 6/10 · 23 April 2006]

Someone in Hollywood had the bright idea of taking the leading character from "True Grit" and putting him in a story redolent of "The African Queen", casting a much older Katharine Hepburn, then experiencing a revival in her career, in the same part she played opposite Bogie. And it worked. If anything Wayne, with an unerring ear for the comic potential of his character, is even better than he was in "True Grit". It's a genuinely funny performance. Hepburn's character is too much an amalgam of Rose Sayer and Mattie Ross; she could be "True Grit's" Mattie 50 years on. But the chemistry between her and Wayne is palpable; they spark off each other.

The plot isn't up to much. It's been cobbled together from scraps of better movies and there is a terrible bit of over-acting from Richard Jordan as the chief villain, but it looks great, (the scenery is terrific), and is very enjoyable.

John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn are brilliant and sublime

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 22 June 2004]

The couple Wayne and Hepburn or Hepburn and Wayne are top notch , both of whom are wonderful . The film is a first-rate western , is the following-up to ¨True grit" in which Wayne won an Oscar , Academy Award , for his acting. The movie is a remake from "African Queen " in which Hepburn did couple with Bogart , here Wayne and Katharine hand similar roles , even there is one dangerous runaway by a river. The plot line centers the killing of the Hepburn's father. John Wayne and Hepburn set out in pursuit the evil people : Richard Jordan , Anthony Zerbe and Jack Colvin . Direction by Stuart Millar is good , cinematography by Harry Stradling is breathtaking , landscapes are spectacular and gorgeous , it has been shot in natural parks . Lively and rousing musical score by Laurence Rosenthal . Rating : 7/10 very good , well worth watching . However , the film received terrible reviews on release . Many critics felt that it was too obviously derived from ¨African Queen¨ , and that both John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn were too old for their parts . The motion picture will appeal to John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn fans .

Legends on display

[Boyo-2 · 10 March 2000]

Hepburn & the Duke made a fairly decent movie and that's enough reason to see it at least once. The fact that Hepburn has a Father in the movie is suspect, at best, especially since he's not played by Moses himself. But that's besides the point here - they have terrific chemistry and their star power alone could put most of the actors on the screen today to shame. It would have been really memorable if the movie were worthy of them, though.

Truer grit than ever

[sol- · 7/10 · 4 January 2017]

Hired to track down a vicious gang, federal marshal Rooster Cogburn reluctantly lets a missionary and a Native American lad accompany him after their mission is ransacked by the gang in this belated sequel to 'True Grit'. John Wayne reprises the title role with just as much gusto despite noticeably looking older. Katharine Hepburn also puts in a strong turn as the missionary with the best scenes being the banter between the pair. The villains are not particularly interesting and the plot is no great shakes; in fact, 'Rooster Cogburn' feels more like a remake rather than sequel to 'True Grit' at times with Hepburn also seeking vengeance for a father killed. The plot is more complex than it first seems though. While most are quick to praise the chemistry between Wayne and Hepburn, it is the bond that slowly develops between Wayne and the young Amerindian, played by Richard Romancito, that is ultimately most touching. Romancito becomes a surrogate son of sorts to the once hardened old man who inadvertently finds himself with a 'family' for the first time as he pursues the gang. One wonders though just what messages (if any) the filmmakers had in mind with the project. Early on, Wayne is told "the west is changing and you aren't changing with it", and yet minutes later he hired because, again, he has "grit". Is the film meant to be a tribute to the virtues of old ways or a film about learning to change (unwillingly accepting companions)? Topped off with a memorable explosive climax, one thing for sure is that this is a more dynamic sequel than one might expect.

Worth seeing for the leads...

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 6 February 2011]

That does seem to be the general consensus surrounding Rooster Cogburn and I agree. The best asset of the film is easily the performances and chemistry of John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn, who are wonderful individually and together, and I was also impressed with the handsome cinematography, beautiful scenery and rousing score. There are some moments of witty and fun dialogue too.

Conversely, the film is rather sluggishly directed and also the film does drag in spots. I wasn't taken with Richard Jordan, I thought he overacted to the point it was somewhat distracting. The weakest asset of Rooster Cogburn is the story, it feels very cobbled together and is clumsily told.

In conclusion, it is a decent movie that could have been more. That said, Wayne and Hepburn actually prevent it from being any less than it turned out to be. 6/10 Bethany Cox

The film was just too much fun.

[eminkl · 7/10 · 8 October 2019]

There is a palpable and undeniable chemistry between wayne and hepburn. They were exceptional. Hysterical, intelligent, and incredibly witty was the dialog between the two. Hepburns fun with wayne, I think, that's what makes the team succeed. When she's laughing and having fun with him, she's letting us know we can be too. She makes sure we have an outsiders eye to see him. See how ridiculous it can be. Wonderful duo. Interesting work with the camera. It's worth going back and studying how the cameras changed lenses. Very beautiful scenery. The film was just too much fun. What an explosion.

Wayne and Hepburn are all you need.

[stevehaynie · 7/10 · 26 March 2006]

Rooster Cogburn... and the Lady is the title I remember from the time the movie was released. True Grit is one of my favorite movies, so I naturally want to regard its sequel as being sacred. Like most sequels, Rooster Cogburn... and the Lady does not recreate the excitement of the original.

The characters are not motivated the same way they were in True Grit. Rooster Cogburn is not being pushed by an impatient girl. Eula Goodnight is not driven by revenge, only a desire for justice. Most of all, there is a noticeable distance between the good guys and bad guys. With the exception of the raft scenes, everyone is fighting behind cover. During the raft scenes the Gatling gun forces the villains behind cover. Other than a very brief opening sequence, there is no face-to-face fighting scene for John Wayne in Rooster Cogburn... and the Lady. The interplay between Rooster and Eula is what keeps this movie from being boring.

A great movie starring two legends and two great character actors

[Kim-68 · 10/10 · 16 February 1999]

This movie is a lot of fun to watch. John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn are terrific together. You can see the chemistry between them. Richard Jordan does a terrific job as the villain, he is mean, nasty and downright awful! I definitely wouldn't want to get him mad. The scene between him and Katharine Hepburn at Fort Ruby was awesome, you could see the sparks flying. Then there was the scene where the wheel broke off the wagon and Hawk gets furious with his men, Jordan did a great job with that part, talk about angry, if looks could kill, his would, it gave me shivers. Anthony Zerbe also does a great job as Breed. The two of them, Jordan and Zerbe are great together. Like one scene in the saloon when Hawk learns about the wagon being taken by Rooster, he starts to go out when Breed tells him, that he will never take Rooster and that he had worked with him for three years, you can see the daggers between the two. They are definitely two of the best character actors ever. They don't make movies like this anymore, where it was up to the actors to make a film a success and not rely on special affects. And these four actors did this brilliantly. I wish John Wayne and Richard Jordan were still around today.

Tall yarn

[fmwongmd · 7/10 · 17 September 2019]

Good entertainment the old fashioned way with excellent performances by John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn.

EXCELLENT, DUKE AT HIS BEST

[aliveandblessed · 10/10 · 8 December 2001]

In my humble opinion, this is the best of the best John Wayne film. Although not a cowboy movie lover, I am an avid John Wayne fan, and I consider this his very best work.

The relationship between Rooster and Miss Eula has such chemistry you just can't take your eyes off the screen. Kate Hepburn looking into the eyes of John Wayne is absolutely magical and this is the way I will always remember them both.

The Duke has found his Duchess!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 3 November 2012]

"I ain't had a drink since breakfast!". So says John Wayne, repeating his "True Grit" role as "Rooster Cogburn". "I do not fear a skunk. I simply do not care for its odor". So says Katharine Hepburn, playing basically the same part she had essayed 25 years earlier in "The African Queen". With those two lines, the personalities of these two characters are put into perspective. I could spend my entire review quoting this movie, a witty comedy western with romance, plenty of action and two stars that totally compliment each other. This is a reminder of how much fun movies USED to be.

The basic storyline, an official sequel to "True Grit", is a re-tread of "The African Queen" with Wayne back as Rooster, taking over what Humphrey Bogart did in John Huston's 1951 masterpiece. Instead of taking on Nazis like Bogart and Hepburn did in Africa, Wayne and Hepburn are pursuing the brutes who killed Hepburn's missionary father in cold blood. Along the way, the prim and proper Hepburn opens her eyes a bit and begins to enjoy life a little more, sparkling as she breaks many of her own rules as she shoots a rifle at the villains. You have to watch everything she does because Hepburn pulls out all the stops in her characterization. It is obvious that she was having a blast making this film.

Wayne, in his second to last western ("The Shootist", a wonderful film, was his last movie, released the following year), is not simply repeating his Oscar Winning role or making him a buffoon. He simply allows Hepburn's prim and proper spinster to bring out the best in him, enjoying every fight they have. This gives many more dimensions to a character that audiences had already come to love. Richard Romancito is truly memorable as the Native American boy taken in by Hepburn's father. His curiosity over Wayne's adventures is a touching bit of plot thrown in for good measure.

This is a film that deserves regular repeat viewings to pick up on all the comic tidbits that Wayne and Hepburn have to deliver. More clever than just simple entertainment and high ranking on Wayne's gallery of already classic portrayals, "Rooster Cogburn" is an extraordinary delight that younger audiences today should see as an example that sometimes "less" ends up being "so much more".

Katherine Hepburn miscast

[holidayhill-32968 · 3/10 · 8 August 2022]

I admire Katherine Hepburn but I think she was to fragile for this part. The story was a remake of the one she did with Bogie when she was in her prime. John Wayne was old but he had great energy and personality and carried the movie but Hepburn was just to past it to be able to keep up with him. This was another John Wayne movie where Wayne carries the entire story from start to finish with his charm and great acting ability.

A western romp with some excellent acting by both the stars and the supporting cast.

[tneufeld · 23 July 2001]

This movie is more than just a lot of fun to watch. John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn are wonderful, but only because they are together. The chemistry between them is electrifying.

Richard Jordan plays his villan role to a "T". He is mean and nasty, and he keeps his character believeable to the end. There is a scene between him and Katharine Hepburn at Fort Ruby that is absolutely brilliant, you could feel the lightning flashing between their characters.

Think about the scene where the wheel broke off the wagon: Hawk gets furious with his men and Jordan's character did a great job with his part: he seem really angry, as if looks could kill. His expressions, well, it gave me the willies.

Don't you agree that Anthony Zerbe created a believeable "Breed". The two of them, Jordan and Zerbe are so believeable together. Remember the scene in the saloon when Hawk learns about the wagon being taken by Rooster? He starts to go out and Breed tells him, that he worked with Rooster for three years...and that he knows that Breed will never take Rooster? There is some great chemistry in that scene! They have tried to make movies like this before, but it hasn't happened yet: movies that made the actors create a film a success that was not relying on special affects alone, but just the characters and the story.

Movie Stars!

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 14 March 2021]

Unlike the whinny girl in True Grit, I could watch Hepburn power her way through a movie all day. She is unparalleled in her performances. Pairing her with Wayne was a masterful choice as they trade acting blows on the screen and look like they are having a lot of fun doing it.

Roster Cogburn may lack in other areas but for 2 leads to capture your attention from go to whoa with such dynamism, it should be appreciated.

Good fun to watch for sure :)

Still Worth Watching Forty Years On

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 17 May 2017]

Rooster Cogburn" was John Wayne's penultimate film; his last was to be "The Shootist" from a year later. Here he repeats his role as U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn, the role which he had made famous in "True Grit" and which brought him his only Oscar. "True Grit" was ostensibly set in Oklahoma but was actually shot in Colorado; here the action is ostensibly set further east, in Arkansas, but the film was shot even further West, in Oregon.

The film opens with Cogburn being stripped of his Marshal's badge by a judge on the grounds of drunkenness and his "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude. Soon afterwards, however, his badge is restored to him on the grounds that his style of law enforcement is exactly what is needed to combat a desperate gang of outlaws operating in the area, the authorities having realised that lawmen who ask questions first and shoot later end up dead, shot by the bad guys before they have finished asking their first question. The film then explores how Cogburn goes about his task, aided by Eula Goodnight, a spinster schoolteacher whose preacher father has been murdered by the villains and Wolf, a young Indian whose family have met the same fate.

Vincent Canby, film critic of the New York Times, called "Rooster Cogburn" "a high-class example of the low Hollywood art of recycling". The basic plot- "tough lawman takes on a gang of desperados"- was already an over-familiar one in Westerns by 1975. The film's two most original features are the age of the leading man- at 68 Wayne was considerably older than the average Western action hero- and the active role taken by its leading lady. Despite her rather prim manner- she objects to Cogburn's drinking and profanity- Eula is no passive shrinking violet but a tough lady who can ride and shoot as well as any man and is determined to avenge her father's death. I suspect that Eula (whose father is still alive at the beginning of the film) was originally supposed to be younger than Cogburn, but the role went to Katharine Hepburn, who was the same age as Wayne. (They were born in the same month, May 1907).

I would not rate the film as highly as "The Shootist", which I regard as a masterpiece, but it is at least as good as "True Grit" and considerably better than Wayne's antepenultimate film, the disappointing police drama "Brannigan". It was the only film in which Wayne and Hepburn, two of the most iconic stars of their generation, acted together, probably because Wayne tended to specialise in Westerns and war films, two genres with which Hepburn was not normally associated. She is, however, excellent here, playing in one of her few Westerns a character similar to the one she had created in "The African Queen", one of her few war films, more than twenty years earlier. There was to be no Oscar for Wayne this time, but he is at least as good as he had been in "True Grit". Much of the appeal of the film lies in the way in which Cogburn and Eula, who are about as different from one another as it is possible for two characters to be, nevertheless manage to work together.

Director Stuart Millar handles the action sequences well and there is some striking photography of the Western landscapes, probably the reason why, whatever the film's ostensible setting might be, shooting was moved to the Pacific North-West. The film could easily have ended up as the sort of dull, derivative Western adventure we had all seen too many times before, but Wayne, Hepburn and Millar combine to produce something which still remains worth watching forty years on. 7/10

Rooster Cogburn

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 27 February 2008]

If you have seen the engaging True Grit, then you will probably like this not great, but good sequel. Basically tough, old, drunken, one-eyed (lost in war) U.S. Marshall Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn (John Wayne) has his badge taken by Judge Parker (John McIntire) because of his ways of beating crime, and he can only earn it back permanently if he goes to a village that has been attacked. In this village is Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn, playing a character similar to that in The African Queen), who had her father Rev. Goodnight (Jon Lormer) killed by the villains, and she and Wolf (Richard Romancito) are the only survivors. Rooster takes them with him both to help her get her revenge, and also get the dangerous nitroglycerin explosives in a cart from them. Also starring Licence to Kill's Anthony Zerbe as Breed, Richard Jordan as Hawk, Strother Martin as McCoy, Paul Koslo as Luke, Jack Colvin as Red, Lane Smith as Leroy, Warren Vanders as Bagby, Jerry Gatlin as Nose, Mickey Gilbert as Hambone, Chuck Hayward as Jerry and Tommy Lee as Chen Lee. It may be more chatty and not a big amount of action, but the leading characters are fun to watch both bickering and getting to know each other, and when the action is on it is almost as engaging as the previous film. Good!

Maybe my favorite Rooster film

[SkullScreamerReturns · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

My odd watching order: First I saw the new version of "True Grit" with Jeff Bridges (for a couple of times actually). Then recently finally the original, and now this sequel to the original.

In some way I liked this one the best.

If someone doesn't already know Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) is a rough sheriff who goes after bad guys, and even though he only has one eye and he drinks too much whiskey, his opponents end up usually dead by his bullets. Now, Katherine Hepburn plays an interesting sidekick here, an equally stubborn religious woman. The dynamic between these two offbeat characters is just great. There are a lot of funny moments but it's also great as an action adventure film.

ps. There's a machine gun and nitroglyserine. What else do you need!

tone a little too light

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 20 June 2015]

Rooster J. Cogburn (John Wayne) is the deputy Marshall for the western district of Arkansas and the Indian Nation. He has already killed 60 suspects in 8 years. Judge Parker takes his badge. Breed (Anthony Zerbe) leads a group of US Calvary into an ambush by Hawk (Richard Jordan) and his men. They steal the nitro to use for a bank job. Parker offers Rooster $500 for the return of the dynamite and $1500 for the arrest of Hawk. He tracks them to an Indian settlement where they killed many including the Minister. The minister's daughter Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn) insists on joining Rooster with Indian boy Wolf.

Wayne and Hepburn have some good banter but it overtakes the movie. Instead of a really hard man, he's simply a kindly old guy set in his way. He's not even that drunk. The overall tone of the movie is too light which takes away from the hard edge of the material and the action. This is like The African Queen done with a nudge and a wink. Both Zerbe and Jordan are good solid character actors and they both are good villains. Although it may be better to have only one to solidify that position.

Great movie, and John Wayne's penultimate one

[grantss · 8/10 · 6 March 2020]

A sequel, of sorts, to True Grit (1969). John Wayne stars, as before, as Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Similar story to True Grit - woman wants her relative(s) killers brought to justice and turns to Rooster Cogburn. In True Grit the woman was young, and played by Kim Darby. In Rooster Cogburn the woman is elderly, and played by the great Katharine Hepburn.

Though I liked True Grit (7/10), I liked Rooster Cogburn even more. The story was more interesting, and the character-based drama was very entertaining. The relationship between John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn's characters was good to watch. Your typical chalk and cheese (both in terms of the characters and the actors), yet they find a common ground.

Solid plot, though there are some minor unnecessary or unrealistic detours. As mentioned, plot is similar to True Grit, and, to an extent, The African Queen (1951), which, interestly, also starred Katharine Hepburn. Direction is good.

I am not a fan of John Wayne - his performances are often one-dimensional, gung ho and wooden. Yet, as he grew older, he started to develop the character-actor side, maybe out of necessity, as you can only be an action-actor for so long. In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and True Grit (for which he won the Best Actor Oscar) he shows a more sensitive side, and this comes through here too. Sadly, this was to be his penultimate movie. He made one more - The Shootist (1976) - before dying in 1979 at the age of 72.

Katharine Hepburn reprises her role from The African Queen, and does it very well. As mentioned before, the interaction between her and John Wayne is quite something to behold.

A great movie.

For the folks who have grown old with Duke and Kate

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 30 October 2022]

If you're expecting a highly original western with highly original characters who really stand out amidst the 1975 landscape, rent Bite the Bullet. You won't find those elements in Rooster Cogburn, but you will find two iconic legends of the silver screen, Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne, paired together in pretty much a remake of two movies. Obviously, Wayne is reprising his one-eyed Oscar role, and Hepburn is basically reprising Rose from The African Queen. She's a religious old maid who lives with a male missionary in her family, and when he's killed, she joins up with a rugged heathen-type to get revenge. This isn't a criticism, mind you; I'm just letting you know what to expect. This clean, sweet movie is for the older folks in the audience who grew older alongside the actors, those who don't like the way cinema and the rest of the world have deteriorated. If you long for the good old days and the good old movies, Rooster Cogburn will warm your heart.

Although, speaking of hearts, my one regret of this movie is that it wasn't as romantic as it could have been. The African Queen is one of the greatest love stories, but Wayne and Hepburn develop platonic feelings for each other. There's genuine affection and respect, but don't expect any, "Dear, what is your first name?" cutesy scenes. You will see a remarkable amount of action, given the two leads' age and health. Hepburn can still make it down the rapids and shoot at the bad guys, and even with one eye (and one lung in real life), Wayne can ride a horse and protect his woman.

Better than True Grit

[cutter-12 · 8/10 · 18 September 2006]

Don't get me wrong, True Grit is a good western and worthy of its classic status, but I've always found John Wayne's first go round as Rooster Cogburn to be uneven, at times colorfully into character but just as often just playing John Wayne. He won his only Oscar for it of course, but he hadn't yet completely found ol' Rooster's voice.

In this sequel co starring Katharine Hepburn, the Duke has every aspect of Rooster down pat. The scenes he and Hepburn share, trading their philosophies and anecdotes while they come to know and admire (and platonically fall in love with) each other is the engine of this film. Forget the plot, it's passable enough but very much secondary, this story gets along strictly on the strength of the two lead characters and it's worth seeing again and again just to watch these two Hollywood legends banter and spar in their one and only movie together.

This was the first John Wayne film I ever saw in a movie theatre (I was 9 years old in 1975) and it made me a lifelong fan. This is easily one of his most entertaining adventures. Hepburn and Wayne together is even more fun than Bogart and Hepburn in The African Queen. A timeless treasure.

Depends on why you're watching it

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 26 October 2018]

"True Grit" was a great western...though not as great as films like Wayne's "Rio Bravo". "Rooster Cogburn is a very good western. But it's not because of the plot, which isn't terribly different than lots of old westerns. And by the way...I'm no chemist, but after reading about nitroglycerin, I doubt that the rough wagon roads; and the reckless fast "driving" of the old wagon; and the river rapids would have allowed the nitroglycerin to remain stable. But, I guess that's where the suspension of disbelief comes in.

The attraction here is not the story, but the two lead characters: John Wayne adn Katharine Hepburn. I have no idea now, all these years later, whether they got along well or not, but sure did nicely in this film. They were certainly very different people politically, but in the last scene, I like to think that their dialog and acting was an indication that they held each other in healthy respect. I enjoyed the film, even though I thought Hepburn looked pretty silly rattling off the Gatling gun.

The supporting cast was fairly good, though no really big names. Anthony Zerbe was a really good character actor, though I don't see this as one of his better roles. Richard Jordan as a real bad guy...I was not impressed. It was nice to see character actor John McIntire as a federal judge. Richard Romancito did nicely as the young Indian, Wolf...he had an interesting post-movie life you can read aout online. And the crazy character actor Strother Martin was a hoot, as unusual.

As I said, the plot is somewhat standard, but seeing John Wayne opposite Katharine Hepburn is worth savoring.

Nothing to Crow About

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 28 December 2010]

"Two of the most popular stars in screen history are brought together for the first time in the follow-up to 'True Grit'. The film returns John Wayne to the role of the rapscallion, eye-patched, whisky-guzzling Deputy Marshall that won him an 'Academy Award'. Katharine Hepburn is prim Eula Goodnight, a bible-thumping missionary who teams up with the gunfighter to avenge the death of her father. While in pursuit of the outlaws, a warm rapport develops between the rough-and-tumble lawman and the flinty reverend's daughter," according to the film's promotional description.

While not promoted as such, this also seems to be a sideways follow-up to "The African Queen" (1951), which starred Ms. Hepburn. Realized by veteran producer Hal B. Wallis and wife Martha Hyer, the idea to bring the two legendary film stars together was a terrific one. But, the result stopped at stunt casting. Probably done when considering their age and potential for fireworks, everything seems to have been arranged to make it an easy assignment for the old pros. As a result, you have John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn going through the motions, and no fireworks.

**** Rooster Cogburn (10/17/75) Stuart Millar ~ John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Jordan, Anthony Zerbe