True Grit (1969)

A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Charles Portis (novel), Marguerite Roberts (screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Rooster Cogburn
Glen Campbell	...	'La Boeuf'
Kim Darby	...	Mattie Ross
Jeremy Slate	...	Emmett Quincy
Robert Duvall	...	Ned Pepper
Dennis Hopper	...	'Moon'
Alfred Ryder	...	Goudy
Strother Martin	...	Col. G. Stonehill
Jeff Corey	...	Tom Chaney
Ron Soble	...	Capt. Boots Finch
John Fiedler	...	Lawyer Daggett
James Westerfield	...	Judge Parker
John Doucette	...	'Sheriff'
Donald Woods	...	'Barlow'
Edith Atwater	...	Mrs. Floyd

Storyline

Her father's murder sends teenage tomboy Mattie Ross on a mission of "justice" to avenge his death. She recruits tough old marshal "Rooster" Cogburn because he has "grit" and a reputation for getting the job done. They are joined by Texas Ranger La Boeuf, who is looking for the same man for another murder in Texas. Their odyssey takes them from Fort Smith, Arkansas to deep into Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) to find their man.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | alcoholic | revisionist western | texas | texas ranger | 

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Taglines:

The strangest trio ever to track a killer.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The meadow in the final shootout is known locally as Debbie Reynolds Meadow. It was a filming location for The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Other locations common to both films include Yankee Boy Basin and Mount Sneffels, above Ouray, CO.

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Goofs

When Mattie approaches the ferry to join Cogburn and La Boeuf, her shadow indicates the sun's position to the right. Subsequently, all of them are shown from behind, with their shadows indicating the sun's position to the right again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Frank Ross: Little Frank... You take care of your mama.
Little Frank: I will.

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Alternate Versions

When submitted for a rating from the MPAA in 1969, the film was given an "M". The film was edited and rerated "G". The American VHS version contains the "G" rated cut while the DVD is the uncut "M" version (which would be printed as "PG" since the symbol was changed in the 1970s).

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Connections

Referenced in Fame: Relationships (1983)

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Soundtracks

Amazing Grace
(uncredited)
Lyrics by John Newton and music by William Walker
Sung at the hanging

User Reviews

Good Western

Very entertaining movie, and not simply a shoot-em-up western. There is a decent plot and reasonable depth of character.

I am not a huge John Wayne fan - I generally find his performances one-dimensional and wooden - but he shines here. He deserved his Best Actor Oscar, his first, after two previous nominations. The supporting cast are great too, especially Glen Campbell, Kim Darby and Robert Duvall.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook page for the film from Paramount. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1969 (Japan)

Also Known As:

True Grit

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$157,788, 5 May 2019

Gross USA:

$276,418

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$276,418

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1