TRUE GRIT
05f11de4-da23-4a43-9a23-91118b00791c.jpg
large_vAdUFsAUTEWep58MRduS1ivS2vP.jpg
PRODUCED BY HAL B. WALLIS
DIRECTED BY HENRY HATHAWAY
MUSIC BY ELMER BERNSTEIN
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Plot Summary
The sudden death of her father sends a young tomboy of a girl,
'Mattie Ross' (Kim Darby) on a mission to find justice, and the avenging of her father's death.
She recruits a tough old marshal in the person of Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne),
because he has "grit", and a reputation of getting the job done.
Mattie accompanies Cogburn, and also a Texas Ranger ('La Boeuf' played by Glen Campell;
who is looking for 'Tom Chaney' [Jeff Corey] for a separate murder in Texas) as the leave from Fort Smith,
Arkansas into the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) to find her father's killer.
Full Cast
John Wayne .... Marshall Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn
Glen Campbell .... La Boeuf
Kim Darby .... Mattie Ross
Jeremy Slate .... Emmett Quincy
Robert Duvall .... Ned Pepper
Dennis Hopper .... Moon
Alfred Ryder .... Mr. Goudy (Defense attorney)
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
Carlos Rivas .... Dirty Bob
Isabel Boniface .... Mrs. Bagby
H.W. Gim .... Chen Lee
John Pickard .... Frank Ross
Elizabeth Harrower .... Mrs. Ross
Ken Renard .... Yarnell
Jay Ripley .... Harold Parmalee
Kenneth Becker .... Farrell Parmalee
Wilford Brimley .... (uncredited)
Myron Healey .... Deputy at prisoner unloading (uncredited)
James McEachin .... Judge Parker's bailiff (uncredited)
Dennis McMullen .... Bailiff (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan .... Red (ferryman) (uncredited)
Robin Morse .... Bit part (uncredited)
Stuart Randall .... McAlester (uncredited)
Connie Sawyer .... Talkative woman at hanging (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels .... Condemned man at hanging (uncredited)
Dean Smith .... (uncredited)
Vince St. Cyr .... Gaspargoo (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson .... The hangman (uncredited)
Hank Worden .... R. Ryan (undertaker, Fort Smith, Arkansas) (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Charles Portis (novel)
Marguerite Roberts (screenplay)
Original Music
Elmer Bernstein (also title song)
A.P. Carter (song "Wildwood Flower") (uncredited)
Maud Irving (song "Wildwood Flower") (uncredited)
J.P. Webster (song "Wildwood Flower") (uncredited)
Non-Original Music
John Newton (song "Amazing Grace")
Stunts
Jim Burk .... stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson .... stunts (uncredited)
Gary Combs .... stunts (uncredited)
Bill Davis .... stunt double (uncredited)
Quentin Dickey .... stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias .... stunts (uncredited)
Fred Gerber .... stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris .... stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward .... stunts (uncredited)
Monty Jordan .... stunt double (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan .... stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith .... stunts (uncredited)
Neil Summers .... stunts (uncredited)
Trivia
When submitted for a rating from the MPAA in 1969, the film was given an "M". The film was edited and re-rated "G".
The only film for which John Wayne ever won an Oscar.
Contrary to popular belief, John Wayne did not jump over the fence himself at the end of the movie. In fact, according to biographer Garry Wills in his book "John Wayne's America", Wayne was not healthy enough to do such stunts. It should be remembered that Wayne had an entire lung removed four years prior to making the film and actually had trouble walking more than thirty feet without breathing heavily.
John Wayne had met singer Karen Carpenter fter judging The Carpenters on a college talent show ,he hosted prior to the shooting of this movie.
Wayne was so impressed that he wanted Carpenter cast in the role of Mattie Ross.
The producers went with Kim Darby, who had acting experience; however,
Wayne did not like working with her, because he felt she was unprofessional on the set.
John Wayne was disappointed by the casting of Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, and the two hardly spoke at all off camera. He later said, "Christ, talk about having no chemistry with your leading lady! She was the goddamn lousiest actress I ever worked with."
John Wayne had initially promised the role of Mattie Ross to his daughter Aissa Wayne, but director Henry Hathaway refused to cast her.
John Wayne had initially promised the role of Mattie Ross to his daughter Aissa Wayne, but director Henry Hathaway refused to cast her.
John Wayne reportedly chased costar Dennis Hopper around Paramount with a loaded gun. Hopper had to hide in Glen Campbell's dressing room until Wayne cooled down.
Mia Farrow, among other well-known actresses, was approached to play Mattie, but she turned it down. Robert Mitchum had told her that Henry Hathaway was impossible to work with. She later said it was one of the biggest professional mistakes of her career.
Elvis Presley was considered for the role of La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger. However, his manager "Colonel" Tom Parker insisted that Presley should receive top billing, so the part was given to Glen Campbell instead.
"Boeuf" means "Beef" in French.
Marguerite Roberts was a formerly blacklisted writer. John Wayne knew this before he read the script. He read it and liked it. He ignored people who said he shouldn't work on anything that a "blacklisted" writer wrote.
The gang's cave hideout (beds partially intact), snake pit, and various prop rocks can still be seen on private property outside Ouray, Colorado.
Kim Darby's character was supposed to be 14.
Finnish censorship certificate # 77983
This is the (uncredited) film debut of Wilford Brimley.
The scene near the end where Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) and Ned Pepper's gang meet in a field and Pepper (Robert Duvall) is shot was filmed in a clearing near the top of Owl Creek Pass outside Ridgway, CO. The field is off the road to the left and is very easy to find.
Tuesday Weld turned down the role of Mattie.
Chimney Peak is visible in the famous shootout scene at the end. It is part of the Cimarron Range outside Ridgway, CO.
Rooster Cogburn wields a Winchester 1892 rifle with a looped lever and a Colt 1873 SAA revolver. Le Bouef carries a Sharps single-shot rifle. Mattie uses a Colt-Walker 1847 "Dragoon" revolver. Chaney uses a Henry rifle.
Sally Field was also up for the part of Mattie Ross.
Sondra Locke was considered for the role of Mattie Ross. She read the script but wanted to do avoid type-casting.
Henry Hathaway later said he hated Glen Campbell's performance, which he described as wooden, and claimed the singer was only cast so he could have a hit with the theme song which would help promote the film.
John Wayne's Best Actor Oscar win was widely seen as a sentimental choice, more in recognition of his forty year career. His performance in this movie was dismissed by many critics as over-the-top and hammy.
John Wayne did not get along with Robert Duvall during filming, and at one point threatened to punch the young Method actor if he argued with the director again.
The character of Rooster Cogburn was supposed to be around forty. John Wayne was 61 when the film was made.
According to legendary stuntman Chuck Hayward in an interview just after John Wayne's death, Wayne did the jumping the fence stunt himself. Wayne rode Hayward's very famous stunt horse Twinkle Toes, which was used in many horse falling scenes in the fifties and sixties westerns and was getting quite old (like Wayne) when the jumping scene was done.
John Wayne's stunt double Jim Burk performed the final jump at the end.
Wayne's eye-patch is worn over his left eye, the same eye over which his long-time director John Ford wore his.
John Wayne actively campaigned for the role of Rooster Cogburn after reading the novel.
Goofs
* Continuity: In the shootout between Rooster and Pepper's gang, the film reverses for a few seconds. Rooster's eye patch moves to the right eye, the bandanna switches sides, and his rifle and pistol change hands.
* Continuity: When Mattie emerges from the river, she is already dry.
* Anachronisms: Some of the paths Mattie, Rooster, and La Boeuf ride down have obviously been formed by automobile tires.
* Miscellaneous: When Rooster hits La Boeuf with his rifle right after Mattie is captured, the rifle bends. It is obviously a rubber gun.
* Continuity: La Boeuf puts the serving spoon back in the bowl and picks up his fork. The next shot shows him putting the serving spoon back in bowl and picking up a piece of chicken.
* Continuity: The white markings on Little Blackie's legs and face change throughout the movie.
* Continuity: When LaBoeuf and Rooster are discussing the venture at Chen Lee's, Mattie repeatedly changes position between shots.
* Continuity: After La Boeuf succumbs to his head injury and falls off his horse, Rooster turns him over to look at his face. La Boeuf rolls over with his feet crossed. As Rooster and Mattie are riding off and look back at him, his feet are now splayed out.
* Continuity: After he kills Frank Ross, Chaney kneels by the body to steal the money. Then Frank's head is on Chaney's left-hand side. In the next shot, Frank's head appears on the opposite side.
* Continuity: When Mattie approaches the ferry pulling the horse, to join Cogburn and La Boeuf, her shadow indicates the sun position to the right. Subsequently, all of them are shown from behind, with their shadows indicating the sun position to the right again.
* Continuity: When Rooster and Mattie are trying to get out of the snake hole, Rooster goes to pick up Mattie's father's gun. In that shot, his gun belt is suddenly missing.
* Continuity: Near the end of the movie down in the snake pit, Rooster ties the rope around his waist, Mattie asks him to get her father's gun and when he turns to grab it, the rope is gone, when he turns back around to pick up Mattie, the rope is back around his waist
* Anachronisms: Although the date on Frank Ross's grave indicates he died in 1882, the rifle Cogburn carries is a Winchester Model 1892 saddle carbine.
* Continuity: During the hanging scene, the song "Amazing Grace" is being sung. The scene switches to some kids on swings, and the line "How sweet the sound" is sung in the middle of another verse, then the song goes back to the verse that was being sung.
* Continuity: After Mattie rides her horse across the river, when Rooster and Le Boeuf won't let her on the ferry, her clothes are perfectly dry.
* Anachronisms: Kim Darby's hairstyle is from the 1960s.
* Errors in geography: When the characters in in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and after they ride into Indian territory, there are many shots of rocky peaks and snow-covered mountains. There are no such mountains within several hours' automobile drive of Fort Smith, and especially not west of the city; the Boston Mountains north of town, which are basically the foothills of the Ozarks, are green, tree-covered mountains.
* Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Rooster mentions that he lived for some years in Cairo, Illinois, but he mispronounces the name of the town. The local pronunciation is KAY-row.
* Factual errors: After testifying before Judge Parker, Rooster picked up his gun and belt from the bench outside the courtroom. There were still several other gun belts remaining on the bench, clearly showing that anyone wishing to enter the courtroom must first check their firearm. However, when Mattie follows Rooster out of the courtroom, she is holding the white sack out in front of her, which anyone could see contained a gun. Under the rules of Judge Parker's court, Mattie should have also been required to check her firearm.
* Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Mattie Ross' gun is a Colt Walker, not a Colt Dragoon as stated by Rooster.
Filming Locations
Bishop, California, USA
Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA
Castle Rock, Colorado, USA
Durango, Mexico
Gunnison, Colorado, USA
Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
Montrose, Colorado, USA
Ouray, Colorado, USA (Courthouse)
Owl Creek Pass, Ridgeway, Colorado, USA
Ridgway, Colorado, USA
Sherwin Summit, Inyo National Forest, California, USA
Watch this Clip
True Grit locations, then & now