True Grit is a great western starring John Wayne, Glenn Campbell, and Kim Darby. It also features Robert Duvall as "Lucky" Ned Pepper and Jeff Corey as Tom Chaney. In addition to being a great western it is also one of, if not the best performance by John Wayne, and the only movie he won an Oscar for( and a Golden Globe). Lets talk about what went into making this film and what I love about it.
True Grit was originally a novel by Charles Portis released the year before. After reading the book John Wayne expressed a strong interest in playing Rooster Cogburn in the film adaptation. He was also the driving force in getting Marguerite Roberts added to the credits for the movie after reading " the best script he had ever read" in reference to her adaptation of the novel. This was a big deal at the time because she had been blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee for possible leftist affiliations. He did all of this in spite of his staunch conservatism and showed that he wouldn't let political maneuvering get in the way of a great story, a lesson I think Hollywood is due to learn again. Mia Farrow was originally cast in Kim Darby's role but turned the project down when she heard director Henry Hathaway was hard to work with. Ironically she lobbied for Roman Polanski to direct but producer Hal. B. Wallis declined and after a few other auditions cast Darby instead. Elvis was the first choice for Glenn Campbell's role but his agent insisted that he get top billing over the actual stars of the movie and Wallis decided to go with Campbell.
The movie was filmed primarily in Colorado. Additional scenes were shot in Mammoth Lakes California and feature some of the same locations used in the film North To Alaska from 1960, another Henry Hathaway/John Wayne western. All of the people who worked on the production credit Wayne as keeping it together. He helped Glenn Campbell who had little acting experience, acted as a go between for Darby and Hathaway who did not get along, and tried to help rein in the conflict between Duvall and Hathaway, at one point almost getting into a fist fight with Duvall. It really shows Wayne's love for the project that he went through all of these difficulties to get the movie made when he really didn't have to, he was already a super-star and didn't have to put up with any project he didn't want. Kim Darby in particular described him as exceedingly kind and fostering a safe atmosphere to work in. Despite all of the difficulties the movie ended up coming out great( it seems like adversity often breeds great movies) and Wayne took on one of the few stunts he did himself after his lung surgery in 1965 in the final scene of the film where he jumps the four-rail fence after being taunted that he is too old and fat to be jumping fences. Neither Wayne or Hathaway were sure he would make it and were very relieved when both he and the horse landed unharmed. As a side note, the horse in the final scene( not the stunt horse but the one before) was John Wayne's favorite horse Dollor. He fell in love with the animal and would use him in several more films, even requiring that he be written into his final film The Shootist before he would take the part.
John Wayne and the team that brought us True Grit showed true grit in making this movie and I think that is why I enjoy it so much. It has a great blend of action, comedy, and emotion and is ( along with The Cowboys) one of my favorite John Wayne performances. The remake in 2010 was not bad but I didn't feel the same connection and it didn't have the same spark that made it feel like a great movie. My father introduced me to True Grit and it's been one of my favorites ever since. If you haven't seen it go watch it, and if you have watch it again. This movie is one of the rare few that rises above it's genre film roots to be a great all around movie and I don't think you will be disappointed by it. And if you don't like it, all I can say is "FILL YOUR HANDS YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-cPWheNyaA