Nice post. I haven’t read the book, and so I think a little more highly of Wayne’s performance than you. But is struck me a while back how many of Wayne’s post war roles are in reaction to generational change and young characters–to Montgomery Clift in RED RIVER; to Rick Nelson in RIO BRAVO; and to James Caan in ELDORADO.

In TRUE GRIT, however, his interactions with Matty Ross remind me not so much of these other more interesting roles, than they do of Wallace Beery’s reactions with Margaret O’Brien in 1940s MGM westerns.

According to Lee Server’s biography of Mitchum, Mitchum warned Mia Farrow that Henry Hathaway was difficult to work with, so she turned down the role. Later on, Mia may have wished that she’d made TRUE GRIT rather than her film with Mitchum, SECRET CEREMONY.

I certainly remember purchasing that copy of the paperback book probably after I saw the movie as a teenager. Kim Darby was familiar to me from so many TV roles and related to her best, naturally. I don’t know that I’d call her “little known” in relation to her TV career, though. She guest-starred on just about every major TV show of the early 1960s. She was definitely the go-to teen actress of the time (and played younger than her actual age). Very impressive TV credits!

Thanks for this look back at the original before the new one comes out. Hearing lots of positive things about the girl who plays Mattie in the new one…

I read Portis’s book, True Grit, last year, and enjoyed it. It made me appreciate the movie with John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glenn Campbell more. Was wondering if Glenn Campbell was the first choice for LaBoef? I think I’ll wait to see the Coen brothers remake. I imagine it won’t be filmed like a Coors postcard, but will be darker, and more violent.

Love the book and the movie. Though the tone of the original movie is lighter than the book, it still gets alot right. And The Duke was great in it. He was comical, yes, but he also really had true grit. That wonderful scene where he charges Ned Pepper and his gang, pistol in one hand, shotgun in the other, is classic and cool as hell. That’s a man you should not mess with. I look forward to seeing the new movie, but The Dude will not tower over The Duke.

Mitch – all those films you mentioned are directed by Howard Hawks, who I think pushed Wayne into a more “reactive” mode than others. In all three you mentioned he gives wonderful performances, and El Dorado is especially powerful on the subject of aging.

Thanks for the background info, Kingrat and Medusa, sorry I mischaracterized Kim Darby’s career, it was just my own ignorance. The Mitchum story sounds more like gossip than reality to me though, a story passed around so much it passes as truth. But I certainly could be wrong.

Jenni, I do think Campbell was the first choice for box office reasons, he even recorded the theme song.

Oof, this is SUCH a much better article (and vehicle for building interest in the new version) than the interview Vanity Fair just posted. I watched “True Grit” as a kid on Beta cassette, of all things and I still recall that I wasn’t a fan of the lead actress.

I am sure that few people are aware that Campbell and Darby reunited the following year for another film produced by Wallis. It was called NORWOOD.

He was the lead, she was his romantic interest and Joe Namath was also starred. Since Kim and Glen did not work for Hal again, my guess is that he cancelled their contracts after this one.

I saw it in 1970, 40 years ago, when it came out, and when I was stationed at Fort Lee, Va. (a place which, from what I understand, is doing a lot better than Campbell and Darby).

I will be astounded if anyone calls me on this and says they recall this Paramount film vividly.

I don’t remember a lot from 40 years ago. I remember the poster showed Joe and Glen and said something like: Country Glen and Good-time Glen are out for fun! I remember a scene on a bus where Glen puts the moves on Kim.

My reference books tell me that the plot is about an ex-Gi and his quest to become a nationally known singer.

Here are some other thoughts:

-Mia Farrow seems like odd casting for the role but she was only two years older than Darby.

-I wasn’t going to see the new TRUE GRIT but I may now after reading your write-up. I can see that there is a lot that could be done with the original book.
I generally like the Coen Brothers films. But I am tired of all the remakes Hollywood does, generally bad.
I would not want to see anyone else tackle the roles of Cody Jarrett, Lou Gehrig or Rick Blaine.
I felt that way about Rooster Cogburn too. But we’ll see.

-There’s a lady on my street who owns a mean dog named Rooster Cogburn. I wonder if the dog has an identity crisis. Is he a rooster or a dog?
She posted a sign: Beware of the Dog. I suppose if she posted a sign – Beware of Rooster – it wouldn’t have the same effect.

- I too always thought that Wayne’s Rooster seemed like a Wallace Beery character. But, remember, Beery once won a Best Actor Oscar (and this is a real slap in the face to actors like Edward G. Robinson, Mitchum, Widmark, Robert Ryan and Claude Rains who never won Oscars for the roles they played.)

Oops. I meant to say Country Glen and Good-time Joe.

Al, of course I remember “Norwood”! It was part of my interest in Kim Darby — I think I also had a paperback book of it. I don’t remember it “vividly” but I did see it, at the theater. Haven’t seen it recently, seems never to have showed up in movie packages, which is kind of weird. Not even late night fare.

Al,

Thanks for pointing this out – NORWOOD is also an adaptation of a Charles Portis novel. I’d really like to track this down after I read it.

Great piece. Even though I’d heard that Wayne’s Oscar was for sentimental reasons, I didn’t believe that then and I don’t believe it now. I always thought that it was just the New Hollywood getting it’s snarkon. I love watching his expressions in the film, looking down at his cards or glowering over his horse at the bandits.

I heard this but can’t confirm it: does anyone know if Elvis Presley was offered the Glen Cambpell part first (and his notorious manager Colonel Tom Parker turned it down)? It’s something I keep hearing but can’t nail down anywhere.

Being something of an Elvis freak, I have heard and read about many parts that passed by Elvis due to the Colonel (The James Dean Story, The Defiant Ones, West Side Story and A Star is Born are just a few examples), but I have never heard he was offered the role of Le Boeuf in True Grit. I think he would have relished the part and it wouldn’t have been as stiff a performance as Campbell’s.

Warren Oates starred in made for TV movie”True Grit”(1978). FYI.

I saw the new True Grit yesterday. It has been quite some time since I last read the book, but it seems to me that the original movie was truer to the book than the new movie. The new one may have a darker tone and more subdued atmosphere about it, not as comical, but the original seems to stick closer to the book. There were a couple of things and situations in the new movie that I don’t recall being in the book. A rereading is due. And to anyone that thinks that the Dude outdid the Duke is flat out wrong.

When is Hollywood going to stop remaking our precious orginals into the latest blockbuster? How do they know if it will be or not? Hmph! They want to trick us with sentimentally for these by-gone gems. Oh yes, then AMC can play “True Grit”(1969) every Wednesday and Thursday and Saturday. And they will do this around playing five other westerns in a vicious circle non-stop all month. When are the cable channels I get, going to play more Classic Western cinema?