THE FILM
FILM DIRECTOR: Stuart Millar
SCREENWRITER: Martin Julien (Martha Hyer)
FILM STARS: John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Jordan, John McIntire, Richard Romancito, Paul Koslo, Strother Martin, Tommy Lee, Jack Colvin, Jon Lormer, Lane Smith, Jerry Gatlin, Chuck Hayward, Andrew Prine.
COUNTRY: USA
THIS BOOK
AUTHOR: Martin Julien
TYPE: Screenplay
PUBLISHER: Signet
THIS EDITION
PUBLISHED: 1975
COUNTRY: USA
COVER: Paperback
THE ORIGINAL BOOK
ORIGINAL AUTHOR: As Above
YEAR FIRST PUBLISHED: 1975
ORIGINAL BOOK TITLE: Rooster Cogburn (… and the Lady)
NOTES
GENRE: Western
WORDS: The screenplay of the film (with photos!). The sequel to True Grit of sorts, with John Wayne reviving the lead character, Rooster Cogburn. The author of True Grit, Charles Portis, had nothing to do with this. The screenplay was written by (the great) actress Martha Hyer, the wife of producer Hal B. Wallis, under the pen name Martin Julien. It was decided to pair two icons of film who had never worked together before, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn. Wayne plays the role that won him an Oscar and Kate plays a variation of her character in the The African Queen with scenes and set ups reminiscent of that and of True Grit. The film was promoted as an “African Queen goes west” sequel to True Grit. Slickly produced by Hal Wallis (who also produced True Grit) the film is directed loosely but the two leads are great as is the supporting cast. As long as you know their film histories, there is a joy in watching their effortless acting and bouncing around off each other. Despite the films title this is a two starring role film. The original title of the film was to have been “Rooster Cogburn (…and the Lady)”, which it was called for some time and in some markets. And, despite different outlooks to all sorts of things by all accounts (reports at the time, Wayne’s comments, Kate autobiography) they got on fabulously … and it shows. Their different positions in Hollywood and philosophical outlooks were used to promote the film. There are many times, in the film, where the movie dialog crosses into the real word, or at least the movie personas they have created: Rooster Cogburn’s (John Wayne) line to Eula Goodnight (Hepburn) towards the end, “Ma’am, I don’t know much about thoroughbreds, horses or women. Ones I did know, I never liked. They are nervous and spooky – and they scare me. But you are one high-bred filly that don’t. Course I don’t know what you are talking about half the time – but it don’t matter. Being around you pleases me.” Eula Goodnight’s (Katharine Hepburn) last lines in the film, “Reuben, I have to say it. Livin’ with you has been an adventure any woman would relish for the rest of time. I look at cha, with your burnt-out face, and your big belly, and your bear-like paws and your shining eye, and I have to say you’re a credit to the whole male sex, and I’m proud to have ya for my friend”.
LINKS
PHOTOS
Katherine Hepburn on working with John Wayne in Rooster Cogburn (unsourced though she says something similar in her biography): “He has confidence in himself, which gives him enormous charisma. He’s quick, he’s sensitive. He knows all the techniques. I think he’s an awfully good actor—and a terribly funny man. We laugh all day. What a goddamn fascinating personality!”
TRAILER
What did you think of the Coen Brothers remake of True Grit? I found it a little disappointing, though Jeff Bridges was very good.
Neville, a question often asked. I agree with you. Though I will say, while I prefer the John Wayne film, the Coen brothers better captured the writerly tone of the book. They did it by focusing on Mattie Ross’s narration, which is the unquestionable heart of the novel. Here’s the first paragraph in Mattie’s voice:
‘People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day. I was just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shot my father down in Fort smith, Arkansas, and robbed him of his life and his horse and 150 dollars in cash money plus two California gold pieces that he carried in his trouser band.
But as a western the Wayne film has the cast, has director Hathaway, has great scenery, has a great score. It creates myth whereas the remake (re-imagining) just recounts it. Search this blog I talk briefly about the same … True Grit was the first book I posted.