John Wayne Justified ‘True Grit’s Rooster Cogburn Shooting Bad Guys ‘Between the Eyes’
True Grit actor John Wayne refused to accept roles that didn’t fit into the character that he took so long to establish with moviegoing audiences. Additionally, he wouldn’t star in any movies that insulted his morals and values. Wayne played a tough marshal in True Grit with Rooster Cogburn, but he once explained why his sense of justice made sense.
‘True Grit’ actor John Wayne served harsh justice
Henry Hathaway’s 1969 Western True Grit starred Wayne in the lead role of Rooster, based on Charles Portis’ novel. The character crosses paths with 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) after Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murdered her father. She turns to Rooster to help her track him down to bring him to justice. However, Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) joins them on their journey to make him face the law.
Mattie seeks out Rooster because she knows all about his methods. He’s a man of “true grit” and isn’t afraid to kill, but his questionable morals cause her to question him. She tags along to make sure that he gets the job done properly, allowing her to seek revenge the proper way.
John Wayne justified how Rooster Cogburn carries out ‘True Grit’ shooting
The official Wayne Facebook page regularly posts some legendary quotes from the actor, including how he felt about True Grit and other iconic Western films. The actor recognized that the character doesn’t mess around when it comes to tracking down bad guys and handing out justice. However, that’s exactly what puts at odds with the ranger, who believes that the criminal should face the music through more legal
“In spite of the fact that Rooster Cogburn would shoot a fella between the eyes, he’d judge that fella before he did it,” Wayne said. “He was merely trying to make the area in which he was marshal livable for the most number of people.”
Rooster is initially portrayed as a man entirely out for himself. He’s tough-as-nails and does whatever benefits him most. However, his time with Mattie ultimately brings out another side of himself. The connection between the two is touching, but he isn’t afraid to use lethal force to protect her and the mission that she’s paying him for.
John Wayne won the Oscar for ‘True Grit’
Long before True Grit, Wayne developed a signature image that translated into his iconic way of walking and talking. Moviegoers paid to get the exact form of the actor that they wanted to see on the silver screen. However, Wayne’s peers didn’t all initially see the potential in his performance, thinking that he only played himself.
Wayne earned his first Oscar nomination for 1949’s Sands of Iwo Jima and then another for 1960’s The Alamo. He was frustrated that some of his greatest works, such as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, didn’t even earn him an Academy Award nomination.
Nevertheless, Wayne finally earned an Oscar win for True Grit, although some folks believe that this was to honor his overall career that went largely underappreciated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
