True Grit

By VARIETY STAFF

Paramount. Director Henry Hathaway; Producer Hal B. Wallis; Screenplay Marguerite Roberts; Camera Lucien Ballard; Editor Warren Low; Music Elmer Bernstein; Art Director Walter Tyler
 
John Wayne
Glen Campbell
Kim Darby
Jeremy Slate
Robert Duvall
Dennis Hopper
 

Story centers on young girl (Kim Darby) of the 1830s starting out from Arkansas to avenge the murder of her father with the aid of Wayne, whom she pays, and Texas Ranger Glen Campbell, who wants to claim the murderer (Jeff Corey) for a reward. Men develop instant mutual loathing, but girl recognizes they can get her father's murderer because they have grit, true grit.

Darby is refreshingly original. If at times she seems restrained, she sticks relentlessly to the strong character of Mattie.

Campbell, less successful as an actor than as a singer-performer, still holds his own as a foil for Wayne. But it's mostly Wayne all the way. He towers over everything in the film - actors, script [from Charles Portis' novel], even the magnificent Colorado mountains. He rides tall in the saddle in this character role of 'the fat old man.'

1969: Best Actor (John Wayne).

Nomination: Best Song ('True Grit')

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1969. Running time: 128 MIN.