Tag: Rooster Cogburn
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1974 London Trip Turns Nightmare: John Wayne’s Battle with Pneumonia and Heart Issues During Brannigan
John Wayne suffered serious health problems while shooting Rooster Cogburn with Katharine Hepburn. Duke had struggled with pneumonia, relied on an oxygen mask and would have furious outbursts on set. After winning the Best Actor Oscar for 1969’s True Grit, John Wayne returned for a sequel with 1975’s Rooster Cogburn – which celebrates its 48th…
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John Wayne’s Bold Move and Unlikely Partnership in True Grit’s Surprising Sequel
It’s rare that an iconic Western such as True Grit would find itself with a sequel. Most classics in the genre didn’t get a traditional sequel, least of all with John Wayne reprising his role from the original. But that’s exactly what 1975’s Rooster Cogburn did, with Wayne back in the saddle as the titular…
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The Duke’s Defiance: John Wayne Ignites Sparks by Ignoring ‘True Grit’ Source in Sequel
It’s rare that an iconic Western such as True Grit would find itself with a sequel. Most classics in the genre didn’t get a traditional sequel, least of all with John Wayne reprising his role from the original. But that’s exactly what 1975’s Rooster Cogburn did, with Wayne back in the saddle as the titular…
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John Wayne’s Secret Struggles During The Shootist
John Wayne suffered from ill health for the last 15 years of his life, being hospitalised for two weeks with influenza on his last movie The Shootist. At one point, doctors were even unsure if they would allow Duke to complete his final picture, in which he played an old gunslinger with cancer opposite James…
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Unveiling 1968’s Legendary Onset Prank: How Rock Hudson Earned John Wayne’s Respect on The Undefeated
Back in 1968, having shot his Oscar-winning performance as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, John Wayne made another Western with Rock Hudson. The Undefeated followed the French Imperial intervention in Mexico during the 1860s and was loosely based on a Confederate General’s real escape south of the US border after the American Civil War. Originally…
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40 Years Later: How Jeff Bridges Mastered Rooster Cogburn in True Grit
In order to make his best movie of the past few decades Jeff Bridges was forced to ignore Western icon John Wayne. That takes some serious bravery and boldness. Jeff Bridges is no stranger to the Western genre. Lloyd Bridges, Jeff Bridges’ father, took on a leading role in some of the best Westerns ever…
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Katharine Hepburn vs. John Wayne: The Showdown That Transformed Their Working Relationship
Katharine Hepburn isn’t one to hold back her opinions, including when it comes to her co-stars. After refusing to work with one famous actor during the 1950s, she eventually did do a movie with him in the ’70s. But, that didn’t mean that she suddenly approved of everything he did. After the movie finished filming—and…
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How Did Henry Hathaway and Marguerite Roberts Transform ‘True Grit’ from Page to Screen?
True Grit actor John Wayne became the face of the Western genre thanks to iconic classics, such as Stagecoach and Red River. He always had a firm understanding of characterization, but he always wanted to keep it family-friendly. Wayne once said that he actually preferred the changes made to the True Grit ending compared to…
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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…
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10 surprising things about True Grit’s Behind-the-Scenes Buzzing, Despite John Wayne’s Disapproval?
Set in 1880 Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas, True Grit stars teenage girl Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), who is on a mission of ‘justice’ to avenge her father’s death. And in her search for her father’s killer, Mattie recruits the eyepatch-sporting, tough, old marshal Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne), who has a reputation for getting the…