True Grit (1969 film)
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:20:43 PM Wikipedia source
True Grit is a 1969 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Hal B. Wallis. Starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, with Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, the film is adapted by Marguerite Roberts from Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name. The story follows Marshal Cogburn and Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Campbell) as they are hired by a young girl, Mattie Ross (Darby), to apprehend the outlaw who killed her father. Historians believe Cogburn was based on Deputy U.S. Marshal Henry "Heck" Thomas, who brought in some of the toughest outlaws. The cast also features Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Corey and Strother Martin. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 13, 1969. It received positive reviews from critics, who drew particular praise to Wayne's performance, and was a commercial success. Wayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, his only competitive win for either institution. The film also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, and Darby received a BAFTA Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer. True Grit's success spawned a 1975 theatrical film sequel with Wayne (Rooster Cogburn), a 1978 made-for-TV sequel starring Warren Oates (True Grit: A Further Adventure), and an acclaimed 2010 remake film of the same name by the Coen brothers.
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Tables
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | John Wayne | Won |
| Best Song – Original for the Picture | "True Grit" Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Don Black | Nominated | |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Feature Film | Warren Low (tied with William H. Reynolds's edited film Hello, Dolly!). | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Kim Darby | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | John Wayne | Won |
| Best Original Song – Motion Picture | "True Grit" Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Don Black | Nominated | |
| Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Glen Campbell | Nominated | |
| Laurel Awards | Top General Entertainment | Won | |
| Top Action Performance | John Wayne | Won | |
| Top Male New Face | Glen Campbell | Nominated | |
| Top Female New Face | Kim Darby | Nominated | |
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 9th Place | |
| Western Heritage Awards | Theatrical Motion Picture | Won | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Drama – Adapted from Another Medium | Marguerite Roberts | Nominated |
References
- Due to confusion over whether or not "M"-rated films were suitable for children, the M rating was renamed to GP in 1970
- True Grit at the AFI Catalog of Feature Filmshttps://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23723
- The Numbershttps://www.the-numbers.com/movie/True-Grit
- catalog.afi.comhttps://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23723/
- The Girl on the Balcony
- Groucho Reviewshttp://production.grouchoreviews.com/interviews/229
- Davis 2002, p. 286.
- YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Gt_103Y1w
- Shepherd, Slatzer & Grayson 2002, p. 274.
- Ebert 2011, p. 164.
- Wills 1997, p. 286.
- Eyman 2014, pp. 442–443.
- Eyman 2014, p. 448.
- Eyman 2014, p. 445.
- Take Onehttps://archive.org/details/sim_take-one_september-october-1974_5_1/page/8/mode/1up
- Chicago Tribune
- John Wayne in True Grit, Then and Now, Extended Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EUP9rOLf30
- Moscow-Pullman Daily News
- Gelbert 2002, p. 44.
- McGhee 1990, p. 361.
- Kingman Daily Miner
- Los Angeles Daily News
- Chicago Sun Times
- Eyman 2014, p. 447.
- The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Warshttps://books.google.com/books?id=29Y3BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA49
- American Film Institutehttps://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/23723
- Variety
- Varietyhttps://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1969-09-03_256_3/page/13
- Varietyhttps://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1969-09-24_256_6/page/11
- Varietyhttps://ameblo.jp/ayumi-niwano/entry-12249691199.html
- True Grithttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/true_grit
- Movies into Film Film Criticism 1967-1970
- Oscarshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qQhODwivLU
- oscars.orghttp://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1970
- ACE Second Decade Anniversary Bookhttps://books.google.com/books?id=NZ8EAQAAIAAJ
- The Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-film-editors-given/143781485/
- "BAFTA Awards (1970)"http://awards.bafta.org/award/1970/film
- HFPAhttps://www.goldenglobes.com/film/true-grit
- National Board of Reviewhttps://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1969/
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museumhttps://nationalcowboymuseum.org/heritage-awards/425no-title/
- Writers Guild of Americahttps://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551
- Eyman 2014, p. 512.
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/coen-brothers-to-adapt-true-grit-1118001514/