 In 1970, John Wayne earned an Academy Award for his larger-than-life performance as the drunken, uncouth and totally fearless one-eyed U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn. The cantankerous Rooster is hired by a headstrong young girl (Kim Darby) to find the man who murdered her father and fled with the family savings. When Cogburn's employer insists on accompanying the old gunfighter, sparks fly. And the situation goes from troubled to disasterous when the inexperineced but enthusiastic Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell) joins the party. Laughter and tears punctuate the wild action in this extraordinary Western which features performances by Robert Duvall and Strother Martin. Storyline: The murder of her father sends a teenage tomboy, Mattie Ross, (Kim Darby), on a mission of "justice", which involves avenging her father's death. She recruits a tough old marshal, "Rooster" Cogburn (John Wayne), because he has "grit", and a reputation of getting the job done. The two are joined by a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf, (Glen Campbell), who is looking for the same man (Jeff Corey) for a separate murder in Texas. Their odyssey takes them from Fort Smith, Arkansas, deep into the Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) to find their man. Written by John Vogel Cast Notes: John Wayne (U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn), Glen Campbell (LaBoeuf Texas Ranger), Kim Darby [I] (Mattie Ross), Jeremy Slate (Emmett Quincy), Robert Duvall ('Lucky' Ned Pepper), Dennis Hopper (Moon Garrett), Alfred Ryder (Goudy), Strother Martin (Colonel G. Stonehill), Jeff Corey (Tom Chaney/Tom Chambers), Ron Soble [I] (Captain Boots Finch), John Fiedler [I] (Lawyer J. Noble Daggett), James Westerfield (Federal Judge Isaac Parker), John Doucette (Sheriff, Fort Smith Arkansas), Donald Woods [I] (Barlow), Edith Atwater (Mrs. Floyd). User Comment: Darren Burns Manchester, England • Surely one of the purest westerns ever made, a simple tale of a lawman tracking down an outlaw. This film is raised way above the norm in almost all respects: The photography is superb, with the hills, mountains, valleys and forests being the real stars; the acting is first rate, with not a weak performance in sight from even the lowliest minor character; the direction is well paced as we ride along with the 3-person-posse through the landscape and experience the minor twists of the actual hunt, as well as the evolution of the relationships between the group. The episode in which they take over a cabin by a stream and then ambush the following villains is even better than the well known finale. Why this film hasn't had more votes and a higher rating in imdb is a complete mystery to me. I'm English, and I always thought the Americans really loved their westerns and John Wayne in particular. Can anyone explain please? Summary: Pure Western Delight IMDb Rating (09/01/01): 7.2/10 from 1,189 users
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