Turner Classic Movies hosted a fiftieth anniversary showing of the semi-classic western True Grit in May (yes, that’s how far behind I am in writing my reviews; I’m striving to catch up this month), and I was happy to view it on the big screen for the first time. I’ve long had a so-so feeling about this movie — sometimes it seems pretty good, sometimes it bores me. But I had never seen it as it is meant to be seen, on the big screen, with complete attention paid, and I must say I was more impressed than ever.

Henry Hathaway’s film is a ruggedly authentic version of the acclaimed Charles Portis novel (courtesy of Marguerite Roberts’ exemplary screenplay), with some downright curious casting choices that make one wonder what could have been. Young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby, in a mannered performance that holds up very well, in my opinion) employs boozy marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne, hammy but rarely as memorable) to bring the killer of her father to justice. A Texas Ranger named La Boeuf (Glen Campbell, miscast yet still compelling to watch) tags along to provide contrast, humor and consternation. And for western fans, the villainous outlaws include the likes of Dennis Hopper, Jeremy Slate, Jeff Corey and, as the notorious Ned Pepper, Robert Duvall.

I love the way the story begins, following Mattie as she goes to town to bury her father, settle his affairs and prod the wheels of justice into motion. It’s a good half-hour before Rooster appears, along with his only friends, an inscrutable Chinaman and a cat named General Sterling Price. Finally, the adventure begins, and it really does seem adventurous for this trio of mismatched folks to be hunting outlaws. It’s comic and clever, until Hopper loses his fingers and the trek turns deadly. Then it becomes thrilling.

True Grit is a good western, beautifully filmed in Colorado, with one of the Duke’s most iconic performances. It is well worth watching, and boasts a very high nostalgia quotient for those that love these kinds of adventures. But it could have been a great film; it is not blasphemy to say that the 2010 Coen Brothers version is better. Best of all, however, is the opportunity to see it high, wide and handsome on the silver screen a half century after it first appeared. Bless you, TCM. ☆ ☆ ☆. 17 July 2019.