Rooster Cogburn

Infobox Film
name = Rooster Cogburn


image_size = 220px
caption = Poster
director = Stuart Millar
producer = Paul Nathan
Hal B. Wallis
writer = Martha Hyer
Charles Portis (character)
narrator =
starring = John Wayne
Katharine Hepburn
music = Laurence Rosenthal
cinematography = Harry Stradling Jr.
editing = Robert Swink
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = flagicon|USA October 17, 1975
runtime = 108 min.
country = United States
language = English
budget =
preceded_by = "True Grit"
followed_by = ""
website =
amg_id = 1:42079
imdb_id = 0073636

"Rooster Cogburn" (also "Rooster Cogburn (... and the Lady)") is a 1975 sequel to the 1969 western film, "True Grit", and stars John Wayne, in his penultimate film, who reprises his role as U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Katharine Hepburn co-stars as spinster Eula Goodnight who teams up with Rooster to recover a stolen shipment of nitroglycerin and find her father's killer.

Plot

Because of his drunkenness and questionable tactics with firearms, aging U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn has been stripped of his badge. But he's given a chance to redeem himself after a village in Indian Territory is overrun by a gang of violent, ruthless criminals. They have killed an elderly preacher, Rev. George Goodnight. His spinster daughter, Eula Goodnight, wants to track the criminals down, and she makes Rooster an unwilling partner in her endeavor. But Rooster must use care, because the criminals, led by Hawk and Breed have stolen a shipment of nitroglycerine.

Cast

Production

Locations

The film was shot in Deschutes County, Oregon west of the town of Bend (for the mountain scenes), and on the Rogue River in the counties of Josephine and Curry, west of the town of Grants Pass (for the river scenes). Smith Rock State Park was a setting as well; the Rockhard/Smith Rock Climbing Guides building at the park entrance was originally built as a set for the movie, where it was portrayed as "Kate's Saloon".

Casting

"Rooster Cogburn" marks the only time two Hollywood veterans John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn would appear together in a film. It was also the final film from producer Hal B. Wallis.

Strother Martin, who portrays Shanghai McCoy in this film also appeared in "True Grit", playing a different character.

Trivia

*Director Stuart Millar, a longtime Hollywood producer, had directed only one film, "When the Legends Die", prior to helming Rooster Cogburn.
*The screenplay was written by actress Martha Hyer, producer Hal B. Wallis's wife, under the pen name "Martin Julien."
*The film was promoted as "Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady)" but the opening credits of the film give the title as simply "Rooster Cogburn".
*There had been plans for a third Rooster Cogburn movie, entitled "Sometime", but these never materialized. Due to Wayne's illness, he made only one more film, "The Shootist" (1976), before his death in 1979.
*In the Family Guy episode "The Weiner Is", Peter tells Chris to address him as Rooster Cogburn while the two are hunting in the woods.

Reception

With elderly stars and a formulaic plot that was basically a rehash of "True Grit", with elements from "The African Queen" (in which Hepburn also starred) the film was poorly received by critics. It proved to be only a moderate hit at the box office.

ee also

*"True Grit (novel)"

External links

*imdb title|id=0073636|title=Rooster Cogburn
*amg movie|id=1:42079|title=Rooster Cogburn
*rotten-tomatoes|id=rooster_cogburn_and_the_lady|title=Rooster Cogburn