Rooster Cogburn

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Cast & Crew

John Wayne

Rooster Cogburn

Katharine Hepburn

Eula Goodnight

Anthony Zerbe

Breed

Richard Jordan

Hawk

John McIntire

Judge Parker

Strother Martin

McCoy

Richard Romancito

Wolf

Warren Vanders

Bagby

Tommy Lee

Chen Lee

Jon Lormer

Rev. Goodnight

Paul Koslo

Luke

Lane Smith

Leroy

Jack Colvin

Red

Jerry Gatlin

Nose

Stuart Millar

Director

Hal B. Wallis

Producer

Martha Hyer

Screenwriter

Laurence Rosenthal

Original Music

Harry Stradling Jr.

Cinematographer

Robert Swink

Film Editing

E. Preston Ames

Art Director

George R. Nelson

Set Decoration

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Critic Reviews for Rooster Cogburn

Audience Reviews for Rooster Cogburn

• Nov 10, 2019

  Nothing too serious here, a movie of leftovers from other movies (True Grit and African Queen), and used as a personality vehicle for it's two main stars, that it is their only screen collaboration being the sell. It has the overall feeling of two bullshitters sitting around bullshitting each other and whomever else might be happening to listen. Wayne gets a softer edge from her, and Hepburn gets to shoot a Gatling gun. It's Hollywood.
  

  kevin w Super Reviewer
• Jan 20, 2012

  It's not in the same league as its' predecessor, True Grit, but Rooster Cogburn works well as a sequel, and is generally well executed. It does tend to rely too often on harkening back to True Grit, but ultimately the pairing between Wayne and Hepburn gives the film a good charm and chemistry, elevating the material to make it an enjoyable, if not unique, Western.
  

  Super Reviewer
• May 12, 2011

  The star and main character of <i>True Grit</i> meets the star and character of <i>The African Queen</I>, and together, they pursue bad guys in the old west. This film is problematic on several levels. First, I've never been a fan of Katharine Hepburn. Her voice sounds like a car that fails to turn over, and there isn't much variety - especially in this role - going on in her characters or how she embodies them. I know that Hepburn fans will bring up her classic roles in protest and say that I shouldn't blithely dismiss a so-called "screen legend," but I don't give a fuck. Here, she's annoying, and the film sympathizes with her character enough that I don't think the annoyance her character produces is always intentional. Second, as in most westerns, Native Americans and women are portrayed in uniformly subservient terms. Yes, Hepburn's character is occasionally put in a position of power and strength, but she is also de-sexualized - beyond childbearing age and constantly spouting pious jibber jabber. And of course, there is a Native boy whose only dream is to be a Marshall, but he fears that his Native-ness will get in the way, ignorant that a part of his job would be to "civilize" the "savages." Finally, the plot is basic and predictable. Eula and Rooster exchange barbs, and each gains a respect for the other in the end, and then bad guys are killed. Everything you thought would happen does. But what's at issue is the fact that we never think that either of the characters could be substantively changed by their interactions with each other. Rather, the dialogue becomes an exercise in vocalizing and characterization without real human interaction. Overall, I think if you enjoyed the characters in <i>African Queen</i> and <i>True Grit</i>, then you might enjoy seeing them again, like meeting old friends, but don't expect much in the way of a real, character-driven story.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Feb 22, 2011

  A sequel to the pretty good true grit, again starring john wayne, its no true grit, but it does have the presence of wayne, who while by no means the best actor of his or any generation, always fun to watch, and doing his rooster turn once more brings something to film, and the film also beringing the formula back in the presence of a women tagging along with him, a good watch but by no means true grit
  

  Super Reviewer