Rooster Cogburn

CinemaSerfJun 2024

3.5

Stuart Millar must have had a great time directing this with Wayne reprising his "True Grit" character on the trail of some reprobates that robbed an army convoy of a wagon load of nitro. On their way to rob a bank, they stop at a mission run by the "Rev. Goodnight" and his daughter "Eula" (Hepburn). Things all turn a bit nasty and her father is killed in a drunken brawl. Shortly afterwards, she is discovered at his grave by "Cogburn" with whom she - and a young Indian boy named "Wolf" (Richard Romancito) team up and set off on the trail of their murderous felons. The two wind each other up wonderfully at the start (and Hepburn always seems to manage to find a rock to stand on so she can be taller than her co-star). Gradually they learn to work together and become quite a formidable partnership as they pursue the ruthless "Hawk" (Richard Jordan). There is plenty of adventure, humour and charisma in this yarn - nothing too taxing, but a film that really does bear watching and who doesn't like a Gattling gun. Keep an eye out for the one scene with Strother Martin, too.