John Wayne did his own stunt work for his favorite scene in ‘True Grit’ that was also meant as a message for Hollywood.
Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, who is a washed-up U.S. marshal with no family. The only relationship that he has left is with alcohol. However, everything changes when young Mattie Ross (Darby) approaches him with the request to help catch the man who killed her father. Rooster ultimately accepts the job, but unexpectedly rediscovers his life and redeems himself over the course of the film.
John Wayne did his own stunt work for his favorite scene in ‘True Grit’
Marc Eliot’s American Titan: Searching for John Wayne takes a deep dive into the actor’s life and career, including his work on True Grit. He absolutely loved the filming location itself, but there was one scene in particular that really stuck with the actor.
Wayne’s favorite scene in True Grit was at the end when he tells Mattie to “come see a fat, old man sometime” and then rides off on his house and jumps a four-rail fence. However, Wayne was missing a lung as a result of his surgery, wasn’t in the best physical condition, and was 61 years old.
Nevertheless, Wayne completed the jump in one take without a stunt double. His intention was to show the world that he wasn’t just alive, but was still able to hold his own. Additionally, it was a message to Hollywood that he wasn’t ready for retirement quite yet.
