With a Texas backdrop, a career-defining performance from John
Wayne and a quest to bring in some outlaws, True Grit is a quintessential Western. The 1969 film was based on Charles Portis’ novel of the same name and yielded Wayne the only career Academy Award of his career. Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn, a drunken U.S. Marshal who is hired by a teenage girl to aid in tracking down her father’s murderer. The film also features Robert Duvall as “Lucky” Ned Pepper and Dennis Hopper as Moon, who has a knack for stealing horses.
The movie is apart of Briscoe’s the Award Winning West film series, and will be screened on June 21 at 6:30pm. There is a $5 suggested donation (Briscoe Western Art Museuem, 210 W. Market St., (210) 299-4499).
In case you get a hankering to further dive into the world of the wild, wild west after attending the screening of True Grit, here are nine of the best westerns — all with a Texas connection, of course.