Will the legend of John Wayne ever dim? Maybe in a long, long time, but certainly not anytime soon. There may come a time when all of his movies are re-done. One of the movies that are already had its shot at a remake is True Grit.
John Wayne was deep into his career when he decided to be a part of the 1969 movie. During the filming of the movie, though, he was never really satisfied with how it was turning out.
The legendary actor was closing in on the end of his career, so his standards were high. He was not enjoying his time on the set, seemingly unhappy with how the movie was going.
John Wayne Was Unhappy With How ‘True Grit’ Was Going
According to IMDb, John Wayne had a lot to say about True Grit. The actor was not a fan of the movie and was quite vocal with his displeasure about the film.
Even though the movie was successful, grossing millions of dollars, he was not happy with the final product. In particular, he had a problem with Kim Darby, who played Mattie Ross. Reportedly, in June 1969, while he was promoting the film release he was very vocal about the actress. He was telling interviewers that the movie was not nearly as good as some others he had done. He specifically mentioned Stage Coach
Then, at the 1970 Oscars, John Wayne won Best Actor for his role as Marshall Reuben J. Cogburn. His acceptance speech was gracious. However, in a private conversation with Richard Burton, he told him something different. He said that Burton should have won the Best Actor award for his role as King Henry VIII in Anne of the Thousand Days.
So, while John Wayne had a lot of success in True Grit, he was not pleased with the product. Perhaps this was just a manifestation of being overworked, or the actor was just in an unhappy time of his life. Regardless, the movie is hailed as an excellent Western and still enjoys success.