Rooster Cogburn (...and The Lady): A Review

ROOSTER COGBURN (...AND THE LADY)

There was a time when sequels were far less common than they are today. In 1975, we got a new adventure of the wild, drunk, one-eyed fat lawman Rooster Cogburn. The role that won John Wayne the Best Actor Oscar for True Grit found him teamed up with his polar opposite in terms of persona and worldview. Rooster Cogburn, also known as Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady) is unapologetic about being a lark. Greatly entertaining, better than its reputation may be, Rooster Cogburn and the Lady blends action, romance and comedy well. 

U.S. Marshall Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Wayne) is of the "shoot first ask questions later" school of law enforcement. In fairness, his latest set of kills were the results of when the gang that he was tracking shot and killed his deputy. Nevertheless, Rooster's frenemy Judge Parker (John McIntire) orders him to give up his badge. That forced retirement does not last long. Judge Parker needs Cogburn to find the bandit known as Hawk (Richard Jordan). Hawk and his gang have stolen a shipment of nitroglycerin from the U.S. Army, killing its protection squad. They plan to use it for a major train heist. 

With that, Cogburn is authorized to go after them. He figures that the promised posse will not arrive, so he ventures into Indian territory. Here, he finds that Hawk's gang has already attacked Ft. Ruby. Despite its name, Ft. Ruby is now a small mission for Native Americans. Hawk and his men have killed Reverend Goodnight and most of the Natives have fortunately fled. The only people left are the reverend's spinster daughter Eula (Katharine Hepburn) and her Native student, Wolf (Richard Romancito). Eula and Wolf are determined to avenge the killings (Hawk's men having killed Wolf's father as well). Rooster is determined to keep both her and Wolf out of his way.

Nevertheless, she persisted. Forcing herself onto his chase, Rooster contends with this feisty, outspoken Yankee. The dangerous nitroglycerin forces the Hawk gang to move slowly, which helps Rooster and his de facto posse. It becomes a back-and-forth between the Hawk gang and Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady). As they continue working together, the old codger and the devout sister start warming up to each other. Who will win out between the bandits and the unlikeliest duo in the West?

I think the sight of Katharine Hepburn as a pistol-packing mama is enough to merit watching Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady). In many ways, the film is a Western version of The African Queen. You have a religious woman teaming up with a drunken man to go after her family's killers. You even have a climactic river rapids scene. Both films have the prickly prim sister and the cantankerous drunk finding, if not romance, at least a surprising amount of admiration between them. There are a few differences between the two. One of the biggest is the inclusion of Wolf, who is almost a surrogate son to both. However, I think that Rooster Cogburn and the Lady is elevated by the chemistry and rapport between John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn.

Both actors are essentially playing their screen personas. They come close to almost spoofing those personas. However, they are both competent enough to not go into parody or farce. Instead, both of them seem to be playful with those personas and with each other. Again, I marvel at how well John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn work together. They in real life were polar opposites. Here though, I think that helps in their characterizations. 

I also think that both showed deep respect and admiration for the other. We see as the film continues how each dislikes elements of their character but not dislike the person themself. Rooster and Eula never shout at each other. They may trade barbs and quips, but they are never nasty one towards the other. This initial bantering allows us to enjoy as both of them soften, even grow protective of the other.

A surprising element in Martha Hyer's screenplay (written under the pen name Martin Julien) is how much comedy it allows Hepburn to play. She is able to trade great putdowns with Cogburn. At one point, he expresses surprise that she can quote General Robert E. Lee (Cogburn having lost his eye fighting for the Confederacy during the Civil War). When he asks what she knows about General Lee, she replies that he was a Christian gentleman...who got whipped by the Yankees. Another time, she offers prayers for the Hawk gang members killed. As she does so, Eula takes watches and supplies while quoting Scripture about how we bring nothing into the world and take nothing out of it. It is quite funny to see her pickpocket dead men while reciting the Word.

John Wayne is also able to throw zingers at the grand dame. He also can be simultaneously flirtatious and insulting to her. He is also able to show a warm, almost fatherly or grandfatherly side with Richard Romancito as Wolf. The young Native man looks up to Rooster, even asking if there has ever been an Indian marshal. If memory serves right, Rooster says that he is not aware of any, but that he would be happy to help him. 

I do think that Richard Jordan was a bit over-the-top as the villainous Hawk. It seemed unintentionally comic. 

Rooster Cogburn is blessed with some beautiful cinematography of this lush view of the West. It also has a fun musical score that blends romantic with action elements.

Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady) is self-aware. It is intended as a good time with two actors playing with their screen personas. It has good action sequences and an engaging story. At a little over an hour and a half, it does not overstay its welcome. It also has John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn playing well off against the other. Years after Wayne's death, Katharine Hepburn remarked that she loved working with him. She called him "a true legend" and compared him to a big tree that she leaned on. They were only weeks apart age wise. They were total opposites in their sociopolitical views. However, Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady) makes for fun viewing. Its charm works on you if you do not take it seriously.       

DECISION: B+