After John Wayne and Kim Darby’s portrayals of Rooster Cogburn and Mattie Ross, I was skeptical about how anybody could follow in their footsteps or possibly do an even better job. I was amazed. The new movie was simply wonderful. The main roles were:
Jeff Bridges– Rooster Cogburn
Hailee Steinfield– Mattie Ross
Matt Damon– Texas Ranger LeBoeuf
Josh Brolin – Tom Chaney
It should be noted that Hailee Steinfield was truly 14 years old when she acted the part of 14-year-old Mattie Ross. Ms. Steinfeld commented that the new things that she learned from that role were revolver shooting and cigarette rolling. Noble achievements indeed.
My lifelong enthusiasm for old American firearms just about caused me to foam at the mouth while I was watching this newly made True Grit movie. I believe the film was made with modern made replicas, as originals are now too valuable to be thrown around on a movie set. Aldo Uberti in Italy makes the best replica 19th Century American firearms. The best Ubertis are marketed by Cimarron Firearms in Fredericksburg, Texas. The Cimarron guns are marked exactly as are the originals. I do not know which gun maker was represented in True Grit, but I have a strong feeling that most of them were Ubertis. Rooster had a 7 ½” barreled Colt Peacemaker and an 1873 Winchester rifle. Mattie had a Third Model Colt Dragoon percussion revolver. I’m not sure but I believe Ranger LeBoeuf’s sidearm was an 1875 Remington. His Sharps Carbine was a military model as it has a side bar and a saddle ring. It could have been made by Uberti, C. Sharps, or Shiloh. In reality any military Sharps of that era would have been chambered for the .50-70 or .45-70 Government cartridge. The cartridges in LeBoeuf’s belt appeared a bit too long to be .45-70s, but my eyesight isn’t so hot anymore. Maybe they were .45-70s. Tom Chaney’s rifle was a Henry lever action. Every gun toting character in the film had a weapon that was absolutely authentic for the period of the movie, which I believe was somewhere abound 1876-1878. There were Colt percussion revolvers, Remington and Colt cartridge revolvers, Henry rifles, 1866 & 73 Winchester rifles, and of course LeBeouf’s Sharps. I noted that all the gun leather was period correct as well. One of the bad guys even has a Mexican triple loop holster.
Lastly, the English used in the movie was perfect for America in 1876. The dialect for each individual was just right for his or her class.
Needless to say I loved the whole thing. This new True Grit followed the book better that the John Wayne version. Go see it. You won’t be sorry.
Keep your powder dry,
