John Waynes long-awaited sequel to True Grit, 1975s Rooster Cogburn, seemed to have everything going for it including an iconic co-star for Wayne but it was still, unfortunately, a failure. Released in 1969, True Grit earned Wayne his one and only Academy Award for Best Actor. Hed previously been nominated for Sands of Iwo Jima in 1949, but he didnt win until he donned an eyepatch to play U.S. Marshal Reuben J. Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Based on Charles Portis novel, True Grit revolves around a teenage girl named Mattie Ross, who recruits Cogburn to find her fathers killer.

True Grit marked a drastic tonal departure for Wayne. Hed made his name playing straightforward heroes with clear-cut morals who spring into action at a moments notice to bring the bad guys to justice. But in True Grit, he gives a much darker, more grizzled, more morally ambiguous performance. Cogburn is reluctant to help Mattie,...