So, I thought I would try my hand at a fictional version. ![]() I liked the form and tone – a first-person narrative, simple, direct and innocent. “I was reading some frontier memoirs at the time…. In the summer of 2000, Charles Portis, the author of True Grit corresponded with park staff regarding the background of his novel and the famous film based on it. While author Charles Portis argued that the film should be made in the Arkansas and Oklahoma area where the story is set, the films producers chose to film in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Montrose, Colorado. Marshal oversaw operations at the court deputy marshals, such as Cogburn, did the field work of serving warrants. But the film shows vendors selling goods and wares to the crowd and also perpetuates the myth that "Judge Isaac Parker watched all his hangings from an upper window in the courthouse."ĭeputy Marshal Cogburn is also referred to as a "Marshal" throughout the film. The book points out that most executions were conducted privately. The executions as presented in True Grit include both inaccurate statements and mythological depictions. The film's depiction of Fort Smith executions closely follows the novel, but is not as blatantly graphic as that of Hang 'Em High. The film had an immediate effect on the park, boosting visitation that month to over 10,000. The image of John Wayne as "Rooster" Cogburn remains one of the most prominent depictions of frontier lawmen today.Ī fictional account of the federal court set in the late 1870's, True Grit was first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post and almost immediately developed into a film, released July 3, 1969. In his even-handed and engaging portrayal of Deputy Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn, John Wayne finally earned his first academy award for best actor in 1970. While described as having both an eyepatch and a moustache in the novel, John Wayne wore only the eye patch in his portrayal of "Rooster" Cogburn. Portis intended the character to be "a representative figure of those hardy deputy marshals who worked for Judge Parker's court."Īs planning for a film of the story began, veteran western actor John Wayne was seen as the obvious choice to play the character of Cogburn. Created by author Charles Portis, Rooster Cogburn does not represent an actual deputy, but is instead an amalgamation of the real men who served the federal court in Fort Smith. Perhaps the most famous character in True Grit is Deputy U.S. The book gained quick popularity, and work was soon underway to tell the story in movie form. First published as a serialized story in the Saturday Evening Post, in 1968, it was released as a book shortly thereafter. Arkansas native Charles Portis filled in this gap with his novel, True Grit. The captivating stories of the people who worked for the court, such as deputy marshals, had yet to be told. Previous books about Judge Parker and the federal court focused primarily on factual retellings of the history of the court. In 1961, Fort Smith National Historic Site was added to the national Park system to commemorate both the military and legal history of the site. The site of the federal court was restored and opened to the public in 1957. Hollywood's vision of this region is gripping - but the real story of what happened here is just as fascinating!īeginning in the 1950's with the publication of a series of fiction and non-fiction accounts of the federal court in Fort Smith and its famous judge, public awareness of the legacy of Fort Smith was on the rise. ![]() In the 20th century, American cinema have also found them a goldmine for imaginative stories of harrowing adventure. Since the late 1800's, the characters who played out their lives in Fort Smith and the Indian Territory have inspired many books and novels.
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