John Wayne And Katharine Hepburn Had Intense Chemistry In This '70s Western Streaming On Netflix

In 1975, John Wayne made "Rooster Cogburn," a sequel to the Oscar-winning "True Grit." Sadly, it was met with a mixed response, but Wayne and his co-star Katharine Hepburn managed to transcend the film's shortcomings with their undeniable chemistry. As such, "Rooster Cogburn" is worth a watch not only as an ill-advised mid-'70s curio but because of its stars. Luckily, it's now streaming on Netflix.

It took four decades for John Wayne to win an Oscar. The screen legend, who got his start in the Western B-movies of the 1930s, finally took home the Best Actor prize for 1969's "True Grit," an indisputable classic of the genre that saw him play U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. It was a significant role for Wayne not only because it finally won him favor with the Academy but because the Duke broke one of his biggest rules in the iconic Western. That is to say, he let slip a few swear words, which was a shock for those who had grown up with him as the epitome of a wholesome, clean cut, all-American hero. But as Bob Dylan himself sung earlier that same decade, the times they were a-changin' and Wayne needed to update his image in order to remain relevant — which he did to great success with "True Grit."

As Cogburn, the Duke was suddenly a flawed, nuanced presence, and both audiences and critics responded positively. Naturally, Hollywood decided a follow-up was imperative. In fact, "True Grit" ended up launching a completely useless franchise that started with the 1975 sequel, "Rooster Cogburn," which saw Wayne return as the titular U.S. Marshal. Unfortunately, the second film was nowhere near as successful as the first. But there was one undeniable positive to come out of the ill-fated follow-up: Wayne and Hepburn's palpable chemistry.

When John Wayne was cast in 1969's "True Grit," strict rules were put in place on-set to ensure the star wasn't bothered unnecessarily. Whether that had anything to do with the film's success or not remains unclear, but the Duke certainly turned in one of his all-time great performances. In fact, Wayne considered "True Grit" to have given him his first decent role in 20 years. Like so many great performances, Wayne's portrayal of Rooster Cogburn had parallels to his real life. Both were past their prime and somewhat adrift in a culture that didn't seem to have a place for them. But both also proved they still had what it took, with Cogburn ultimately demonstrating his lethal efficiency while escorting Kim Darby's Mattie Ross through Native American territory, and Wayne winning an Oscar.

When "Rooster Cogburn" debuted, however, the spark was mostly gone. Wayne hadn't come up in the age of franchise filmmaking, so from the very outset, it was sort of jarring to see him reprising the titular role. It also didn't help that "True Grit" director Henry Hathaway had been replaced by Stuart Millar, who produced a comparatively sluggish adventure. Writer Martha Hyer, who was producer Hal B. Wallis' wife, also failed to write sufficiently snappy dialogue for the film's stars, who were really the only two good things about the sequel.

In "Rooster Cogburn," Wayne's U.S. Marshal wasn't chaperoning a youngster. Instead, he was joined on his quest to recover stolen nitroglycerin by Katharine Hepburn's spinster Miss Eula Goodnight. Hepburn, who absolutely matched Wayne's esteem as one of the greats, was arguably the only reason the movie could be considered passable thanks to her onscreen dynamic with her co-star.

In "Rooster Cogburn," John Wayne's aging gunfighter is tasked with taking down a group of bank robbers who have stolen a shipment of nitroglycerin. It's a big mission for Cogburn, who has had his badge suspended due to his alcoholism and mishandling of his firearm. Katherine Hepburn' Miss Eula Goodnight comes along for the ride after her father is killed by the criminals, and the unlikely duo initially clash. Soon, however, they form a bond, and watching the pair slowly warm to each other is easily the best aspect of the whole film. That and Hepburn's character being just as lethal a shot as her lawman compatriot.

Sadly, Hepburn and Wayne's chemistry wasn't enough to make "Rooster Cogburn" a hit. The film grossed just $17.6 million at the box office against a $10 million budget, and critics weren't all that impressed. In a lukewarm review for The New York Times, Vincent Canby described the sequel as "a high-class example of the low Hollywood art of recycling," calling the film a "throwaway Western" that was nonetheless "cheerful." But even Canby had to admit that the stars of "Rooster Cogburn" were exceptional, noting how they "respond to each other with verve that makes the years disappear."

Contemporary viewers over on Letterboxd were won over by the two leads, too, with one writing, "I'm on this movie's side for two reasons: 1.John Wayne. 2.Katherine Hepburn." Still, "Rooster Cogburn" simply couldn't top its predecessor despite Wayne returning to the role that won him an Oscar. 35 years later, Jeff Bridges did what Wayne couldn't, though, and one-upped his original performance with one of the best scenes from the 2010 remake of "True Grit."