John Wayne and Working for Women

I happened to watch the 1969 Paramount movie True Grit last night. The movie is a classic, starring John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, a crusty old, one-eyed U.S. Marshall; and Glen Campbell as LaBoeuf, a young Texas Ranger. The two law-enforcement officers agree to lead a young woman, Mattie Ross (played by Kim Darby) on a search across the West for her father's murderer. I see that Paramount is about to release a 2010 version of True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges as Cogburn and Matt Damon as LaBoeuf, so I wanted to watch again the earlier version.

Click here to read more and watch a clip that relates to our discussion.

I was moved by one of the scenes from the movie and how it related to this week's discussion about the gender gap. It made me realize that the influence of "nurturing" goes well beyond a mother's imprinting on a baby. Just think about how Hollywood has influenced our perceptions about gender roles. 

Watch this clip, for instance. In this campfire scene, Rooster Cogburn talks with disdain about women's lack of "generosity" and he proclaims that he would NEVER work for a woman. Young Mattie Ross reminds him coyly that she paid him $25 to hunt down her father's killer; therefore, he works for her. Watch how Rooster responds. 

It's obvious that Mattie, even though she plays the young woman to John Wayne's tough lawman has the upper hand. Could Mattie Ross be an early model for breaking the glass ceiling? What kind of influence do you think this might have on a young movie viewer who watches this?

Let's share your comments,

Mark