Somehow I had never seen this, yet I did see the remake/reinterpretation when it released. I loved that one, so I always considered checking out the John Wayne style. Finally I've followed through, and... yea, this was pretty good. The lead girl is really good in this. She has really great command in the majority of the scenes, and makes it feel like she's above the men around her. Of course though, John Wayne is entertaining in every scene he appears. He's just so different from most in his character style. You get a lot... of pauses at weird... places. I do like the story in here quite a bit as well. It feels very different and not standard film plot. A lot of what I expect in most movies doesn't happen, and things play out in a more realistic sense. Unfortunately though, there are some times that I felt a bit bored. The movie takes a while to get going and to draw me in. There isn't much excitement or tension for the first 20 minutes really. A lot could have been trimmed down to get the show on the road. If you like classic westerns, certainly check it out.

One of the best classic Hollywood Westerns out there. Carried by the brilliant performance by John Wayne excellently supported by a lovely Kim Darby, the movie is just charming. Excellent entertainment you should not miss.

I don't know why it took me so long to watch this as I do like western and Wayne and especially the combination of both. This is clearly one of his best and it came at the right time in his career as he couldn't have played Rooster Cogburn at an earlier age. He absolutely sells this character that isn't as straightforward as much of his previous roles. But I also must add that Kim Darby plays great, too. And considering her young age and playing opposite to the legend John Wayne this was no easy task, I'd say. And so the scenes that have them both are the highlights of this movie. The movie has aged well, you can watch this today after almost 50 years, it lives from the characters and the story.