In honor of the 50th anniversary of True Grit, starring John Wayne, the Someday Cinema Series will be screening the film on Thursday, September 5, at 1, 4, and 7 pm, in the theater of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

Tickets are $3, and the first matinee will be shown with subtitles for the benefit of those who are hearing impaired.

Henry Hathaway directed this faithful adaptation of Charles Portis’s 1968 novel, casting veteran western star John Wayne as US Marshall Rooster Cogburn, which turned out to be his only Oscar-winning role. His Rooster is a rugged, abrasive, boozer who gets the job done. At the Academy Awards, Wayne reportedly whispered to Barbra Streisand, “Beginner’s luck.”

Rooster is dedicated to serving justice, even though very few of those he seeks to bring in ever make it to court. He claims, “I never shot nobody I didn’t have to.”

He seems just the right sort for young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), who hires him to track down the man who murdered her father.

Of course, Mattie intends to ride along, and though Rooster and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Glen Campbell) try to lose her, she is unshakable.

“By God. She reminds me of me,” laughs Rooster as he watches her cross a river clinging to her horse.

Though this western odyssey is fraught with danger, the journey has its funny moments of good-natured teasing, drunkenness, and in Mattie’s case, outtalking a horse-trader … twice.

John Wayne Enterprises (johnwayne.com) is sponsoring this film, presented by Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. There will be special items like a cookbook, T-shirts, playing cards, reading glasses, and more in the lobby on the day of the shows.

Next up in the Someday Cinema Series is Raiders of the Lost Ark on Sunday, September 29. For additional information, visit tiny.cc/2019somedaycinema.