On April 7, 1970, John Wayne received the Academy Award for best actor after wowing people in the movie “True Grit.” For Wayne, it was really a lifetime achievement recognition, as he beat out the likes of Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, all considered “serious” actors, unlike Wayne, who specialized in personality-driven performances. Wayne’s portrayal of hard-drinking U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn was a classic. The actor totally blew away his co-stars Kim Darby and Glenn Campbell (yes, that Glenn Campbell). In one scene, the Duke is riding the range between Darby and Campbell, and they look like Lilliputians to Wayne’s Gulliver. Whatever else you might think about John Wayne, he dominated the screen whenever he appeared on it.

Forty years later, there is a remake of “True Grit,” starring Jeff Bridges as Cogburn. Bridges is a serious actor and plays the part well. But he can’t touch Wayne.