BY LEE PFEIFFER
When John Wayne was signed by producer Hal Wallis for the role of cantankerous marshal Rooster Cogburn in the film version of Charles Portis's bestseller "True Grit", there was immediate speculation as to who would be cast as the young Texas Ranger, La Boeuf. Wayne and Wallis agreed that Elvis Presley would be an ideal choice. In fact, Wayne had approached Elvis on several occasions over the years to appear on screen with him only to have the dictatorial Colonel Parker put the kabosh on any such dream teaming. Parker always insisted that Elvis get top billing, even when it was impractical. For example, in the mid-1950s when Elvis had just emerged as a music sensation, he had the opportunity to co-star with Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn in "The Rainmaker". Yet, the Colonel insisted that Elvis get first billing despite the exalted status in the industry of Lancaster and Hepburn. The deal fell through, much to the dismay of Elvis who always wanted to stretch his acting abilities beyond the simplistic musicals that were his trademark on the big screen. Indeed, Parker told Wallis that the only way Elvis would appear in "True Grit" is if he got billing above John Wayne! Obviously, that wasn't going to happen and newly minted superstar Glen Campbell got the role opposite the Duke. He acquitted himself very well despite not having had any previous acting experience. The movie turned out to be a blockbuster that saw Wayne win the Best Actor Oscar and Campbell score a hit on the charts with the title song. Bruised by the collapse of the "True Grit" possibility, Elvis starred in his own western, "Charro!". It was his way of finally exerting independence from the Colonel. In fact, it's the only feature film in which Elvis doesn't sing on screen, though he does warble the title song. "Charro!" wasn't a bad movie, but audiences stayed away and Elvis would soon give up movies forever to concentrate on his concert and recording career, though he did star in a couple of very good feature length documentaries. As for his elusive pairing with John Wayne, the mind still reels at the possibilities that were never fulfilled.
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(This article has been corrected from an earlier version that stated "Charro!" was filmed in Europe. Reader Angel Rivera pointed out that it's a misconception that the movie was made in Europe, given the fact that it has the style of a spaghetti western. In fact, the movie was filmed entirely in the USA.)
