‘Gritapalooza’ focused on tourism, Marshals Museum support

The Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau is having fun with the opening of the “True Grit” remake, and is hoping the fun will result in the hype from the new movie creating national attention for Fort Smith and the U.S. Marshals Museum.

“True Grit,” the novel published in 1968 and written by Charles Portis, follows Mattie Ross from Dardanelle through Fort Smith and into Oklahoma in her quest to avenge her father’s death. In Fort Smith, she convinces U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn to help her.

In the 1969 movie, John Wayne portrayed Cogburn and won an Oscar for his effort. The film cast included Strother Martin, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper.

On Dec. 22, renowned film directors Joel and Ethan Coen (think “Raising Arizona,” “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” “O’ Brother Where Art Thou” and “No Country for Old Men”) will release a remake of the movie with Jeff Bridges portraying Rooster Cogburn. The movie also includes Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.

GRITAPALOOZA
Jennifer Boulden, communications and event services manager, is coordinating with the U.S. Marshals Museum, Fort Smith National Historic Site, the Malco Theater and others to organize “Gritapalooza” events around the Dec. 22 opening.

“Hopefully, this ‘Gritapalooza’ activity will garner Fort Smith some positive media publicity, make more people from outside Fort Smith aware that this is where they should visit to see the ‘real True Grit,’ bolster future efforts to engage Hollywood in working with the Marshals Museum cause and other Fort Smith history projects, build our Fort Smith civic pride and have some fun along the way,” Boulden explained in an e-mail. “The more Fort Smith embraces and celebrates our own True Grit, the more we will stand out as a more interesting place to visit, work and live.”

Boulden said the conventional wisdom is that the first “True Grit” movie was a key driver of tourism in Fort Smith for several decades because the movie renewed an interest in the frontier justice of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Being the center of John Wayne’s Oscar-winning performance and the home of “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker helped shape the city’s tourism marketing.

Also, the first movie helped feed interest into the newly opened Fort Smith National Historic Site, Boulden reminded. The site, which features Parker’s Court and the Gallows, was created in 1960 and was formally dedicated October 1964 by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson.

Planned events include an opening night (Dec. 22) party at the Malco in Fort Smith. The party is expected to include a Rooster Cogburn and Mattie Ross lookalike contest. The day before the opening night party, Boulden and others are planning an event at the Fort Smith National Historic Site during the noon hour. That event is geared around getting as as many people to attend and put on Rooster Cogburn eyepatches and a U.S. Marshal’s badge.

“Everyone is going to be Rooster, no matter what your gender is,” Boulden said with a laugh.

GRIT POETRY
Boulden, who says people are calling her the “The Grit Girl,” also took the lead in creating a “True Gritapalooza” Facebook page. The page includes pictures submitted by Hootie St Cyr — son of Vincent St Cyr who was in the original movie — and a True Grit Haiku contest. Submissions include:

The Dude or The Duke?
John Wayne got gold for the role.
Jeff has Oscar too.

Girls raised in the south.
Butter or red-eye gravy?
Ground or hominy?

The Facebook page also includes a place for people to post their favorite movie lines. Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge Jim Spears posted that his favorite is: “That’s mighty big talk from a one-eyed fat man.”

GRIT IDEAS
Boulden said she has received numerous suggestions for other True Grit-themed events. Those ideas include:
• True Grit flash mob someplace doing something sometime. Get it on camera and YouTube it.
• True Grit sidewalk chalk art around the city to increase awareness, get people talking.
• Getting restaurants to offer free grits on a certain day, or coupons for grits later.
• Having a public True Grit themed potluck in the Pavilion (downtown Fort Smith) or with grits and other themed dishes.
• Having a Gritapalooza party at Rooster’s in downtown Fort Smith.

While the short-term goal is to capture attention for Fort Smith, Boulden said, the long-term goal is to use the publicity to work with Paramount, Jeff Bridges and others to help support the Marshals Museum and fundraising efforts.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The cost to build the 50,000-square-foot museum — including exhibit work — is estimated at $50 million. Museum officials have not released fundraising totals, but did say in November 2009 they had surpassed the $5 million level.

Boulden said she and other organizers are looking for volunteers and ideas.