 Near the beginning of the film, Captain Spaulding tells Bill that he  took over the shop "right after The Duke nabbed Oscar," speaking  about John Wayne (I) (qv) winning the award. Later in the film,  Captain Spaulding tells Wydell "Dont get all true grit on my ass."  This is a reference to his previous comment, as  _True Grit (1969)_ (qv) was the first (and only) time John Wayne  ever won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.