Cowboy (1958)

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers (WGA):

Frank Harris (book) and
Edmund H. North (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

26 March 1958 (Japan)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

THE REAL, TRUE STORY OF THE WEST! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Chicago hotel clerk Frank Harris dreams of life as a cowboy, and he gets his chance when, jilted by the father of the woman he loves...

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Cattle | Male In Bathtub | Gun | Shooting

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Tom Reese
Jack Lemmon	...	Frank Harris
Anna Kashfi	...	Maria Vidal / Arriega
Brian Donlevy	...	Doc Bender, Trailhand
Dick York	...	Charlie, Trailhand
Víctor Manuel Mendoza	...	Paco Mendoza, Ramrod
Richard Jaeckel	...	Paul Curtis
King Donovan	...	Joe Capper, Trailhand
Vaughn Taylor	...	Mr. Fowler, Chicago Hotel Manager
Donald Randolph	...	Senor Vidal, Maria's Father
James Westerfield	...	Mike Adams
Eugene Iglesias	...	Don Manuel Arriega
Frank DeKova	...	Alcaide (as Frank de Kova)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russ Bender	...	Joe (uncredited)
John L. Blaustein	...	Peon Boy (uncredited)
Joan Bradshaw	...	Reece's Girl (uncredited)
Don Carlos	...	Jose (uncredited)
John L. Cason	...	Trailhand (uncredited)
Amapola Del Vando	...	Aunt (uncredited)
Bill Hale	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	Slim Barrett (uncredited)
Pat Kenaston	...	Daughter (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
William Leslie	...	Tucker (uncredited)
Strother Martin	...	Cowhand Bitten by Snake (uncredited)
Paul McGuire	...	Businessman (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Cattle Buyer (uncredited)
Rafael Mendez	...	Trumpeter in Cantina (uncredited)
Bek Nelson	...	Charlie's Girl (uncredited)
Don Reardon	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Juli Reding	...	Reece's Girl (uncredited)
Gloria Rhoads	...	Rosa (uncredited)
Leoda Richards	...	Older Woman at Hotel Desk (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Reece's Girl (uncredited)
Russell Thorson	...	Cattle Buyer (uncredited)
Gloria Victor	...	Reece's Girl (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman	...	Cattle Buyer (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Peggy, Trailhand-Cook (uncredited)

Directed by
Delmer Daves

Writing credits (WGA)
Frank Harris		(book "My Reminiscences as a Cowboy")
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay) originally uncredited and
Edmund H. North		(screenplay)

Produced by
Julian Blaustein	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Al Clark
William A. Lyon

Art Direction by
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
James Crowe		(as James M. Crowe)
William Kiernan

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)
J.S. Westmoreland	....	sound (as Josh Westmoreland)

Stunts
John L. Cason	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Cory	....	second unit photography

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Rafael Mendez	....	musician: trumpets, "Cantina" scene (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Henri Jaffa	....	Technicolor color consultant

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (as Columbia Pictures)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (2002) | West Germany:12 (nf) | UK:U (tv rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #18818) | UK:U (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Lawton, Oklahoma, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While Don Manuel Arriega and Tom Reese are attempting to place the ring on the bull's horns, it is obvious the horns, which bend and flop, are made of rubber.

Quotes:

Tom Reese:If you had anything inside you worth saving, I'd beat you until you couldn't stand up. But it wouldn't do any good because you'll never learn. You haven't gotten tougher... you've gotten miserable!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Dennis the Menace: Dennis Goes to the Movies (#1.1)" (1959)

A Good Realistic Western

As one of the other reviewers pointed out, this whole film is based on a few lines of an autobiography where the protagonist Frank Harris joins a group of cattle RUSTLERS for a spell. So in fact that as tough as Glenn Ford and his crew are, at least they're on the right side of the law.

Also Frank Harris is probably best known for the first definitive life of Oscar Wilde. And Harris like Wilde was born in Ireland. Might have been nice if Jack Lemmon had played him with a brogue.

Another reviewer pointed out that Jack Lemmon did not fit into the western film. True enough, but in fact this is the story of a tenderfoot who goes on a cattle drive and has quite the adventure.

Still and all Cowboy is a pretty good realistic western about life on a cattle drive. These drovers aren't any kind of heroic, but they do the job that has to be done. Jack Lemmon's ideas about cowboys are taken from the dime novels of the period. He gets rid of his romantic notions, but fast.

Among the supporting cast Brian Donlevy comes off best as the world weary former town marshal who joins the drive to get away from his job and meets a tragic end.

Cowboy came out in 1958 which was the height of Glenn Ford's career. Ford did some of the best westerns of the 1950s and Cowboy ranks right up there.