The Cowboys (1972)

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

William Dale Jennings (novel)
Irving Ravetch (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 January 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

All they wanted was their chance to be men...and he gave it to them.

Plot:

When his cattle drivers abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a...

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Rancher | Hangover | Gold Rush | Rustling

Awards:

1 win

Cast

John Wayne	...	Wil Andersen
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Jebediah Nightlinger
Bruce Dern	...	Long Hair
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Kate
Alfred Barker Jr.	...	Fats - Cowboy
Nicolas Beauvy	...	Dan - Cowboy
Steve Benedict	...	Steve - Cowboy
Robert Carradine	...	Slim Honeycutt - Cowboy
Norman Howell	...	Weedy - Cowboy (as Norman Howell Jr.)
Stephen R. Hudis	...	Charlie Schwartz - Cowboy (as Stephen Hudis)
Sean Kelly	...	Stuttering Bob - Cowboy
A Martinez	...	Cimarron - Cowboy
Clay O'Brien	...	Hardy Fimps - Cowboy
Sam O'Brien	...	Jimmy Phillips - Cowboy
Mike Pyeatt	...	Homer Weems - Cowboy
Slim Pickens	...	Anse
Lonny Chapman	...	Homer's Father
Charles Tyner	...	Stonemason
Sarah Cunningham	...	Annie Andersen
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Ellen Price
Maggie Costain	...	Phoebe
Matt Clark	...	Smiley
Jerry Gatlin	...	Howdy
Walter Scott	...	Okay
Richard Farnsworth	...	Henry Williams (as Dick Farnsworth)
Wallace Brooks	...	Red Tucker
Charise Cullin	...	Elizabeth
Collette Poeppel	...	Rosemary (as Colette Poeppel)
Norman Howell Sr.	...	Jim's Father (as Norman Howell)
Rita Hudis	...	Charlie's Mother
Margaret Kelly	...	Bob's Mother
Larry Randles	...	Ben
Larry Finley	...	Jake
Jim Burk	...	Pete
Fred Brookfield	...	Rustler
Tap Canutt	...	Rustler
Chuck Courtney	...	Rustler
Gary Epper	...	Rustler
Tony Epper	...	Rustler
Kent Hays	...	Rustler
J.R. Randall	...	Rustler
Henry Wills	...	Rustler
Joe Yrigoyen	...	Rustler

Directed by
Mark Rydell

Writing credits
William Dale Jennings		(novel)
Irving Ravetch		(screenplay) &
Harriet Frank Jr.		(screenplay) and
William Dale Jennings		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mark Rydell	....	producer
Tim Zinnemann	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
Neil Travis

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Philip M. Jefferies		(as Philip Jefferies)

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Pat Abbott	....	hair stylist (as Patricia Abbott)
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (as Emile La Vigne)

Production Management
Nate H. Edwards	....	production manager
Dick Moder	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	second unit director (as Robert Buzz Henry)
Tim Zinnemann	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Schultz	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Kay Rose	....	sound editor
Jack Solomon	....	sound

Special Effects by
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Floyd Baze	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Fred Brookfield	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kent Hays	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
J.R. Randall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Randles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)
Casey Tibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Wyatt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Glen Bird	....	gaffer
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
Don Lambert	....	key grip
Terry Meade	....	camera operator
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Robert Swink	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Donald Harris	....	music editor

Other crew
Red Burns	....	riding instructor
Bob Forrest	....	script supervisor
Phill Norman	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Sanford Productions (III)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures A Warner Communications Company)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Cinefx  opticals

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (video rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2005) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) (cut) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Sanford Productions (III)

Trivia:

John Wayne actually pleaded with the director Mark Rydell to allow him to play Wil Anderson.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Mr. Anderson is branding the calf during roundup, he only touches the iron to the calf once even though the brand on other livestock clearly shows two distinct O's. Before he brands the calf, one can clearly see that the iron is a single O.

Quotes:

Asa Watts: You're a hard man, Mr. Andersen.
Wil Andersen: It's a hard life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Road Movie (1974)

I have watched it every year for 34 years!

The Cowboys has never gotten the attention it deserves. I saw it at age 13 when it was released and loved it. Wayne's performance is much more mature and deep than his Oscar winner as Rooster Cogburn. Roscoe Lee Browne's performance helped to dispel racial stereotypes in westerns. And Bruce Dern's riveting psychopathic role as a child abuser and back shooter brought him death threats. The Cowboys has it all. Great scenery, action, drama, solid acting and a great musical score by John Williams. Even the small parts with Slim Pickens and Colleen Dewhurst are jewels. Every teenage boy should see this film and John Wayne lovers should revisit this beautiful film.