Wild Rovers (1971)

Tired of cow-punching for a living, two Montana cowboys rob a bank and flee but their employer's sons chase after them.

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writer:

Blake Edwards

Stars:

William Holden, Ryan O'Neal, Karl Malden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Holden	...	Ross Bodine
Ryan O'Neal	...	Frank Post
Karl Malden	...	Walter Buckman
Lynn Carlin	...	Sada Billings
Tom Skerritt	...	John Buckman
Joe Don Baker	...	Paul Buckman
James Olson	...	Joe Billings
Leora Dana	...	Nell Buckman
Moses Gunn	...	Ben
Victor French	...	Sheriff
Rachel Roberts	...	Maybell
Sam Gilman	...	Hansen
Charles H. Gray	...	Savage (as Charles Gray)
William Bryant	...	Hereford (as Bill Bryant)
Jack Garner	...	Cap Swilling

Storyline

Ross Bodine and Frank Post are cowhands on Walt Buckman's R-Bar-R ranch. Bodine is older and broods a bit about how he will get along when he's too old to cowboy. Post is young and rambunctious and ambitious for a better life than wrangling cows. When one of their fellow cowboys is killed in a corral accident, Post suggests a way into a better life for himself and his friend: robbing a bank. Bodine reluctantly joins in the plan and the two contrive to rob the local bank. They make good their escape initially, but Walt Buckman and his two sons, John and Paul, are incensed at this betrayal by their own trusted employees. John and Paul set out to bring Bodine and Post to justice.

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Plot Keywords:

bank robbery | card game | u.s. mexico border | friendship between men | bar fight | 

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Taglines:

They were damned good cowboys, until they robbed a bank.

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Ross and Frank break in a mustang was actually mostly real. Blake Edwards wanted the action to be as believable as possible so he had them train as horse wranglers in Iceland for five weeks before filming. At one point you can see a dark patch where William Holden later admitted to having wet himself 'just a little bit'.

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Quotes

Frank Post: How old are you?
Ross Bodine: I'll be 46 in July. I'll be 50 in July.
Frank Post: Oh, my God. Do you realize in 25 years I'll be just like you?
Ross Bodine: What's wrong with that?

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Alternate Versions

Originally released theatrically at 106 minutes; the extended "Director's Cut" runs 136 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in Lady Liberty (1971)

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Soundtracks

Wild Rover
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by Ernie Sheldon
Sung by Sheb Wooley

User Reviews

2 out of 5 action rating

Skip it – There are a lot of positives that make this a unique western that's worth a watch. There's good dialogue, a rousing musical score, beautiful cinematography, and a great acting job by William Holden. Unfortunately, this is more of a buddy movie than a good old-fashioned western. I've even heard some comparisons drawn to "Brokeback Mountain," although I personally would disagree. The story is about two ranch hands who decide on a whim to rob a bank, and the chain of events that unfold as a result. It is part "Sundowners" and part "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The two men are an unlikely pair, but they become close friends as a result of their desperate situation. The first half of the movie feels like a comedy. The second half gets a lot better, with a couple gunfights and some Peckinpah-esque slow motion violence. Unfortunately, this western is too long and just too sluggish to keep an action buff entertained. But I believe that it is good enough to be considered a classic. 2 action rating

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dos hombres contra el Oeste

Filming Locations:

Empire Ranch, Sonoita, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$277,092

Company Credits

Production Co:

Geoffrey Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min 106 min (original U.S. theatrical release)

Sound Mix:

Mono 6-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1