The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972)

Young farmboy who always wanted to be a cowhand talks a tough trail boss into hiring him on a cattle drive.

Director:

Dick Richards

Writers:

Dick Richards (story), Eric Bercovici (screenplay)

Stars:

Gary Grimes, Billy Green Bush, Luke Askew

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Grimes	...	Ben Mockridge
Billy Green Bush	...	Frank Culpepper (as Billy 'Green' Bush)
Luke Askew	...	Luke
Bo Hopkins	...	Dixie Brick
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Russ
Wayne Sutherlin	...	Missoula
John McLiam	...	Thorton Pierce
Matt Clark	...	Pete
Raymond Guth	...	Cook
Anthony James	...	Nathaniel
Charles Martin Smith	...	Tim Slater (as Charlie Martin Smith)
Larry Finley	...	Mr. Slater
Bob Morgan	...	Old John
Jan Burrell	...	Mrs. Mockridge
Hal Needham	...	Burgess

Storyline

Teenager Ben Mockridge feels life in a Wild West farm town has nothing better to offer than horse-cart racing with other hicks, so he naively begs cattle company owner Frank Culpepper to engage him as the youngest cowboy for a long cattle trail to a fort. His mother barely notices. Ben doesn't even seem to get it when he's told to report as 'little Mary' to the old cook, whose words, "Cowboy is something you do only if you have nothing better." gradually become clear. Instead of an exciting heroic macho life, it's endless hard work, dumb chores and embarrassment, even getting literally caught with his pants down, robbed of his horse, and witnessing unpunished crimes...

---

Plot Keywords:

coming of age | new mexico territory | cow | minister | crying | 

---

Taglines:

How Many Men Do You Have to Kill to Be the Great American Cowboy?

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Directorial debut of Dick Richards.

---

Goofs

With a single exception, all of the firearms shown and used were of 1870s or later manufacture and would not have been available to the cowboys.

---

Quotes

Ben Mockridge: I want to go with you, Mr. Culpepper. I ride real good and I can do a lot of things. I mean, I'll work at almost anything, Mr. Culpepper. I really want to go.
Frank Culpepper: Why?
Ben Mockridge: Because I want to be a cowboy more than anything, Mr. Culpepper.
Frank Culpepper: Well, that's one hell of an ambition, boy.

---

Connections

Referenced in Lovelace (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Amazing Grace
(uncredited)
Traditional
Lyrics by John Newton

User Reviews

"The only thing I like about this job is going into town, and getting out of town"

Others have summarized this film quite well. I would only add that it's unique in being the only good film I can readily remember that consists of nothing but supporting players. Not a star among 'em. Billy Bush Green, Geoffrey Lewis, Luke Askew, Bo Hopkins and many others are indelibly played, e.g., the stuttering barkeep who keeps a "genuine former virgin" in the back room; the Mexican cantina owner who keeps a rattlesnake in a jar and wins money from customers by betting they can't hold their hand against the glass when the snake strikes; the preacher who declares of the land his followers stop at as the "place God has chosen for us" until the shooting starts and he decides to move because "God was only testing us."

Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette it ain't. Catch it if you can.

Details

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 July 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

We Pointed 'Em North

Filming Locations:

Sonoita, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1