The Cowboys
When his cattlemen abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a collection of young boys as his cowboys in order to get his herd to market in time to avoid financial disaster. The boys learn to do a man's job under Andersen's tutelage, however, neither he nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.
Critics Sentiment
Watts shoots and mortally wounds Andersen after fistfight
Watts gang surrounds camp and captures the cattle drive
The film swings from its lowest point during the tense standoff with Watts to its emotional peak with Andersen's shocking death.
The Cowboys builds steadily from a charming setup through effective character development, reaching its emotional and critical peak with Wayne's unexpectedly vulnerable death scene. The film concludes on a high note with the boys' transformation into men, creating a satisfying coming-of-age arc that reviewers found both moving and authentic.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 45
John Wayne
Wil Andersen
Roscoe Lee Browne
Jebediah Nightlinger
Bruce Dern
Long Hair
Colleen Dewhurst
Kate
Alfred Barker Jr.
Cowboy Fats
Nicolas Beauvy
Cowboy Dan
Steve Benedict
Cowboy Steve
Robert Carradine
Cowboy Slim Honeycutt
Norman Howell
Cowboy Weedy
Stephen R. Hudis
Cowboy Charlie Schwartz
Sean Kelly
Cowboy Stuttering Bob
A Martinez
Cowboy Cimarron
Clay O'Brien
Cowboy Hardy Fimps
Sam O'Brien
Cowboy Jimmy Phillips
Mike Pyeatt
Cowboy Homer Weems
Slim Pickens
Anse
Lonny Chapman
Homer's Father
Charles Tyner
Stonemason
Sarah Cunningham
Annie Andersen
Allyn Ann McLerie
Ellen Price
Crew
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