Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for The Cowboys

The Cowboys

Seen it?

1972 | 134 min | Western, Adventure, Drama, Action

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for action fans. If you loved Rio Bravo or True Grit, start here.
The mood
Exciting.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 14 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG: peril. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Made in 1972: an older pace and style.

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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 52 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.1 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $8 million worldwide on a $6 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 116K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Mark Rydell

  • John WayneWil Andersen
  • Roscoe Lee BrowneJebediah Nightlinger
  • Bruce DernLong Hair
  • Colleen DewhurstKate
  • Alfred Barker Jr.Cowboy Fats
  • Nicolas BeauvyCowboy Dan
  • Steve BenedictCowboy Steve
  • Robert CarradineCowboy Slim Honeycutt
  • Norman HowellCowboy Weedy
  • Stephen R. HudisCowboy Charlie Schwartz