The Cowboys (1972)

Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews

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

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.

• Released: 1972-01-13
• Genres: Western, Adventure, Drama, Action
• Runtime: 2h 14m
• Status: Released
• TMDB rating: 7.1/10 from 278 votes

Directed by Mark Rydell.

Top cast

• John Wayne as Wil Andersen
• Roscoe Lee Browne as Jebediah Nightlinger
• Bruce Dern as Long Hair
• Colleen Dewhurst as Kate
• Alfred Barker Jr. as Cowboy Fats
• Nicolas Beauvy as Cowboy Dan
• Steve Benedict as Cowboy Steve
• Robert Carradine as Cowboy Slim Honeycutt
• Norman Howell as Cowboy Weedy
• Stephen R. Hudis as Cowboy Charlie Schwartz

Full cast & crew

Where to watch The Cowboys

• United States: stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus, Howdy Amazon Channel; watch free on YouTube Free; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
• United Kingdom: rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store, YouTube
• India: rent on Amazon Video
• Canada: rent on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video
• Australia: rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, YouTube

Movies like The Cowboys

If you enjoyed The Cowboys, these movies have a similar feel:

• Hud (1963)
• Shane (1953)
• Red River (1948)
• The White Buffalo (1977)
• The Way West (1967)
• Dances with Wolves (1990)
• News of the World (2020)
• The Man from Laramie (1955)
• Man in the Shadow (1957)
• Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure (1995)
• El Dorado (1966)
• Silverado (1985)

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