In THE COWBOYS, based on a popular novel, John Wayne plays aging rancher Wil Anderson who is forced to hire a group of youngsters to get his cattle to market. He also reluctantly takes on a black man (the marvelous Roscoe Lee Brown) as the cook for the upcoming cattle drive. Before they set off on the long drive, the boys are given lessons in bronco busting, roping, branding and herding. Unbeknowst to Anderson, a group of bad guys, led by Bruce Dern, follows them on the drive, intent on taking over the herd. The film, lensed in New Mexico, is incredibly photographed and staged, and the ragtag group of kids are a wonder as boys forced to become men almost overnight. The film has several very tragic moments, not the least of which is Wayne's murder about halfway through by Dern. THE COWBOYS is easily one of Wayne's best later movies, abetted by strong performances by Brown and A. Martinez and Robert Carradine as two of the young cowboys. Colleen Dewhurst, who would work with Wayne again a couple of years later, has a terrific cameo as a whorehouse madame encountered along the way.
Review of The Cowboys
