Cowboys, The

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

In one of John Wayne's more interesting late Westerns, "The Duke" plays Will Anderson, a crusty veteran cattleman preparing a 400-mile drive to get a herd of steers to market. Shortly before the trip is scheduled to begin, Will's crew quits when they get word of a nearby gold strike. With little time and few alternatives, Will recruits eleven boys, ages nine through 13, and teaches them the basics of herding cattle and riding the range. Bruce Dern plays a memorably foul villain and cattle rustler named Long Hair, while Roscoe Lee Browne portrays Jebediah, the cattle drive cook, and Colleen Dewhurst is Kate, a madam. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Features:
  • Includes collectible behind-the-scenes photo set
  • Commentary by director Mark Rydell
  • New cast/director reunion featurette The Cowboys: Together Again
  • Vintage featurette The Breaking of Boys and the Making of Men
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Subtitles: English & Francais (feature film only)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       John Wayne - Wil Anderson
       Roscoe Lee Browne - Jebediah Nightlinger
       Bruce Dern - Asa Watts ("Long Hair")
       Colleen Dewhurst - Kate
       Slim Pickens - Anse
       Lonny Chapman - Preacher
       Charles Tyner - Jenkins
       Margaret Kelly - Stuttering Bob's mother
       Steve Benedict - Steve
       Kent Hays - Stunts
       Matt Clark - Smiley
       Mike Pyeatt - Homer Weems
       Robert Carradine - Slim Honeycutt
       A. Martinez - Cimarron
       Jerry Gatlin - Howdy
       Sarah Cunningham - Annie Andersen
       Walter Scott - Okay
       Nicolas Beauvy - Four Eyes
       Richard Farnsworth - Henry Williams
       Joe Yrigoyen - Stunts
       Sam O'Brien - Jimmy Phillips
       Jim Burk - Pete
       Stephen R. Hudis - Charlie Schwartz
       Larry Finley - Jake
       Chuck Courtney - Stunts
       Clay O'Brien - Hardy Fimps
       Larry Randles - Ben
       Alfred Barker, Jr. - Singing Fats
       Henry Wills - Stunts
       Tap Canutt - Stunts
       Norman Howell, Jr. - Weedy
       Gary Epper - Stunts
       Sean Kelly - Stuttering Bob
       Allyn Ann McLerie - Ellen Price

• Director:

  Mark Rydell

• Producer:

  Mark Rydell

• Screenwriter:

  Harriet Frank, Jr., Irving Ravetch, William Dale Jennings

• Book Author:

  William Dale Jennings

• Cinematographer:

  Robert Surtees

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Williams

• Editor:

  Robert Swink, Neil Travis

• Production Designer:

  Philip M. Jefferies

• Associate Producer:

  Tim Zinnemann

• Set Designer:

  William Kiernan

• Costume Designer:

  Anthea Sylbert

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Jack Solomon, Richard Portman

• First Assistant Director:

  Tim Zinnemann

• Second Unit Director:

  Robert Henry

• Sound Editor:

  Kay Rose

REVIEW:

• This unforgettable combination of adventure story and coming-of-age tale is a cult favorite with John Wayne fans and it's easy to see why: The Cowboys is great American filmmaking, pure and simple. The script takes its time to develop rich characters and set up themes that pay off memorably in the film's second half. Director Mark Rydell handles the story in an understated, thoughtful manner that makes its dramatic peaks truly effective. Western fans will be happy to know that when it comes time to deliver a bit of action, Rydell gives it just the right amount of punch without overdoing it. His work is aided immensely by a sweeping, Copeland-esque musical score by John Williams and gorgeous scope photography from Robert Surtees: both do an excellent job of enhancing the film's rich feel of vintage Americana. The final, crucial pieces of the puzzle are the performances and they are magnificent: John Wayne carries the film on his mighty shoulders, delivering all the presence one would expect while also tempering it with a sense of vulnerability that only enhances his heroic appeal. Elsewhere, Roscoe Lee Browne makes an excellent (and equally charismatic foil) to Wayne as the drive's resident cook and Bruce Dern makes a genuinely unnerving villain for Wayne to square off with. It's also worth noting that the child actors playing the cattle drivers all do strong, subtle work, managing to be likeable without ever getting cutesy or maudlin (it's no surprise that young stars Robert Carradine and A Martinez graduated from this film to lengthy acting careers). In short, The Cowboys is a great Western and stand proudly alongside True Grit and The Shootist as the best of John Wayne's latter-day work. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi