The Cowboys (1972): cast, story & where to watch
1972 · Film · ★ 7.2
Released in 1972, The Cowboys is an action, drama, adventure and western film directed by Mark Rydell, running about 131 minutes. “All they wanted was their chance to be men... and he gave it to them.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. 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 Andersen nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.
Who’s in it. The Cowboys stars John Wayne as Wil Andersen, Roscoe Lee Browne as Jebediah Nightlinger, Bruce Dern as Long Hair and Colleen Dewhurst as Kate, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, The Cowboys has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $7.5M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Cowboys page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Cowboys tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Cowboys (1972)?
- In US, The Cowboys is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Cowboys worth watching?
- The Cowboys holds an audience score of 7.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action, drama, adventure and western. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in The Cowboys?
- The Cowboys stars John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst and Alfred Barker Jr..
- When was The Cowboys released?
- The Cowboys was released in 1972, with a runtime of about 131 minutes.