The most interesting thing to me about this Western was the not so flattering portrayal of the cowhands involved. Not a buddy-buddy bunch of guys riding the lone prairie, but a dog eat dog if-it-don't-concern-me-personally-then-I-don't-want-to-hear-about-it sort of existence. I haven't read the (autobiographical) book on which the movie was based, but it's easy to see that this perspective was taken from it because it rings true to human nature. The rattlesnake episode was disturbing (for a 1958 film) because the initiator of the 'prank' was left entirely unpunished (and he even tries to steal the dead man's boots, for crying out loud!) These guys were some sorry specimens, but maybe that's what weeks in the saddle tending cattle in the heat and dust and rain does to people. It must have hardened a man to just the degree that was shown in this worthwhile, offbeat film.
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bushrod5616 February 2005
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Frank Harris was a hotel clerk who had always dreamed of becoming a ranch hand. When circumstances provided him with an opportunity, he did just that. The movie which is based on his real life exploit is called " Cowboy." In it Jack Lemmon plays Harris who buys a partnership with Cattle boss Tom Reese (Glen Ford) and is reluctantly hired on as a tenderfoot cowboy. Directed by Delmer Daves, Harris encounters all the hardships warn him by Tom Reese. What he further learns is the hard lessons concerning life and death on the trail. Reese is a hard brand who bestows the harsh lessons on his apprentice to such a degree, that what he develops into, is a replica of an uncaring, unsympathetic tough as leather trail hand. From an audience point of view, Ford fits comfortable in his role, but Lemmon seems a bit out of his element. Still, it's fun to watch as both men work to ply their craft. A good film with the addition of experienced cast members, like Brian Donlevy and Dick York. Recommended to Ford and Lemmon fans. ***
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Circumstances force a tough trail boss (Ford) to take on a former hotel bellboy (Lemmon) as his partner in a trail drive, on condition that Lemmon can go along on the drive. Along the way he finds out that a cowboy's life isn't as glamorous or romantic as he thought it would be, and a whole lot more dangerous besides. This is a vastly entertaining film, mainly because Lemmon and Ford work so well together. Lemmon knew exactly how far to go in showing boyish enthusiasm and excitement without making it seem childish or juvenile, and he stays right on that fine line here. Ford's character is a weary cattleman who's seen and done it all, and knows what Lemmon is in for, tries to tell him and gets annoyed when he won't listen, and the two complement each other perfectly. A top-notch supporting cast helps things immensely, and Delmer Daves' directs smoothly, interspersing drama and humor in just the right amounts. A very, very enjoyable film.
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rontaube4 July 2002I think that this is one of Glenn Ford's best performances. He plays against type cast as a tough rancher with not much heart. Jack Lemmon provides the heart for the film. The film is realistic in it's portrayal of western life in the ninteenth century and is based on the Writer Frank Harris's real story. Frank Harris was a hotel clerk who wanted to be a cowboy so bad that he gave his own money to buy a piece of the stock from Glen Ford's ranch with the condition that he could ride the trail. Glen Ford loses his money gambling and has to take Harris(Lemmon's) deal in order to buy more cattle. Along the trail Lemmon finds the work hard and the men that he associates with harder. Harris becomes tough but learns a lesson and in the end teaches something to Glen Ford along the way. The only problem with the dvd version is that it is in pan and scan format and it should be in wide screen as this is an epic western that needs the wide screen. I recommend that the viewer who really wants to see this in widescreen request it on turner classic movies as that is the only place where you can see it that way. Enjoy this movie any way you can see it however. It is like a good novel.
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ma-cortes31 December 2011Formidable Western full of action , ironic touches , fascinating drama , Mexican fiesta , cattle round-up , romantic episodes and fabulous performances . Fine and classic Western by Delmer Daves with a magnificent Jack Lemmon and a restrained Glenn Ford . It's a wonderful adventure film format "western" itinerant, full of amusing events , danger and life lessons . In the 1870s a Chicago hotel clerk named Frank Harris (a notoriously mendacious Jack Lemmon in his usual role ) dreams of life as a cowboy , and the tenderfoot gets his opportunity when , jilted by the dad of the girl (Anna Kashfi) he wishes , he unites forces with Tom Reece (Glenn Ford) and his cattle-driving team (Dick York , Richard Jaeckel and Brian Donlevy) . Soon after, though, the ex-clerk finds out existence on the range is neither what he expected nor what he's been wishing . The brave clerk agrees to covenant with Tom a 2.000 mile cattle drive from Chicago until arrive their destination in the Rio Grande , overcoming several risks , avoiding Indian attacks , cattle stampede and several other things .
This first-rate Western draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as adventure and action . Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate clerk and an expert cowboy . Interesting and likable screenplay based on own reminiscences by novelist Frank Harris and well adapted by the notorious Edmund H. North and the black-listed Dalton Trumbo . Delmer Daves does a good work , an energetic and exciting movie , pitting two antagonist characters against the rugged toughness forced a vast natural environment throughout the trail . Highlight the exemplary value of the landscape as essential dramatic figure, and the narrative takes a brisk pace but not fast, a dash dense but not cumbersome. Glenn Ford as stern boss does an excellent interpretation along with a great cast that appears beautiful Anna Kashfi and other nice secondaries as Dick York , Richard Jaeckel and special appearance by veteran Brian Donlevy. Striking cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr who reflects masterfully the spectacular outdoors . Atmospheric and stirring musical score by George Duning , well conducted by habitual Morris Stoloff . The motion picture is well directed by Delmer Daves - including his characteristic use of landscape- , a Western expert as proved in ¨The hanging tree¨ , ¨3:10 to Yuma¨, ¨The last wagon¨, Jubal , ¨Drum beat¨, ¨Return of the Texan¨, and the notorious ¨Broken arrow¨ . And of course ¨Cowboy¨ that turns out to be stylish, fast paced , solid, meticulous and with enjoyable look . This well acted movie is gripping every step of the way . An unjustly forgotten film results to be a good western and remains consistently agreeable . Rating : Above average , worthwhile watching . -
rmax30482320 April 2014I don't know what I'll do if they ever come out with another Western that demythologizes the American myth. Hang myself in the barn, like old Doc Bender, I guess.
It all seems to have begun around 1950. Gregory Peck was seen with a funky haircut in "The Gunfighter" -- and a MUSTACHE, and him the hero. And then Shane teaches little Joey about guns. "One's all you need if you know how to use it." After that they got frankly pedagogical, as when Henry Fonda teaches Tony Perkins how to draw a gun in "The Tin Star." And it wound up, at last count, with John Wayne giving a shooting lesson to Ron Howard in "The Shootist," the point being that it's not how fast you draw but how unflappable you are. Well, I suppose Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" was touched by this didacticism too. But actually Tom Gries' "Will Penny" did a better job without being the least superior about it. Sorry. Had to get that off my chest. The urge to teach is a common human failing.
In this movie, Frank Harris chips in to buy a herd of cattle in Mexico and drive them to a rail stop where the cows will be shipped to Chicago. Harris was a real figure -- a writer of outlandish tales full of outlandish lies, and his ears were, well, outlandish. He's best known for his sexually explicit "My Life and Loves." Jack Lemon gives us a Frank Harris who is sensitive and humane. He's never been on the trail before and his head is full of romantic nonsense about being a cowboy. Well, the Stud Duck, Glenn Ford, does to him what Sergeant John Wayne does to rookie Marines. Man, does Ford shape up Lemon. There is no sentimentality or solidarity in the trail riders. They mind their own business. If one of their number puts himself in a position to be killed, that's his own business. Philosophically they're libertarians in chaps, and Ford is the toughest of them all.
But when Ford is disabled while saving Lemon's life, Lemon take over and by now he's learned to be as pitiless as Ford was. At the same time, Ford has learned from Lemon that no man is an island. Their roles are the reverse of what they were at the beginning. Angie Dickenson is hardly there, alas, because she looks as compelling as ever. Anna Kashfi makes a good Mexican Señora.
The most exciting scene takes place in a Mexican bar. You will notice a man playing a solo riff on a trumpet. The man is Rafael Mendez who was a virtuoso and was known internationally for some astounding renderings of popular, folk, and classical trumpet music. He played in multiple genres with ease, like Wynton Marsalis. He composed too. -
jacobs-greenwood16 December 2016Directed by Delmer Daves, and adapted from Frank Harris's book My Reminiscences as a Cowboy by Dalton Trumbo and Edmund North, this Western is worth a look despite the odd casting which includes Jack Lemmon in the title role as Harris, and Dick York as a womanizing trail hand named Charlie.
Glenn Ford is hardly out of place as the hard nosed cattle drive master, Tom Reese. Marlon Brando's wife Anna Kashfi plays Maria Vidal, the Mexican woman who's the object of Harris's affections; Donald Randolph plays her disapproving father Senor Vidal. Brian Donlevy plays a stereotypical quick draw lawman, Doc Bender, who joins the cattle drive as a trail hand because he's tired of everyone gunning for him. Victor Manuel Mendoza plays Reese's dependable right hand man Paco, aka Ramrod. World War II film veteran Richard Jaeckel plays Paul Curtis, another trail hand whose careless act with a rattlesnake leads to the death of a wagon driver, played by an uncredited Strother Martin. King Donovan plays another veteran trail hand, Joe Capper. William Lyon and Al Clark earned an Academy Award nomination for Editing.
At the end of a long cattle drive, Tom Reese (Ford) and his crew descend upon a Chicago hotel whose manager, Mr. Fowler (Vaughn Taylor) is prepared for them. He informs his newest employee, Frank Harris (Lemmon), that everyone on the second floor of the hotel must be relocated for Reese and company. Frank is reluctant to do this because he's fallen in love with one of the occupants in a suite on that floor, Maria Vidal (Kashfi), daughter of Senor Vidal (Randolph). However, Frank had expressed his affections for Maria in a poem and her father had intercepted it. Wanting none of these entrapments for his daughter, Senor Vidal decides that they must leave anyway. On the way out of the hotel, cattleman Vidal greets his former acquaintance Tom Reese, and the two tentatively agree to a future business arrangement. Reese is used to getting what he wants from his men and with his money, and is impatient with anything but the very best service from the hotel's employees. While his men party the night away, Reese gambles away so much of his money that he excuses himself at the poker table in order to pay his hotel bill, before he's completely busted. Frank, who'd earlier expressed his grandiose ideas about becoming a cowboy to Reese but had been "shot down", finds himself in the enviable position of being able to stake Reese's comeback in the poker game. Reese, desperate to get back in the game, agrees to let Frank come along on their next trip. However, as he and his men prepare to leave early the next day, Reese is upset that Frank catches up with them, insisting that he's a partner on their drive from Mexico and Senor Vidal's ranch. Since he'd given Frank his word (e.g. his bond!), Reese permits the greenhorn to join them, but it's obvious that he's going to make it tough going for the young man.
The rest of the film deals with the complex relationships between the men and their master, Reese, as well as the evolving relationship between he and Frank, which by the end becomes one of mutual respect. Though the men work as a team by day, they are individuals who are free to get themselves into, and out of, trouble by themselves at night. At first, Frank does not understand the code, particularly when Curtis's careless act causes the wagon driver's death. But after they get to Guadalupe and Senor Vidal's ranch, where he finds that Maria has been forced into a marriage with Don Manuel Mendoza (Eugene Iglesias), Frank adopts Reese's hard attitude with a vengeance. On the drive, when Reese is injured, Frank becomes the hard nosed, seemingly unfeeling, cattle drive master. In a sense, the character of Maria is a Hitchcock-like McGuffin because the meat of the story (if you'll pardon the pun) is the cattle drive and the type of men one finds on it. -
Cowboy (1958)
This is a strange film, and strange films are always worth a look. It's a little slow--a good half hour could have been taken out here and there--but if you forget about what a cowboy roundup Western is supposed to be and just let this unfold, you'll be at least curious, maybe even sucked in.
The director, Delmar Daves, has a couple of distinctive, almost great films to his name, "Dark Passage"and "An Affair to Remember," but both of those are flawed by some awkward sense of timing, of playing out the cards quite right, and you can feel that here. But hey, Jack Lemmon as a cowboy? You bet--and it's not a comedy? Well, it is comic, for sure, a strange farce, and its exaggerations are worth the look, verging on the cusp of camp, or parody.
Brian Donlevy and lead man Glenn Ford are totally serious, though, and Ford especially (as the main character) gives the film depth. There are fistfights and bucking broncos and stern men drinking stern whiskey, and through it all there remains a slightly baffled Jack Lemmon. There are strange moments, like when one cowboy is rubbing whiskey and salt into Lemmon's behind, and another scene where they throw a rattlesnake around just for fun, a man dying as a result.
You'd think this slightly weird stuff would throw you out of the movie, but it has the effect of making the people more real, and the events more palpable. The second half of the movie becomes increasingly normal and serious.
So what holds it back? It goes partly back to the director, I think, and his editor, making the thing just a hair awkward at times. Throw in the good but routine music and photography, as well as a story that lacks finesse, and you get this odd and not quite satisfying affair. -
After literally thousands of pictures from the beginning of the genre in the silent era, someone actually had the clever idea of naming a Western simply "Cowboy". When I first read the synopsis of the story for the Encore Western Channel, I didn't think it would hold up very well with the casting of Jack Lemmon as a wanna be saddle tramp. I was thinking along the lines of say, "City Slickers", but you know what, this didn't turn out to be too bad. Lemmon's character Frank Harris actually toughs it out to become part of Glenn Ford's cattle drive to Mexico, even if his ulterior motive was to track down the pretty Mexican senorita he had fallen in love with as a hotel clerk back in Chicago. In fact, he goes all the way over the top to become an even tougher cowhand than his boss Tom Reese (Ford), probably not a real life expectation, but one that works in developing the characters for the film. By the time it's over, Harris may not have won back his girl, but comes to realize he's discovered a larger part of himself.
I had a little trouble though reconciling the actions of trail boss Reese following the Strother Martin snake bite incident. I don't think that's how Eric Fleming might have handled the situation on "Rawhide". You would think Reese would have held a more practical approach to disciplining Richard Jaeckel's Curtis, like maybe offering him the business end of his firearm. And holy cow!!!, what was with that Mexican village rooster roundup! I have NEVER seen anything like that in any kind of picture. Probably one of the more insidious treatments of animals to arouse the PETA folks in their crusade against animal cruelty in film.
Say, how quickly does a broken arm mend anyway? It seems to me that when trail hand Charlie (Dick York) rejoined the herd after the off screen altercation with the Mexicans, he returned with a broken left arm, but in only a day or two it seems like he's good as new! Must have been the clean fresh air!
Anyway, those few quibbles aside, the film plays it pretty straight as a gritty Western adventure. Even Lemmon's one scene that was probably meant to be comedic aboard the bucking bronco through camp played out fairly seriously. Say, did you consider how Harris ever became such a good shot with a pistol? You know, the hotel should really do something about those cockroaches. -
wamsies8 February 2005I found this movie to be excellent. I think it did not find an audience because of its dark tone. It explores the concept of death in a unique way for a western. The light comedy interspersed was a nice relief. Definitely worth watching for any western fans. Glenn Ford was magnificent. Jack Lemmon, while showing his flair for comedy, was subtly profound. The movie itself is profound in a subtle way. We can relate to Lemmon's character easily-stuck in a boring job and wishing for something more. Finding something more however, doesn't bring the joy he thought it would. He changes and grows;his relationship with Ford is terrific. This is not a western that glorifies the life of the cowboy. Rather, you see the grim, hard life that tries to suck the sweetness of man out of him.
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rupie24 March 2014I find this movie neither as wonderful as its advocates say, nor as lousy as its detractors maintain. This is a decent, well-made Western with a good story line that keeps you involved. It is rather episodic, the story line lacking a smooth continuity. And there are some weaknesses in the relationships among the characters. As one viewer said, the love relationship between Lemmon's character and the Mexican girl is not really credible. Also, the hostility between Tom and Frank is a bit too intense for us to accept their eventual bonding. And the ending seems rather contrived and abrupt. But the action propels the movie along, and the western scenery is beautifully filmed. I think Glenn Ford's presence really carries the movie. I don't think his work gets the credit it deserves; he was a truly great actor. This is no "My Darling Clementine" or "Red River" but it's entertaining enough. A footnote: the character "Frank Harris" is the name of the screenwriter, who was the author of the scandalous book "My Life and Loves." Who knew?! That book, when I was growing up, was kept hidden by my father in the house along with Lady Chatterly's Lover, Peyton Place and other raunch of the day. Evidently the Welshman actually spent some time working as a cowboy, so the movie is partly autobiographical.
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bkoganbing20 June 2005As one of the other reviewers pointed out, this whole film is based on a few lines of an autobiography where the protagonist Frank Harris joins a group of cattle RUSTLERS for a spell. So in fact that as tough as Glenn Ford and his crew are, at least they're on the right side of the law.
Also Frank Harris is probably best known for the first definitive life of Oscar Wilde. And Harris like Wilde was born in Ireland. Might have been nice if Jack Lemmon had played him with a brogue.
Another reviewer pointed out that Jack Lemmon did not fit into the western film. True enough, but in fact this is the story of a tenderfoot who goes on a cattle drive and has quite the adventure.
Still and all Cowboy is a pretty good realistic western about life on a cattle drive. These drovers aren't any kind of heroic, but they do the job that has to be done. Jack Lemmon's ideas about cowboys are taken from the dime novels of the period. He gets rid of his romantic notions, but fast.
Among the supporting cast Brian Donlevy comes off best as the world weary former town marshal who joins the drive to get away from his job and meets a tragic end.
Cowboy came out in 1958 which was the height of Glenn Ford's career. Ford did some of the best westerns of the 1950s and Cowboy ranks right up there. -
Not high drama or deep, meaningful material here, but still a good bit of fun with an excellent cast who seemed to have fun while making it. Somewhat reminiscent of John Wayne's fabulous movie of a similar name (THE COWBOYS, if I recall right), and CITY SLICKERS, this tale of a tenderfoot who rapidly turns into a hardened trail hand would have flopped with a lesser cast, but Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon rip on through at a nice pace with a nice group of supporting players: Strother Martin, Brian Donlevy, Dick York and a number of other familiar faces. Don't rush out to pay rental money on this one, particularly, but it's certainly no waste of time on cable.
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punishmentpark7 February 2015I don't know what it is exactly, but in 'Cowboy' some elements just don't agree with me. First of all, the soundtrack: it sounds sort of jolly to me, too jolly (luckily it was absent some of the time), when the film obviously wants to be a little darker than usual. Just like Tom shooting bugs in the bathroom; it feels over the top. I read a review here by a real rider for the cattle association (donkrahn) who stated that this film is realistic, and as far as some characters go, I could believe that, but to me the dramatic side of the film was at times undermined by misplaced comedic elements (the jolly music, shooting bugs, learning to ride a horse) and a rather poor 'development' of the characters; the ending with Frank in the bath next to Tom shooting a bug and both of them laughing it up was particularly awkward.
The relationship between Tom and Frank seemed at times realistic enough, but there were plenty of (too) contrived moments, for instance when they take their time to shoot the breeze while being in a wagon full of wild cattle, and their randomly being an asshole when the other one is the nice guy and vice versa. I'm not sure how I feel about Lemmon in this role. He had his moments, but I couldn't get convinced of him being a hardened cowboy.
And, finally, the scene of the horse being attacked by the red-horned bull was just off-putting. Kudos to Tom for facing it without one.
All in all, I liked where it was trying to go at times, but it never really got there; 5 out of 10. -
esmorr19 June 2010This is quite a good western. It's not a John Wayne style western, with the big hero triumphant over some nasty adversary etc., or some hired gunman coming into town to do a clean-up job for an aggrieved widow, but it's a more serious type of western picture, telling a true story of cowboy life. I saw that it was due to come on TV, and I ran a tape over it, even though I had never seen nor heard of it before. I was intrigued that Jack Lemmon would be in a cowboy picture, and I just couldn't envisage him in that genre. I guess that I'm too used to seeing him in comedic roles. Well, for the first half of the movie I watched him, and I kept seeing Jack Lemmon the comic, even though he was portraying a serious cowboy. However, after I got engrossed in the story a bit, I realised that Mr Lemmon was really doing a good job, and I stopped seeing the comic Lemmon, and saw instead the cowboy which he had suddenly become. I must say that he impressed me greatly with his portrayal, and I admire his versatility even more now.
Glenn Ford does a great job too, as always, but we have seen him in roles like this before. He and Jack bounce their portrayals off each other with wonderful effect, and they work extremely well together.
I was also surprised to see Dick York pop up as one of the cowhands, and he makes a really good job of it too. Look out also for Strother Martin and Richard Jaeckel.
I think that this picture is a surprise package in several ways, and well worth watching. It is an enjoyable true story, with great scenery, and good acting from a great collection of stars. It is a must-see for any western buff. 8/10. -
vincentlynch-moonoi22 August 2021Having grown up in the 1950s when Westerns were all the rage, it's rare nowadays that I can stomach to watch one. Once in a while. If it's different. And that's what makes this Western watchable. It's different enough to hold your interest.
First of all -- Jack Lemmon as a cowboy? Well, yes, because here he plays a tenderfoot that isn't quite as tender as he first appears to be.
Second -- how often do you see Glenn Ford play, essentially, the bad guy? He's not a true villain here, but it's not easy to like his character in this film. I'm a little surprised he took the role.
One thing that doesn't quite work is Dick York as a cowboy. And Brian Donlevy has a realtively minor role here...quite a step down from his second-tier status earlier in his career.
I can't say, but I felt maybe this film gave a little better idea of what a cattle drive was really like in that era.
The one failure of the film, at least from my perspective, is the very ending. Not what I wanted to see, and not a very rewarding ending. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see the range of films that director Delmer Daves made is his career, from "Cowboy" in 1958 to "Parrish" in 1961.
Worth a look see. -
An unusual change-of-pace for Jack Lemmon, excellent as always portraying a hotel clerk in Chicago who invests $3800 in a struggling cattleman's next herd; he hits the trail with the cowboys as a partner and tenderfoot, though rough-hewn cattle-boss Glenn Ford has his doubts. Frank Harris' autobiographical book "My Reminiscences as a Cowboy" becomes a forthright dramatic film about responsibility and endurance, with Lemmon going through the rigors of boot camp--with cowboy boots. Ford works surprisingly well with Lemmon, and when these two--at odds from the start--stare each other down under the cloudy open skies, the tension in their familiarity seems arrived at honestly. Delmer Daves directed, with little sentiment, and the supporting cast of salty old pros is solid. Refreshing for the genre, and exceptionally well-made. *** from ****
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jromanbaker22 February 2023I am not a great fan of Delmer Daves's westerns, and the only one I watch occasionally is ' 3:10 To Yuma. ' In ' Cowboy ' Jack Lemmon plays a young man turned down in love who turns to a cattle drive led by Glenn Ford. He learns the hard way from working in civil life to the wild of the west and the casual brutalities that he has to witness there. I do not want to give spoilers, but the animals did not seem to like the film either. There is black humour in killing cockroaches while having a bath in hotel rooms and no humour at all in seeing a man painfully and pitifully dying of a snake bite, which is also a killing game gone wrong. Glenn Ford walked through the role and the other characters lacked definition. The filming though is excellent, and the music too brash and to some it could be counted as a masterpiece western, and it has been praised by top critics of the cinema. I may not have been in the mood for it so I will give it a 7 and somehow I do not think I will watch it again, but who knows ?
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This is one of these weird movies you just need to watch and ignore that you really can't believe anything you see. After all, the film, when you think about it, makes very little sense. But, it is quite unusual and entertaining--something not often seen in this genre. So, overall, it's worth seeing.
The film begins in Chicago. A mild-mannered guy (Jack Lemmon) is working at a hotel when a group of rough cowboys checks in to the place. Despite being VERY different from these rough guys, Lemmon begs the cowboy's boss (Glenn Ford) to take him on the cattle drive. This is because Lemmon is infatuated with a girl and if he travels with the cattle drive, he can see the lady on the way. Reluctantly, Ford agrees and it's soon very obvious that this city boy is way out of his element. Ford is tough and uncaring--and Lemmon is appalled by this lack of humanity. However, through the course of the film, Ford relaxes a bit and learns from Lemmon and Lemmon becomes a nasty guy--much like Ford. This conversion really was VERY tough to believe, but the plot was different.
I think Lemmon was wrong for the part. While you could believe him as a city boy, seeing him as a rough and tumble cowboy later in the film never convinced me--and was pretty funny. This change was formula--but not believable. Still, as I said above, the film was different--and I love a western that is not just another carbon copy of the last.
By the way, although in a MUCH smaller role, it also seemed silly to have Dick York (the first Darren from "Bewitched") playing one of the cowboys! This, too, didn't work. -
damianphelps8 January 2021Can the 'dude' cut the mustard and become a fully functional Cowboy? That is the question of the film. The old dog reluctantly teaching the new dog and all the consequences, good or bad.
This is a pretty good western with character growth at the core of the film. Most of the dramatic/action scenes play out pretty well minus 5 to 10 minutes of Mexican 'games' that just don't seem to really fit the movie.
Good use of the score to support the energy of the movie and some really interesting concepts delivered with nice dialogue and acting performances.
If I managed the hotel I would probably invest in bug spray...you will see what I mean!! -
hitchcockthelegend12 April 2013Cowboy is directed by Delmer Daves and adapted to screenplay by Edmund H. North and Dalton Trumbo from Frank Harris' book My Reminiscences as a Cowboy. It stars Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon, Víctor Manuel Mendoza, Anna Kashfi, Dick York, King Donovan, Brian Donlevy and Richard Jaeckel. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by Charles Lawton Junior.
Based on Frank Harris' memoir, the story finds Lemmon as Harris, a Chicago hotel clerk who in an attempt to prove he is a man and impress the girl he loves, wrangles his way onto a cattle drive being led by rough and tough cowpoke Tom Reece (Ford). He soon finds that out there on the range, in amongst the dust, beef and perils of the west, that life is far from glamorous.
Once you buy into Lemmon as a Western character, accepting his transference from utter greenhorn into a man of the drive, it really becomes a very good film. It's a sort of debunking of the cowpoke myths whilst playing out as a character study of two men, who are polar opposites, as they build an understanding and ultimately help each other to grow and learn. Along the way, from Chicago to the Rio Grande, there is fights, death, stampedes and tests of loyalties and manhood. The great Delmer Daves directs it without fuss or filler (how nice that the romantic arc is rightly a side issue and doesn't get in the way) and Lawton's photography brings the sprawling landscapes to life.
Lead cast members are excellent, with Ford once again providing rich characterisation by way of layered acting, and Lemmon rises up to the challenge of genre work outside of what he would be known for. In support Donlevy is his usual excellent self, making what could have been a clichéd character (aging gunfighter wants to leave his past behind) interesting with emotional depth, and Mendoza as the Ramrod is good foil for Ford. There's some quibbles, such as Dick York hard to take seriously, Jaeckel and Strother Martin (uncredited) wasted and some of the humour doesn't come off. But this is a very enjoyable film, one that thrives on having some character depth and actually something worthy to say. 7.5/10 -
LeonLouisRicci1 September 2021Ultra-Slick to a Fault but Slightly Off-Beat Technicolor Western with an Against Type Challenge for Jack Lemon as a Tenderfoot on the Trail.
Glenn Ford is a Stalwart with an Inconsistent Supporting Cast.
Brian Donlevy is Wasted and the Romantic Sub-Plot Fails to Deliver Much.
There are some Suspenseful Set-Pieces.
A Cattle-Car Thrill, among a few others.
But Overall the Glossy Look does the Grit No Good.
The Lack of Action Holds it Back from the Best of the Type.
Entertaining to a Point but Falls Short of anything Much Except Jack Lemon's Transforming Acting Turn and Character Arch that Impresses.
It does Nothing to make it Rise Above its Raisin'.
But Manages to Deliver some Things that Fans of the Genre Expect.
Just Not Enough to make a Difference.
Worth a Watch with Low-Expectations. -
dglink10 March 2017A city tenderfoot toughens up on a long cattle drive in "Cowboy," the last of three westerns that Glenn Ford made with director Delmer Daves; the others being "Jubal" and "3:10 to Yuma." Although not a classic like "3:10 to Yuma," the film is well made, and the literate screenplay by Edmund H. North and Dalton Trumbo was based on the memoirs of Frank Harris, a Welsh writer who actually spent time as a cowhand in the 1870's. Jack Lemmon plays the real-life Frank Harris, a hotel clerk with romantic problems and dreams of becoming a cattleman. Harris also has a little money in the bank, and, at a critical moment, he convinces a successful cattle driver named Tom Reese, played by Glenn Ford, to take him on as a cattle hand. Over the course of a long drive to Mexico, Harris learns the rigors and hard facts of the trail. The cattle drive provides the background for a battle of opposing views between Harris, who values human life, and Reese, who puts the value of a steer above all else.
Although Lemmon initially has to overcome his light-comic image, he eventually succeeds in the dramatic scenes, if slightly less so in the romantic; his love interest, Marlon Brando's first wife, Anna Kashfi, seems an odd, unattainable match for Lemmon. However, a veteran of many westerns, Glenn Ford is excellent; like his Ben Wade in "3:10 to Yuma," the easy-going good-guy image masks a steely toughness that makes him dangerous to cross. Both Lemmon and Ford ably develop their characters as they spar and influence each other during the drive. The two stars are supported by a bevy of veteran supporting players that includes Brian Donlevy, Richard Jaeckel, and Vaughn Taylor. The fine cinematography by Charles Lawton, who also lensed the other two Daves-Ford western collaborations, captures the beauty of New Mexico landscapes.
Glenn Ford was an underrated actor, whose career needs re-evaluation. While "Cowboy" may not be a classic like "Gilda," "The Blackboard Jungle," or "3:10 to Yuma," Ford is in fine form. His biography, Glenn Ford: A Life, penned by his son a few years back, is worthy reading and will re-introduce film lovers to an actor whose star has dimmed since his heyday in the 1940's through 1960's. "Cowboy," among other films, should help restore his reputation and his place in Hollywood history. -
bobbobwhite30 January 2006The wooden-as-a-tree Glenn Ford always surprised me with the roles he got from the studios instead of giving them to a much better actor, as he was a bad actor in the same way Jack Webb was a bad actor. Ford and Webb were so stiff in everything they did, with almost no believable emotional range. Even Ford said he was no actor, and he also said he could only play himself in films. Ford was more or less serviceable in his early roles of the '40's and early '50's until about 1958 when he tried his hand at comedy, where he really bombed. Then he got fat and complacent and got worse in every film thereafter, and then he retired. After his long film career of over 30 years he never was even nominated for any acting award, let alone win anything, and said he totally agreed with that as he had said many times, "I am no actor". He was right.
But, in this and almost every film he made, Jack Lemmon proved himself to be a great and almost irreplaceable character actor. To see Lemmon and Ford together in Cowboy, well, it was painful to see how much better Lemmon was as an actor even as a young man with just a few movies under his belt at that point. And, he got even better as he aged. Ford just got worse if possible, and fatter.
This Cowboy cattle drive storyline was mostly pure western action formula, with little to recommend it other than Lemmon's wonderful presence and character acting which showed him develop from a soft cityboy clerk into a savvy and tough cowboy trail boss. Quite a marvelous transformation, and one Ford could never portray in a million years.
One outrageous mistake I laughed at a lot was the red rubber-horned bull in the place-the-ring-on-the-horns scene in the Mexican rancho rodeo. You could see the very obviously fake red rubber horns attached to the bull bend backwards over and over as it attacked a horse. The horns were attached to the bull's head by a furry strap-on device that was so goofy looking and unrealistic that it looked like a joke played on the audience. But, no, it was meant to be real. The filmmaker should have left the furry strap-ons to porno flicks.
There were much better western cattle drive movies made in the 40's and '50's than this one(Red River is the best), but see it for Jack Lemmon's terrific performance and to laugh at Glenn Ford's "acting" and the ridiculous red rubber horned bull. That was really hilarious, but it was not supposed to be. It was El Cheapo special effects of the first order and a real stupid move, just like casting Ford. -
gmartin-210 April 2008My father took me to see Cowboy in 1959. Afterwards, all I could remember were Ford/Lemmon shooting cockroaches off a hotel wall and Ford holding Lemmon over a scorching campfire. I hated the movie. Forty-nine years later I had the chance to revisit the movie on DVD and discovered nothing to make me revise my sour opinion. If anything, I dislike the movie even morea long time to nurse a grudge.
Nothing about the movie works for me. Although Ford and Lemmon begin as likable enough characters, they actually worsen as the story progresses. Ford, a callous but rigorously fair trail boss, metamorphoses into an aging sentimentalist who has "found a son." Lemmon, a naïve and honest tenderfoot, ends the movie leering at a woman in a hotel lobby.
It may have been the result of having tried to condense too much from the Frank Harris "autobiography"nowhere credited, incidentallybut there are too many loose ends in the movie for a coherent narrative. The genesis of Lemmon's love for Anna Kashfi is never explained, and it does in fact seem like an immature and irresponsible infatuation fully deserving the father's contempt. Although the movie is rich in character actors (some, like Strother Martin, uncredited), they barely register on screen. Lemmon calls the near-murderous Richard Jaeckel a thief and threatens him physically, but the expected showdown never arrives. Late in the movie, Lemmon shoots and kills a Comanche brave without a trace of remorse or introspection-- or explanation how he became such a crack shot. There is also an unsettling and pointless running joke about cannibalism.
I have never cared much for Lemmon as an actor, finding him mincing and prissy. Glenn Ford has always struck me as taciturn and dependable, but here he is guilty of bad acting as he tries to "reach" Lemmon in a halting, unconvincing speech late in the movie. Ford's eyes are dead and he sounds less conflicted with emotion than like he forgot his lines. Also, what Ford finds likable in Lemmon is never made clear. Throughout the cattle drive Lemmon is arrogant, meddling, and judgmental. One indication of the problems with the movie is that the deepening emotional attachment between Ford and Lemmon is announced by the co-stars, not demonstrated in their acting. This is lazy writing, directing, and acting. The abrupt reconciliation between Lemmon and Ford in the cattle car seems forced and arbitrary; and the movie ends with Lemmon and Ford laughing uproariouslyI guess to leave no doubt of a "happy ending." Curiously, the movie trailer included on the DVD makes it clear that the movie is intended as an antidote to the TV westerns popular in the late 1950s. Stealing a cliché from television is not a smart way to reinforce that distinction. The trailer also has Lemmon repeatedly emphasizing the "adult" themes in the movie, which seem quaint now and couldn't have provoked audiences even back then.
Ultimately, the only intriguing character in the movie is the retired town marshal, played by Brian Donlevy. The part is small but tantalizing, and hints at a far more involving story. His character is made so peripheral that his shocking and poignant fate is off-screen and only narrated by Dick York. A movie about Donlevy's dispirited and lonely ex-lawman would have made a truly "adult western."
I don't take particular pleasure in panning Cowboy. Lemmon died in 2001, Ford died in 2006, and so many of the actors in the movie have been dead for years. But the truth is Cowboy is unworthy of any of them.