1938·Comedy·1h 31m
7.1
★
Mary Smith decides after a lifetime of being a shut-in to do something wild while her father is out campaigning for the presidency, so she takes off for the family's home in West Palm Beach and inadvertently becomes romantically entangled with earnest cowboy Stretch Willoughby. Neither the dalliance nor the cowboy fit with the upper class image projected by her esteemed father, forcing her to choose.
Directed by H. C. Potter
rodeo
blind date
maid
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Gary Cooper
Stretch Willoughby
Merle Oberon
Mary Smith
Patsy Kelly
Katie Callahan
Walter Brennan
Sugar
Fuzzy Knight
Buzz
Mabel Todd
Elly
Henry Kolker
Horace Smith
Harry Davenport
Uncle Hannibal Smith
Emma Dunn
Ma Hawkins
Walter Walker
Ames
Berton Churchill
Oliver Wendell Henderson
Charles Richman
Dillon
Crew
H. C. Potter
Director
William Wyler
Co-Director
Stuart Heisler
Co-Director
Sonya Levien
Screenplay
S. N. Behrman
Screenplay
Alfred Newman
Original Music Composer
Gregg Toland
Director of Photography
Samuel Goldwyn
Producer
Alfred Newman
Music Director
Samuel Goldwyn
Presenter
Leo McCarey
Original Story
John Emerson
Additional Writing
Popular Reviews
11 reviews
Sean
7.0★ · 04/11/26
***52 Westerns in 52 Weeks Challenge***
Week 15: ****Oscar-nominated
The Cowboy and the Lady is a wonderfully written little western rom-com that may have dipped its hand a little too deep in the melodrama jar but it works very well nonetheless due to the enjoyable writing and performances present through most of the movie. My favorite of the cast was definitely Merle Oberon who just lit up the screen with every second of her time, her chemistry with Cooper was also great but I especially loved her out of the two and am excited to see more of her roles in the future. As far as it goes technically it’s not anything amazing but I do see why it got the sound and music noms it did, I enjoyed Alfred Newman’s score and the songs throughout the movie. I really don’t have much to say about it outside of that, it’s a basic but effective romance plot with solid enough writing and fun performances, I had a good time.
Week 15: ****Oscar-nominated
The Cowboy and the Lady is a wonderfully written little western rom-com that may have dipped its hand a little too deep in the melodrama jar but it works very well nonetheless due to the enjoyable writing and performances present through most of the movie. My favorite of the cast was definitely Merle Oberon who just lit up the screen with every second of her time, her chemistry with Cooper was also great but I especially loved her out of the two and am excited to see more of her roles in the future. As far as it goes technically it’s not anything amazing but I do see why it got the sound and music noms it did, I enjoyed Alfred Newman’s score and the songs throughout the movie. I really don’t have much to say about it outside of that, it’s a basic but effective romance plot with solid enough writing and fun performances, I had a good time.
***52 Westerns in 52 Weeks Challenge***
Week 15: ****Oscar-nominated
The Cowboy and the Lady is a wonderfully written little western rom-com that may have dipped its hand a little too deep in the melodrama jar but it works very well nonetheless due to the enjoyable writing and performances present through most of the movie. My favorite of the cast was definitely Merle Oberon who just lit up the screen with every second of her time, her chemistry with Cooper was also great but I especially loved her out of the two and am excited to see more of her roles in the future. As far as it goes technically it’s not anything amazing but I do see why it got the sound and music noms it did, I enjoyed Alfred Newman’s score and the songs throughout the movie. I really don’t have much to say about it outside of that, it’s a basic but effective romance plot with solid enough writing and fun performances, I had a good time.
Week 15: ****Oscar-nominated
The Cowboy and the Lady is a wonderfully written little western rom-com that may have dipped its hand a little too deep in the melodrama jar but it works very well nonetheless due to the enjoyable writing and performances present through most of the movie. My favorite of the cast was definitely Merle Oberon who just lit up the screen with every second of her time, her chemistry with Cooper was also great but I especially loved her out of the two and am excited to see more of her roles in the future. As far as it goes technically it’s not anything amazing but I do see why it got the sound and music noms it did, I enjoyed Alfred Newman’s score and the songs throughout the movie. I really don’t have much to say about it outside of that, it’s a basic but effective romance plot with solid enough writing and fun performances, I had a good time.
zaynabPRO
7.0★ · 03/24/26
special chair for mary :)
special chair for mary :)
quin
10.0★ · 12/01/25
a tall cowboy from montana meets a rich lady on holiday and they get married on a ship... oh, spencer dutton and alexandra from the 1923 tv series 😭
a tall cowboy from montana meets a rich lady on holiday and they get married on a ship... oh, spencer dutton and alexandra from the 1923 tv series 😭
M
5.0★ · 06/12/24
One star for the porthole glowing like a full moon during the ship scene, another star for Gary Cooper planning out Mary and his’ special chairs :,), a half star for Uncle Hannibal.
One star for the porthole glowing like a full moon during the ship scene, another star for Gary Cooper planning out Mary and his’ special chairs :,), a half star for Uncle Hannibal.
adriana toia
8.0★ · 11/27/23
merle oberon is the most beautiful woman ever
merle oberon is the most beautiful woman ever