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 he nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.
Directed by Mark Rydell
based on novel or book
montana
ranch
beef
cattle drive
underage drinking
gun battle
cattle
schoolboy
cattleman
cattle rustling
kids on their own
cattle stampede
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.6 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
John Wayne
Wil Andersen
Roscoe Lee Browne
Jebediah Nightlinger
Bruce Dern
Long Hair
Colleen Dewhurst
Kate
Alfred Barker Jr.
Cowboy Fats
Nicolas Beauvy
Cowboy Dan
Steve Benedict
Cowboy Steve
Robert Carradine
Cowboy Slim Honeycutt
Norman Howell
Cowboy Weedy
Stephen R. Hudis
Cowboy Charlie Schwartz
A Martinez
Cowboy Cimarron
Clay O'Brien
Cowboy Hardy Fimps
Crew
Mark Rydell
Director
Harriet Frank Jr.
Screenplay
John Williams
Original Music Composer
Robert Surtees
Director of Photography
Mark Rydell
Producer
Lynn Stalmaster
Casting
Gary Epper
Stunts
Popular Reviews
19 reviews
Alex Teichman
9.0★ · 08/27/25
“Doesn’t anything larger wanna work for ya?”
Possibly my favorite western? Such a different approach, to focus on the mentorship of young boys and have that take over the forefront of the narrative for most of the runtime instead of action just for actions sake is such a great decision. When the action comes it’s meaningful and really well done. Also my uncle said historians have deemed this the most accurate western to history. No idea where’s he’s got this information from, but sure!
Roscoe Lee Browne I was mostly unaware of you before but I am glad I righted that wrong.
“Doesn’t anything larger wanna work for ya?”
Possibly my favorite western? Such a different approach, to focus on the mentorship of young boys and have that take over the forefront of the narrative for most of the runtime instead of action just for actions sake is such a great decision. When the action comes it’s meaningful and really well done. Also my uncle said historians have deemed this the most accurate western to history. No idea where’s he’s got this information from, but sure!
Roscoe Lee Browne I was mostly unaware of you before but I am glad I righted that wrong.
