50 Years Later, John Wayne’s ‘The Cowboys’ Is Still Incredibly Accurate

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As a film enthusiast and history buff, I find myself deeply moved by the timeless stories that unfold on the silver screen, and few films have resonated with me as profoundly as “The Cowboys.” The story of Wil Andersen, portrayed by the legendary John Wayne, is a testament to the power of mentorship, resilience, and the human spirit.

Today, John Wayne remains one of the most well-liked movie stars despite passing away in 1979 at 72 years old. With over 140 feature films under his belt and a career that lasted an impressive 50 years, Wayne was consistently ranked among Hollywood’s top 10 most bankable stars for 25 years from 1949 to 1974 – a record unmatched by any other star, with Clint Eastwood following closely behind at 21 years and Tom Cruise at 20.

Wayne still holds great influence in pop culture, especially the Western genre, which he redefined so completely throughout his career that he essentially became the genre. While Wayne’s Western masterpieces hold timeless appeal, several of his initially underappreciated Western films have received increasing appreciation over the past 40 years. One of these is the 1972 Western film The Cowboys, in which Wayne plays Wil Andersen, an aging rancher who is forced to seek the help of a group of schoolboys to help Andersen execute a 400-mile cattle drive.

Though it’s often associated with John Wayne’s memorable and controversial death scene that sparked enduring public anger, “The Cowboys” is now widely recognized as one of Wayne’s finest late-career films by many. In fact, the movie has garnered growing recognition from Western historians who frequently rank it as his most historically accurate film throughout his career.

An Old West Historian Praised ‘The Cowboys’ For Its Historical Accuracy

Over the past 50 years, The Cowboys, with a current 75% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 88% audience score, has been highly appreciated by both audiences and critics as one of John Wayne’s final masterpieces in the Western genre. Consequently, many Western historians have commended The Cowboys for its historical accuracy. One such admirer is renowned cowboy and Old West historian Michael Grauer, who believes that The Cowboys stands out among John Wayne’s Western films for its authentic portrayal of the era.

In a 2024 interview with Insider, Grauer evaluated 13 classic Wild West film and TV scenes based on their authenticity. When asked about his favorite Western movie, Grauer praised “The Cowboys” for its historical accuracy. He admired the portrayal of John Wayne’s character, Wil Andersen, who uses children instead of seasoned cattle drivers and gunmen for the film’s cattle drive in 1878, a decision that Grauer feels more accurately represents the cowboy lifestyle during that time period when “The Cowboys” is set. Grauer remarked:

“I particularly enjoy the Western movie titled The Cowboys, as it portrays an authentic Wild West tale. In this film, the John Wayne character hires young men and boys to serve as trailhands, and their experiences closely resemble real-life events.

‘The Cowboys’ Is Much More Accurate than John Wayne’s 1956 Western Masterpiece

As a movie enthusiast, I recently found myself revisiting Michael Grauer’s analysis in the same video for Insider. He delved into the debate surrounding John Wayne’s most outstanding cinematic achievement – the 1956 Western masterpiece, “The Searchers.” In this timeless epic, Wayne portrays Ethan Edwards, a veteran of the Civil War who, after his family suffered a horrific massacre at the hands of Comanche warriors, embarked on a long and arduous quest to rescue his kidnapped niece. This odyssey led him deep into Native lands, a journey fraught with danger and personal turmoil.

In the video, Grauer discusses the portrayal of Native Americans in cinema by bringing up “The Searchers.” In this movie, a scene is shown where Comanche warriors, adorned with paint and regalia, attack a fortified position across a river, which Grauer finds illogical from an accuracy perspective. According to Grauer, traditional Native American warfare was more about tactical advantages like numbers and surprise, rather than the direct, frontal assault depicted in the scene. Furthermore, Grauer points out that encounters between cowboys and Native Americans were uncommon in 1868, the year when the film begins.

Although Grauer gave the movie “The Searchers” a low 2/10 rating for its portrayal of Native Americans in that specific scene and within the film as a whole, Grauer still believes that “The Searchers” is an exceptional and significant film. Notably, “The Searchers” is often considered one of the greatest and most impactful films ever produced, and it’s frequently recognized as John Wayne’s finest collaboration with director John Ford.

Wayne Loved Playing a Father Figure in ‘The Cowboys’

In “The Cowboys,” John Wayne, who was 64 during filming, had often taken on mentor and parental roles in previous films. However, the way he embodied the surrogate father character of Wil Andersen in this movie was unique, as it radiated sincere emotion and warmth in his interactions with the young cowboys. This is evident as Andersen passes on his life lessons to his young charges.

As a devoted cinephile, I’d like to express that “The Cowboys” holds a unique place in my heart, a film John Wayne himself described as one of the most profound experiences of his career and life. In 1972, when “The Cowboys” graced our screens, Wayne was nearing the end of his remarkable box-office reign, and it seemed like the era of the Western genre was drawing to a close as well. This movie serves as John Wayne’s ultimate passing-of-the-torch film, mirroring his transition from the spotlight, paving the way for a new generation of stars, spearheaded by Clint Eastwood.

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2024-12-25 21:01