NR | 1h 1m | Drama, Western | 1958
Glenn Ford’s career spanned five decades, and he starred in both gritty crime dramas and westerns. One of his more engaging westerns was 1958’s “Cowboy,” directed by Delver Daves.
“Cowboy” is based on the semi-autobiographical novel “My Reminiscences as a Cowboy,” by Frank Harris. In the film, Lemmon plays Harris, a somewhat naïve hotel clerk in Chicago who dreams of owning a cattle ranching business.
Tom Reese (Glenn Ford) enters the picture as a seasoned trail boss who suddenly arrives at the hotel with all of his cowboys in tow. Since the hotel manager Mr. Fowler (Vaughn Taylor) is fond of Reese, he orders Frank to vacate some rooms for the rowdy cowboys.
However, one of the rooms in question happens to be where Frank’s love interest Maria Vidal (Anna Kashfi) is staying, along with her Mexican cattle baron father, Señor Vidal (Donald Randolph). Maria and Frank have fallen in love, but Vidal doesn’t approve and plans to return with his family to their ranch in Guadalupe, Mexico.
Unusual Setup
This film has to have one of the most unusual setups I’ve seen in a Western. Instead of beginning with a sunbaked desert or dust-strewn small town on the Western Frontier, it begins at a civilized locale. Reese is something of a unique character. Although he’s a cowboy who lives and breathes the rough-and-tumble life of a cowpoke, he also enjoys the amenities of high society, such as opulent hotels and the opera.Although Lemmon was already in his 30s when he put on some spurs for the role of Frank Harris, the film has all of the trappings of a great coming-of-age tale. The trail that the men ride on together functions as a vehicle for Frank and Reese to learn more about each other through various tests and trials.
The turbulent journey is an eye-opener for Frank, who initially has a much more idealistic inkling of what cowboy life is like and gains a more realistic perspective along the way.
Conversely, although Reese starts off with a pretty gruff attitude toward Frank, their experiences together make Reese more understanding (and even sympathetic). Lemmon and Ford contrast well and set up some interesting situations that each of their characters has to deal with.
Anna Kashfi, who was Marlon Brando’s first wife, is fire on the screen as Lemmon’s love interest. The chemistry between them is almost palpable—their eyes flutter and their lips quiver as they stare at each other longingly. It never feels overwrought or too syrupy, but instead seems like more of a sincere infatuation, which most people will recognize.
Supporting actor Brian Donlevy does an excellent job of portraying an ex-lawman from Witchita, Kansas, named Doc Bender. Bender is an interesting character who is looking to reinvent, and perhaps redeem, himself after being in one too many gunfights that resulted in harming some innocents.
Overall, “Cowboy” is an engrossing western that is cut from a different cloth. It’s more of a fascinating character study than a rowdy shoot-em-up as most of the conflict unfolds through sharp-tongued dialogue between its characters. If you’re looking for a unique western, you can’t go wrong with this fine film.
