Based on a book by real-life cowboy Frank Harris, COWBOY is the story of the tenderest tenderfoot ever, Lemmon, a Chicago hotel clerk who dreams about moving west. When cattle rancher Ford comes to the Windy City to conduct some business, Lemmon follows him around like a puppy. But only
after Ford borrows money from Lemmon to cover a poker bet does it become clear that the rancher isn't going to be able to shake his new sidekick, who tags along with Ford when the cowboy returns home. The trek takes them into Mexico, where Lemmon falls in love with Kashfi, daughter of some rich
Mexicans. Romance blooms but never interferes with the main focus of the story, Lemmon's maturation from a weak city boy to a hardened trail boss. Along the way, Donlevy does a short but telling cameo as a gunslinger with no place to sling his gun. The days of the Old West are gone now, and,
knowing it, Donlevy eventually commits suicide.
Although COWBOY didn't do well at the box office, it remains a fine film. Without a doubt one of the most humorous moments in Ed North's often funny screenplay is Ford's speech on the stupidity of cattle, the orneriness of horses, and the romantic misrepresentations of cowboy songs. Film editors
Lyon and Clark earned Oscar nominations for their work. leave a comment