John Wayne havde sloges med sine bare næver, skudt desperadoer, kæmpet junglekrige og været pilot. Men The Cowboys gav ham en af hans saftigeste roller som en læderhals af en rancher, der bliver svigtet af sine faste mænd, og derfor hyrer 11 grønne skoledrenge til at drive kvæg over 400 modbydelige mil. Da støvet havde lagt sig, havde John Wayne spillet en af sine bedste film.

James McKay ankommer til det vilde vesten fra østkysten for at gifte sig med Henry Terrils forkælede datter, Pat. Henry ligger i bitter strid om vand med sin nabo Rufus. McKay kan ikke undgå at tage stilling i striden, men hans måde at løse konflikter på falder ikke i god jord hos hverken Henry, forvalteren Steve eller Pat. Kun Pats veninde, Julia, forstår, at McKays manglende lyst til nævekamp ikke nødvendigvis betyder, at han er en kujon.

Chicago hotel clerk Frank Harris dreams of life as a cowboy, and he gets his chance when, jilted by the father of the woman he loves, he joins Tom Reece and his cattle-driving outfit. Soon, though, the tenderfoot finds out life on the range is neither what he expected nor what he's been looking for...

The spoilt young son of a wealthy railroad owner manages to get himself lost in the middle of nowhere. He is found by a cowboy on a cattle drive and the lad must start learning the hard lessons of working in a team if he wants to make it to San Diego.

A young man without surname inherits a big indebted ranch and has to prove his worthiness managing a cattle drive.