The Great American Cowboy

For the album by Sons of the San Joaquin, see Great American Cowboy (album).
The Great American Cowboy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKieth Merrill
Written byDouglas Kent Hall
Produced byKieth Merrill[1]
Starring
Narrated byJoel McCrea[2]
CinematographyReed Smoot
Edited byKieth Merrill
Music byHarold Farberman
Distributed by
[3][4]
Release date
  • 1973 (1973)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$300,000

The Great American Cowboy is a 1973 documentary film about the sport of rodeo. The film, which was directed by Kieth Merrill,[5] is notable for its use of experimental editing and camera techniques.[6] The film focuses on the 1973 battle for the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) all-around world championship race between seasoned veteran rodeo star Larry Mahan and more recent champion Phil Lyne. Voiceover narration is provided by Hollywood actor Joel McCrea.[7] The film won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[8]

  1. ^ Documentary Oscars: 1974 Oscars
  2. ^ AllMovie
  3. ^ WorldCat.org
  4. ^ D23
  5. ^ FilmAffinity
  6. ^ "RODEO (IS) THE MAN: "The Great American Cowboy"". 11 May 2016.
  7. ^ TCM.com
  8. ^ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2019.