When you look back at the cast of The Train Robbers, you aren't just looking at a list of actors. Honestly, you're looking at the sunset of an era. Released in 1973, this movie arrived right when the traditional Western was starting to feel a little dusty, but it had one massive thing going for it: John Wayne. Duke was 65 years old when this hit theaters. He wasn't the young Ringo Kid anymore, but he still had that presence that commanded the screen. People sometimes dismiss this flick as a "lesser" Wayne movie, but the chemistry between the leads is actually pretty fascinating if you pay attention to the subtext.
The Big Names Driving the Engine
John Wayne plays Lane. He’s the leader, the guy with the plan. It’s a classic Wayne role where he’s basically the moral compass, even if he’s doing something legally questionable like recovering stolen gold. But the real spark in the cast of The Train Robbers comes from Ann-Margret.
She plays Mrs. Lowe.
She isn't just a damsel. She’s the one who sets the whole plot in motion by hiring Lane and his crew to find $500,000 in gold that her late husband stole. Ann-Margret was coming off an Oscar nomination for Carnal Knowledge just two years prior. She brought a level of intensity and mystery to a genre that, frankly, didn't always know what to do with women. You keep wondering throughout the movie if she’s telling the truth or if she's playing these guys for fools.
Then you have Rod Taylor as Grady. Taylor was a massive star in his own right, known for The Birds and The Time Machine. In this movie, he provides the perfect counterbalance to Wayne. While Wayne is stoic and rigid, Taylor is more fluid and reactive. Ben Johnson, a real-life cowboy and Oscar winner for The Last Picture Show, plays Jesse. Johnson didn't have to act much to be a cowboy; he was the real deal, having been a world champion team roper. When he’s on a horse, you can see the difference between a Hollywood actor and a ranch hand.
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Why the Supporting Players Matter
It’s easy to focus on the posters. Big names sell tickets. But the depth of the cast of The Train Robbers is found in the guys following Wayne into the desert.
Christopher George plays AJ. George was a TV staple from The Rat Patrol and a close friend of Wayne’s. He had this rugged, reliable energy. He also appeared with Duke in Chisum and El Dorado. Then there's Bobby Vinton. Yeah, "Blue Velvet" singer Bobby Vinton. He plays Ben Young. It sounds like weird casting on paper, right? But Vinton actually fits in quite well as the younger, slightly more vulnerable member of the group. It adds a layer of "this guy might actually get shot" that you don't feel with Wayne or Johnson.
Ricardo Montalbán is also in this. He plays the "Messenger." He doesn't have a ton of dialogue, and he spends a lot of time just lurking in the shadows on a horse, but he represents the constant threat following them. This was years before his Fantasy Island fame or his iconic turn as Khan in Star Trek. Here, he’s lean, mean, and silent.
The Dynamics on Set and the Burt Kennedy Touch
Director Burt Kennedy wrote and directed this one. Kennedy was famous for his "Boetticher" Westerns—lean, mean scripts that didn't waste time. He knew how to handle big personalities. On the set in Durango, Mexico, the vibe was reportedly professional but tough.
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John Wayne was dealing with significant health issues by 1973. He had lost a lung to cancer years earlier and was struggling with his breathing in the high altitudes and dusty heat. You can see it in his gait. He moves a bit slower. But the cast of The Train Robbers seemed to rally around him. Ann-Margret later spoke about how Wayne would make sure she was comfortable, even when he was clearly hurting. It’s that old-school Hollywood chivalry that translates into the protective way his character treats hers on screen.
The movie isn't complex. They go to Mexico, find a train wreck in the middle of a literal sea of sand, and try to get back while a posse chases them. Simple. But the chemistry makes it work.
Beyond the Screen: Real Facts About the Production
- The Location: Much of the movie was shot in the Durango desert. The "train in the sand" was a massive set piece that actually looked hauntingly real.
- The Horse Stunts: Because Ben Johnson and Rod Taylor were legitimate riders, many of the wide shots didn't require doubles. This adds a sense of grit that modern CGI Westerns lack.
- The Score: Dominic Frontiere provided a booming, brassy score that feels like a classic 1960s Western even though it was the 70s.
- The Twist: Without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it, the ending redefines everything you thought you knew about Mrs. Lowe. It’s one of the few Wayne movies that actually pulls the rug out from under the audience.
Misconceptions About the Cast
A lot of people think this was a "B-movie" for Wayne. It wasn't. While it didn't have the prestige of The Searchers, it was a solid box office performer. Another misconception is that the cast of The Train Robbers didn't get along. In reality, Wayne loved working with pros like Ben Johnson. They were part of his "stock company." If Wayne liked you and you were a "pro," you had a job for life in his films.
The most surprising thing? The role of Mrs. Lowe was originally envisioned as much older. When Ann-Margret was cast, Kennedy had to tweak the script to lean into the "young widow" trope, which arguably made the tension between the men in the group much more believable. They weren't just helping a lady; they were all a little bit in love with her.
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How to Appreciate This Movie Today
If you’re going to watch The Train Robbers, don't expect a gritty, deconstructionist Western like Unforgiven. Expect a lean, 92-minute adventure.
Actionable Insights for Movie Lovers:
- Watch the backgrounds: In the scenes featuring Ricardo Montalbán, notice how he is framed. He’s almost always positioned as an omen of doom, rarely interacting directly with the protagonists until the end.
- Compare the acting styles: Watch Ben Johnson’s physicality versus Rod Taylor’s. Johnson moves like the land; Taylor moves like a city guy trying to adapt. It’s a masterclass in character movement.
- Check the cinematography: William H. Clothier was Wayne's favorite cinematographer for a reason. Look at the way he uses the Mexican sun to create high-contrast shadows. It makes the "robbers" look like ghosts in the desert.
- Look for the "Wayne-isms": This is prime "Late Wayne." Note the way he uses his hat and his rifle as extensions of his body. By 1973, these were props he’d handled for forty years.
Ultimately, the cast of The Train Robbers represents a specific moment in cinema history where the titans of the Golden Age were still standing tall, even as the world around them was changing. It’s a movie about loyalty, greed, and the fact that John Wayne will always look good on a horse.
To get the most out of your viewing, try to find the high-definition restoration. The desert colors, specifically the yellows and deep blues of the sky, were meticulously captured by Clothier and look muddy on old DVD transfers. Seeing it in 4K or high-quality Blu-ray reveals the actual artistry behind what many thought was just a standard "Oater." Focus on the silence in the middle act; the lack of dialogue during the trek across the dunes is where the cast does their best work.