Wild Rovers is a 1971 American Western film directed by Blake Edwards and starring William Holden and Ryan O'Neal.

[1] Originally intended as a three-hour epic, it was heavily edited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer without Edwards' knowledge, including a reversal of the ending from a negative one to a positive.

Edwards disowned the finished film and later satirized his battle with the studio in his comedy S.O.B., which also starred Holden.

[2] An aging cowboy, Ross Bodine, and a younger one, Frank Post, work on cattleman Walt Buckman's ranch in Montana.

A posse is formed that includes Buckman's two sons, hot-tempered John and easy-going Paul, told by their father that no cowhand of his is going to get away with breaking the law.

Paul wants to turn back but John becomes obsessed with fulfilling the old man's last request, catching the bank robbers.

[3] William Holden and Ryan O'Neal agreed to play the leads and filming began in late 1970.

[5] During post production, MGM management – in particular James T. Aubrey and Douglas Netter – cut 40 minutes from the film, without Edwards' knowledge or consent.

[8] Shortly after filming finished it was announced O'Neal and Holden would reunite on Top of the Mountain based on a script by Peter Viertel about hunting in Kenya.