Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch (1953)

Duration: 13:23

Year Published: 1953

Format: 16mm

Sound: sound

Description: This educational film from 1953 takes a closer look at the Boys Ranch, a facility near Amarillo. Founded in 1939 by Cal Farley, the ranch provides a home for underprivileged or delinquent boys, offering a structured environment that prepares them for adult life. The film highlights life at the ranch, from a tour of the facilities to a look at some of the boys’ duties and favorite recreational activities. The boys serve as cowhands on the ranch, tending livestock and crops. They also attend regular schooling through grade 12. In their down time, the boys practice their rodeo skills, play football, swim in the lake, and sing songs. While the boys come from all 50 states and various foreign countries,“soon they’re all real Texans,” the film’s narrator says.