The Shadow Riders

1982 "Sometimes you have to start a war to finish one."
6.6| 1h36m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 28 September 1982 Released
Producted By: Columbia Pictures Television
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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After starring in "The Sacketts", Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott team up again but this time as Mac and Dal Traven, in a movie based on a classic Louis L'Amour novel. They are brothers, who meet up at the end of the Civil War fighting on opposite sides. They go home only to find their family in dire need and their sisters and brother kidnapped by ruthless raiders. They set out to rescue their family.

Genre

Western, TV Movie

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Director

Andrew V. McLaglen

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures Television

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The Shadow Riders Audience Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Konterr Brilliant and touching
Console best movie i've ever seen.
Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
TheUnknown837-1 If I were to describe the Louis L'Amour novel-based television film "The Shadow Riders" in two words that might seem to contradict each other, they would be: dimwitted and fun. No, this is not a great Western or a great movie by any stretch of the imagination. Intellectually and screenplay-wise, it's mediocre at best. But in terms of the entertainment that one receives from viewing it, especially fans of the old-fashioned Westerns like myself, it both promises and delivers. There is not a single smart line or moment in "The Shadow Riders", but it's thoroughly entertaining and I was not bored with a single moment of it. I was not mightily impressed either, but I had the time of my life.I have not read the original novel by Louis L'Amour, but judging from my research, the basic plot remains the same. The film stars Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott as brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War and return to their home in Texas only to find that their sisters, brother, and Elliott's girlfriend (played by Elliott's real-life spouse Katharine Ross) have been taken by renegade Confederate soldiers led by a bloodthirsty, revenge-seeking colonel (Geoffrey Lewis), who plans to sell them as slaves in Mexico in return for guns and ammunition to continue a war he feels has not ended.If somebody had come up to me after viewing "The Shadow Riders" and told me that it was made in the 1950s or 60s, I would have believed it. That could very well be the magic that works in this otherwise dimwitted Western. It has the same spirit, the same style, the same manner and rhythm of dialogue and story that the old, action-packed classics had. Yes, it's an old-fashioned Western, but that's not a bad thing at all.Yes, the film also has many moments where disbelief must be suspended. Just like in the old Westerns, when there's a shootout, the good guys score a direct hit every time and the bad guys, no matter how many shots they fire, always seem to miss. There's a scene where Selleck and Elliott are charging into an enemy camp trying to stampede their stolen cattle and are firing three to five shots from their six-guns into the air instead of wisely saving ammunition for fighting the enemy that's rousing in front of them. And I also thought it was silly how Geoffrey Lewis and the always competent Gene Evans—as well as everybody else it seems—was drawn relentlessly and vulnerably to a middle-aged Katharine Ross. Not to mention that the attitudes of several characters seem written for actors of an adolescent age even though the film was meant for adult actors.You get my point. "The Shadow Riders" is not an intelligent film. And like I said earlier, it's not a very well-made one either. But it's most certainly entertaining in the guilty pleasure range and it's eye candy with its all-star cast, many of whom are veterans from the old Western period like Harry Carey Jr., R.G. Armstrong, and Ben Johnson, who steals every scene he's in as the brothers' renegade uncle. If you're not a Western fan, there's really no big reason to see "The Shadow Riders". But if you are, or if you want to see Dominique Dunne in her last film role, then by all means, see it. You will have the time of your life.
abrafocus I'm not one to like Western movies, but this movie is one Western I like. Tom Selleck plays his part with 100% perfection.**Spoilers ahead**Mac Travern, (Selleck) has just served in the Civil War, on the Union side. His younger brother, Dal Traven, (played by Sam Elliot) had been on the Confederate side. But the two brothers joined each other to rescue their Uncle "Black Jack" Travern, who had been kidnapped by some Confedreates who refused to believe the3 war was over. Jesse Traven (Jeff Osterhage) had also been kidnapped, and then comes the chase and rescue bit that always turns out either funny or tragic.I have not read any of Louis L'Amour's books, but this was a great film based on his writing.My Score: 7/10.
poohbear109 Comment on Ted Castle's statements regarding Texas Geography: 1. There is a Baffin Bay in Texas. It is down by Kingsville 2. While there is no Converse County in Texas, there is a town named Converse -- it is east of San Antonio.I agree, the terrain shown in this movie is nothing like the coastal areas of Texas, it does more resemble California.Unfortunately, many movie makers substitute California shots for supposed Texas scenes. I think the one I got the biggest kick out of was in 'Footloose'. The movie is supposed to take place in (IIRC) Beaumont, TX, which is just west of the Louisiana state line. If you look closely, you can see mountains in the background -- there are definitely NOT any mountains in that part of Texas.
aimless-46 I have not read the Louis L'Amour novel on which this is allegedly based, but hopefully L'Amour's original has a little more going for it in the credibility department. Rock Hudson's CSA officer in "The Undefeated" tested the credibility threshold but at least there was a twisted sort of logic to his goal in that movie. Such is not the case here and you are left waiting for the guys in the white coats to sedate Geoffrey Lewis and take him away to the quiet room.Which is unfortunate because it wastes great chemistry in the pairing of Selleck and Elliott. The titles and the credit sequences are first class with "period" stills Civil War daguerreotypes.The return home of the brothers is the highlight of the film and almost makes the thing worth watching. Jane Greer and Harry Carey, Jr. are excellent in this very moving film moment.Katherine Ross has a nothing role and it is too bad Dominique Dunne ended her career playing a minor supporting role in a wasted opportunity movie.Ben Johnson seems to enjoy himself in this although he probably should have been taken to that quiet room along with Lewis.A good strategy is to watch the first 25 minutes up until the first beach scene, then walk away because you will have seen everything worth watching by that point.