These days, actorTom Selleckis best known for his role as Commissioner Frank Reagan onBlue Bloods, the long-running and much-loved CBS police procedural.Sam Elliott’smost notable work as of late was becoming the main star of aYellowstoneprequel series called1883where he played Shea Brennen, the high-strung but tragic hero of the expedition. Even though Elliott has found his way back to a genre that first made him a star (see his role in 1967’sThe Way West), Selleck too made his mark in westerns as well, from the late ’70s to the early ’80s.
There wasThe Sackettsin 1979 — where Selleck portrays a family man who is roped back into shooting, after the death of his fiancée, as well asConcrete Cowboys(released in that same year), where the all-American actor teamed up with Jerry Reed to showcase two blue-collar buckaroos on a wild adventure. When talking about his western-themed productions, we can’t forget about his shoot-em-up production three years later calledThe Shadow Riders.
Putting aside the ominous title for a moment (which had no literal bearing on the plot itself), this production saw theMagnum P.I.andFriendsalumn team up with the aforementioned Sam Elliott in a story about two brothers, Mac and Dal Traven — who were once on opposite sides of the civil war - now reuniting to take back their siblings by slimy traffickers.
A More Family-Friendly Western Adventure
Adapted from famous author Louis L’Amour’snovel of the same nameand released as a television movie for CBS, this western adventure not only reunites Selleck and Elliott (both had parts inThe Sacketts) but also once again brings forth character actor Jeff Osterhage (Dragnet,Matlock) who was also in their previous on-screen team up.
As you can probably tell, the ’70s was a generation or two past theboom of the Western genre, butThe Shadow Riderseasily lengthens the life of the category with its seemingly never-ending action and well-paced story. Also, any dedicated fan of L’Amour will tell you that his long line of novels usually leans on the more serious side, but CBS - knowing the wide age range that watches their product - made the overall cinematic experience a more family-friendly one.
There are some nods to the more mature viewers in the room though. Some light-hearted dialogue referenced a more adulterous background for one of the main protagonists. At the beginning of the film, Selleck himself is seen as a more randy individual who likes spending time with women — that is before he’s called into action to save his confederate brother. WithThe Shadow Ridersbeing almost an hour and a half long, there’s plenty of off-the-wall action for the younger ones too.
When the two brothers manage to break their uncle out of jail (as they need him to guide them through Mexico),a great explosionrocks the screen. Later on, the same two attempt a daring train rescue by scaling the top of the locomotive (while it’s chugging on ahead) and dropping into the car where Dal’s girlfriend is being held hostage. Being a movie made for television (with a very limited budget), director Andrew V. McLaglen and his fellow producers really made a great to-do out ofThe Shadow Ridersby bringing whatever they could from the big screen to the small one.
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Good Cast Members Make a Great Movie
While there are some visual discrepancies inThe Shadow Riders— like the movie’s presumed setting (Texas and Mexico) not matching well enough with the filming locations (California and Oregon), those are put to the wayside withthe combined buddy cop chemistryof Selleck and Elliot. The on-screen camaraderie between these two helps to make the other cast members more memorable in theirside character roles.
Actors Katharine Ross and Ben Johnson both bring a very nice juxtaposition to the two headline names. Being their “wanted” uncle, Johnson plays a chaotic, neutral character who remains shrouded in mystery until the very end. Ross is equally charming and animated when playing Dal’s ex-girlfriend Kate, who is engaged to be wed to another man now because she thought Dal had died in the war.
15 Greatest Western TV Characters of All Time
For decades, the Western genre has dazzled and enchanted audiences all across the world with their fearless heroes and exciting storylines.
Geoffrey Lewis conveys a great lower-caste villain, a man who becomes blinded by his own ambitions but is ultimately given a second chance. The great cast is rounded out by Gene Evans, who plays Colonel Holiday Hammond, the vicious antagonist of the whole shebang. Put Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott aside for a moment and these names alone can craft a well enough story. Whether it was because this Lamour adaptation was a CBS movie rather than a theatrical one or it was more so due to the fact that Westerns as a whole were going through their last call,The Shadow Ridersis sorely underrated and deserves a watch by both casual and devoted fans of the genre.Stream on Tubi for free.
