The Shadow Riders (1982)
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.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
That was an excellent one.
Fantastic!
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
Brothers Mac (an excellent and engaging performance by Tom Selleck) and Dal Traven (the always fine Sam Elliott) return home after fighting in the Civil War only to discover that their home town has been ravaged by a gang of renegade Confederate soldiers. Assisted by their wayward Uncle Jack (a wonderfully rascally Ben Johnson), the Travens go after the soldiers who have kidnapped their younger sisters as well as Dal's feisty sweetheart Kate (well played with considerable spunk by Katherine Ross).Director Andrew V. McLaglen keeps the engrossing and entertaining story moving along at a brisk pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the period, maintains an amiable good-natured tone throughout, takes time to develop the characters, and stages the shoot outs with aplomb. Selleck and Elliott display an extremely winning and natural chemistry in the leads. The tip-top cast keeps this picture humming: Geoffrey Lewis as the fanatical Major Cooper Ashbury, Gene Evans as wicked slave trader Colonel Holiday Hammond, Jeffrey Osteridge as the brave Jesse, Dominique Dunn as the spirited Sissy, R.G. Armstrong as the vengeful Sheriff Miles Gillette, and Jane Greer and Harry Carey Jr. as Ma and Pa Traven. Both Jack Whitman's polished cinematography and Jerrold Immel's lively honky tonk country score are up to speed. An immensely fun film.
*Spoiler/plot- 1982, Western movie. It's a story of handsome heroes, renegades, scoundrels, and a hellion in petticoats. It's 1865, the close of the American Civil War; two brothers, a Yankee Mac Traven and a Rebel, Dal Traven return home to Texas to discover that their sisters and Dal's sweetheart Kate has been kidnapped by marauding Rebel guerrillas who refuse to accept Confederate defeat. Mac and Dal break out their notorious Uncle out of jail to help them rescue the women before their sold as slaves to a Mexican brothel.*Special Stars- Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Ben Johnson, Geofrey Lewis, Katherine Ross. Dir: Andrew McLagen *Theme- Family should stand for right and fight together.*Based on- Best seller book of Louis L'amour *Trivia/location/goofs- A made for TV movie by Columbia Pictures. This film is from the director (son of the actor Victor McLagen, a member of the John Ford and John Wayne crew.) of "Shenandoah", "The Way West", "Chisum" and "Bandolero".*Emotion- An enjoyable and richly produced western with many old and new western stars in a rather simplistic plot. But, nice casting, locations, film pacing, good scenes, and theme make this a enjoyable film to see for any western viewer.
The cast of Ben Johnson, Sam Elliot, and Tom Selleck in a western is unbeatable.Some have compared this movie to The Sacketts (same writer, same cast), and gave is something of a pan.I found the story line in general, and a couple of the sub-plots, very very entertaining. I think you have to recognize that adultery has been around since the beginning of time. The treatment of of Uncle Jack (Ben Johnson) reminded me a lot of one of my uncles, and the dialog just sounded right.While the scenery may have looked a little California, the place settings in Texas were genuine - Big Springs and Baffin Bay are real places. Baffin Bay is at the south end of Padre Island off Laguna Madre - home of the best bay fishing in Texas.
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.