THE SHADOW RIDERS (1982)

THE FILM (Made for TV)

FILM DIRECTOR: Andrew V. McLaglen

SCREENWRITER: Jim Byrnes, Verne Nobles (uncredited)

FILM STARS: Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Dominique Dunne, Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson, Scanlon Gail, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeff Osterhage, Gene Evans, R. G. Armstrong, Marshall R. Teague, Ben Fuhrman, Jane Greer, Harry Carey, Jr.

COUNTRY: USA

THIS BOOK

AUTHOR: Louis L’Amour

TYPE: Novel

PUBLISHER: Bantam

THIS EDITION PUBLISHED: 1982

COUNTRY: USA

COVER: Paperback

THE ORIGINAL BOOK

ORIGINAL AUTHOR: As Above

YEAR FIRST PUBLISHED: 1982

ORIGINAL BOOK TITLE: The film title

NOTES

GENRE: Western

WORDS: A superior Made for TV western directed by Andrew V McLaglen who had directed many westerns on the big and small screen. The small screen seemed to suit him even if there there are many undervalued joys amongst his feature films. This is a no nonsense cowboy come adventure movie set in the post civil war south and dealing with white slavery.

L’Amour was riding a high in the late 70s. The Sacketts” mini series from 1979 based on a couple of his books about the frontier family, and starring Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck, had been hugely successful.. So, why not follow it up?

Same original author, same screenwriter, same leads (I believe the leads contacted, Louis L’Amour and asked him to write a story idea for them, and this was the result.

This is entertaining stuff, as is the book. Not demanding but solidly entertaining (L’Amour was regular bedtime reading for me) with great performances from the two leads (they look like cowboys) and a supporting cast of familiar western faces.  Sam Elliott went on to do another two Made for TV films based on L’Amour novels, and Selleck another one. And they are always watchable. I enjoyed the film but what strikes me with some regret is that both Elliott and Selleck would have been perfect cowboy stars in the 50s and 60s.

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