alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Sometimes I think of a good western as a conventional plot, with slight variations, and having the merit of doing it in the best way possible. Applying those standards "The Shadow Riders" scores quite well. Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott are the ideal heroes, playing two brothers who fight on different sides during the civil war.Just listening to their dialog is half the fun of the film. Katharine Ross is beautiful and Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Junior ( remember the John Ford films?) are welcome additions to an already excellent cast. The story is from Louis L'Amour and follows the character of his books, predictable but entertaining. The musical score brings to mind the song "The Battle of New Orleans". An unusual scenery with vivid colors and a seashore that looks a lot like California even though it is in Texas, this western is not outstanding, but very enjoyable

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.

TED-26 Four of the best all time best western actors performing with Tom Selleck and Catharine Ross at their best -- Harry Carey, Jr., Ben Johnson, Geoffrey Lewis and Sam Elliot -- make the best of a Louis L'Amour story. Purists may be put-off by the geographical inaccuracies; there is no Baffin Bay or Converse County, Texas. The location looks more like the California coast than Texas.