Sometimes you have to start a war to finish one.
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.
The Shadow Riders (1982) is a western and tv movie film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, released on September 28, 1982 with a runtime of 1h 36m. It stars Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Ben Johnson and Geoffrey Lewis. Viewers rate it 6.5 out of 10 across 55 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Shadow Riders before you stream it.
Tom Selleck
as Mac Traven
Sam Elliott
as Dal Traven
Ben Johnson
as Uncle 'Black Jack' Traven
Geoffrey Lewis
as Major Cooper Ashbury, Comanchero Leader
Jeff Osterhage
as Jesse Traven
Gene Evans
as Colonel Holiday Hammond, Gunrunner
Katharine Ross
as Kate Connery / Sister Katherine
Dominique Dunne
as Sissy Traven
Scanlon Gail
as Yankee Officer
R.G. Armstrong
as Sheriff Miles Gillette
Marshall R. Teague
as Lieutenant Butler
Jane Greer
as Ma Traven
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, written by Louis L'Amour and Jim Byrnes, produced by Dennis Durney.
Average viewer score of 6.5/10 from 55 ratings.
The Traven Brothers. The Shadow Riders is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and adapted to screenplay by Jim Byrnes from the novel written by Louis L'Amour. It stars Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross, Dominique Dunne, Ben Johnson and Geoffrey Lewis. Music is by Jerrold Immel and cinematography by Jack Whitman. A CBS TV production, The Shadow Riders has Selleck (Mac Traven) and Elliott (Dal Traven) as brothers,…
Reviewed on January 2, 2017
**_Selleck and Sam Elliott as brothers chasing Confederate renegades_** While this is not a sequel to “The Sacketts” from three years earlier, it features five of the main actors of that 2-part film (aka ‘miniseries’), as well as the writers, Louis L'Amour and Jim Byrnes. Selleck and Elliott, as well as Jeff Osterhage, all wanted to play in another Western together and so they contacted L’Amour about it and this…
Reviewed on March 11, 2026
1960
2012
2018
2019
1970
1987
2015
2002
1971
2016
2021
2008
1985
1968
1976
1976
2025
1988
1970
1970
2014
1924
1979
1995
2008
2006
2013
1969
1996
1965
2012
1977
1921
2017
2016
2024
2017
1924
1946
1918
The Shadow Riders (1982) is available to stream on fuboTV and Howdy Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Shadow Riders (1982) includes Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Ben Johnson, Geoffrey Lewis and Jeff Osterhage. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Shadow Riders was released on September 28, 1982 and runs for 1h 36m.
The Shadow Riders (1982) holds an average rating of 6.5 out of 10 from 55 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy western and tv movie films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Shadow Riders trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
