The Shadow Riders 1982

     This film is based on a novel written by Louis L’Amour.  After the Civil War between 1861 and 1865, two brothers are demobilized from the army, one fighting for the Union and the other fighting for the Confederates.  They return to the Traven home and learn that the Union man was reported dead??  They also learn that a marauding band of guerrillas has kidnapped the women except for their mother and also a younger brother was taken.  Dal’s fiancee has also been taken and Dal learns she was courted by someone else since she thought he was dead??  That makes him plenty mad!!   Mac and Dal Traven set out to locate the women, the brother and also bring them home.  Their parents are very worried!!  They also find out that their Uncle ‘Black Jack’ Traven is in jail??  They will need to rescue him to help with their mission.
     The Traven family members and Dal’s fiancé are going to be transported to Mexico by human traffickers.  Mac and Dal along with Uncle ‘Black Jack’ will need to quickly reach the location where they are waiting to be put on a ship.  If they are taken to Mexico, they will probably never be found??  It’s possible the younger brother will be killed or forced into slave labor.  The fate of the women will be much worse!!  One of the kidnappers takes a shine to Dal’s fiancé too!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 
  
100 min, Western directed by Andrew V. McLagen, written by Jim Byrnes with Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Dominique Dunne, Ben Johnson, Scanlon Gail, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeff Osterhage, Gene Evans, Katharine Ross, R.G. Armstrong, Marshall R. Teague, Ben Fuhrman, Jane Greer, Harry Carey Jr., Natalie May.
Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes, 72% audience with 2,770 ratings, Amazon 4.5* with 592 ratings, Letterboxd 3.2* out of 5*, ebay.com 5* with 38 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Jamestown, Sonora, Columbia and Santa Cruz, California.  Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage wanted to do another western together after they did The Sacketts 1979.  They contacted Louis L’Amour and asked him to write a story ideas for them.  This film was the result.  In the book for this film, Mac and Dall are flip-flopped in their descriptions.  The locomotive pulling Holliday Hammond’s train is Sierra Railroad No. 3.  It was built in 1891 and nicknamed the movie star engine.  It has been featured in numerous Westerns and also in Back to the Future Part III 1990.  Katharine Ross is married to Sam Elliott and they have a daughter Cleo Rose Elliott.