Every Tom Selleck Western Film, Ranked from Least to Greatest

Tom Selleck carved out a dependable lane in Westerns across theatrical releases and made-for-TV hits, teaming with directors like Simon Wincer and adapting novels by Louis L’Amour and Elmore Leonard. Below is every Selleck Western, ordered from least to greatest, so you can see how his frontier roles stack up and find your next watch. Each entry notes the core premise, key cast, and useful production details without any fluff.

‘The Shadow Riders’ (1982)

This television film adapts the Louis L’Amour novel about two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War and reunite to rescue kidnapped family members. Tom Selleck stars alongside Sam Elliott, with Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson, and Geoffrey Lewis in supporting roles. Andrew V. McLaglen directs and brings in familiar Western character actors across Texas and coastal settings. The production was designed for primetime broadcast with a compact runtime and a focus on cavalry skirmishes and family stakes.

‘Last Stand at Saber River’ (1997)

Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel, this TNT original follows a former Confederate who returns home to find his Arizona ranch seized by Union sympathizers. The cast includes Suzy Amis, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, and a young Haley Joel Osment. Dick Lowry directs and keeps the story centered on land claims, town politics, and hard choices for the family. The film runs under two hours and uses widescreen frontier vistas and period firearms for authenticity.

‘Quigley Down Under’ (1990)

Selleck plays a Wyoming sharpshooter hired by a powerful rancher in the Australian outback, only to discover a deadly assignment waiting for him. The film pairs him with Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman and features a custom long-range Sharps rifle as a signature prop. Simon Wincer directs and stages location work across rugged Australian terrain with large-scale horsemanship and stunt teams. The production uses practical effects for animal sequences and period sets built to resemble a frontier station.

‘Monte Walsh’ (2003)

This TNT remake adapts Jack Schaefer’s novel about aging cowhands facing a changing West as open-range work disappears. Selleck leads with Isabella Rossellini and Keith Carradine in a story that tracks trail jobs, railroad expansion, and the costs of modernization. Simon Wincer directs and leans on expansive outdoor cinematography and town builds to show the shift from cattle outfits to settled life. The teleplay credits include Michael Brandman and Robert B. Parker, and the runtime approaches two hours.

‘Crossfire Trail’ (2001)

Adapted from Louis L’Amour, this TV movie follows a drifter who swears to protect his dying friend’s widow and Wyoming ranch from a corrupt businessman. Selleck stars with Virginia Madsen, Mark Harmon, and Wilford Brimley in a plot driven by range rights, oil seeps, and town intimidation. Directed by Simon Wincer, it premiered on TNT to record basic-cable viewership at the time, reflecting strong interest in made-for-TV Westerns. The production features set-piece gunfights, cattle work, and a finale that turns the town against hired guns.

‘The Sacketts’ (1979)

This two-part miniseries adapts Louis L’Amour’s ‘The Daybreakers’ and ‘Sackett,’ following three Tennessee brothers pushing West after a feud back home. Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, and Jeff Osterhage headline with Glenn Ford in a multicharacter migration that covers trail work, mining camps, and frontier law. The production uses period costuming and stock work across open country, giving time to each brother’s arc across two feature-length episodes. Its format lets the story cover cattle drives, gun troubles, and family loyalties with more scope than a single film.

Share your own favorites and tell us how you would order these in the comments.