Product Details

• Actors: Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck, Jeff Osterhage, Glenn Ford, Ben Johnson
• Directors: Robert Totten
• Writers: Jim Byrnes, Louis L'Amour
• Producers: Douglas Netter, Jim Byrnes
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: July 22, 1994
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302256682
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,303 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Louis L'Amour's easy voice with its gentle rhythm sets the tone and pace of the film in a spoken introduction to this loping, rambling three-hour-plus TV-movie adaptation of his novels The Daybreakers and Sackett. Sam Elliot stars as the elder Sackett, a nomad hunting and trapping in the mountains who happens upon an ancient treasure. Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage are his younger siblings, forced to leave home to avoid a Hatfield and McCoy situation. As the Sackett brothers wind their way across the Midwest prairies and mountains we join them on cattle drives and gold hunts, in gunfights and fistfights, and in a climactic showdown as they find their place in the world. This 1979 film rambles and meanders like a lazy river winding through a beautiful landscape of peaks and plains and forests, punctuated by the occasional gunfight and enlivened by a story that celebrates both the open range and the taming of the towns. Elliot looks almost young but flashes his savage eyes behind a thick black beard, while Selleck's easygoing manner is backed up with a stony-faced determination. The excellent cast includes a veritable who's who of Western character actors: Glenn Ford, Ben Johnson, Gilbert Roland, Gene Evans, Jack Elam, Slim Pickens, L.Q. Jones, Mercedes McCambridge, and Pat Buttram. Followed in 1982 by The Shadow Riders, which reunited the three stars and even a few members of the supporting cast in a tale of three different brothers. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once in a lifetime Western cast!, July 29, 2004

By 

Anthony Caton (Arkansas. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sacketts [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a motion picture I could watch over again and again, if only to see the terrific collection of Western film icons. An early scene features Ty Sackett (Jeff Osterhage) trying to sign on with a cattle drive. Around the campfire sit the owner of the cattle (L.Q. Jones), the foreman (Glenn Ford), and the top hand (Ben Johnson). Right then the viewer knows that he's in for first-rate entertainment.
The story line is split between Tell Sackett (Sam Elliott) trying to steer clear of three brothers (Jack Elam, Gene Evans, and Slim Pickens) out to revenge Tell's killing of their card shark brother, and Orrin and Ty Sackett (Tom Selleck and Osterhage) doing their best to bring law and order to Sante Fe despite the diabolical dealings of the town's richest man (the always oily John Vernon).
But the focal point of the picture is the underrated Glenn Ford as the mysterious Tom Sunday -- one time attorney, marshal, and even murderer. He begins the film as a mentor to Orrin and Ty, but eventually time and fate pit the three against each other.
Don't get me wrong, "The Sacketts" is not in the league of "The Wild Bunch," "High Noon," or "Ride the High Country," but I can't think of a much better way to spend three hours of my time.
Except for maybe doing a little riding on my old Buckskin on a cool, clear Saturday morning.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding TV Western Miniseries, May 22, 2006

By 

Terence Allen (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts (DVD)

The Sacketts was one of the first instances of Hollywood getting the Western look on a scale bigger than episodic television series. Before Lonseome Dove and its sequels, this miniseries combines a great story and and an awesome cast to maximum effect.

Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, and Jeff Osterhage play three brothers whose family becomes embroiled in a good old-fashioned Tennessee feud, causing the oldest brother to head out west. The younger brothers follow later, and all three get involved in gunplay with old enemies, and even old friends.

Selleck, Elliott and Osterhage make great Sacketts, and the supporting cast, including Ben Johnson, Glenn Ford, Jack Elam, Gene Evans, Paul Koslo, and others are terrfic. When TV had stopped making western television series, and the genre had just about dried up even on the big screen save the occasional Eastwood Western, The Sacketts were a welcome return to a sadly neglected genre. And the film still is a welcome return, especially now on DVD.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Film, February 9, 2005

By 

Mark E. Painter (Independence, Kentucky United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sacketts [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Tom Selleck, Sam Elliot, Ben Johnson, Glen Ford, Slim Pickens, John Vernon, Gene Evans, Gilbert Roland, Gene Evans, LQ Jones, Jeff Osterage and Jack Elam. I firmly believe we'll never see such an ensemble again. The movie is a little predictable in places, however, that doesn't take anything away from the fine acting.

Tom, Sam and Jeff really click as the Sackett Brothers and Elliot looks as if he just stepped out of a time machine. It's always a pleasure to see Ben Johnson. Who, IMHO, was one of Hollywood's finest character actors. His roll as Sgt. Tyree in "She wore a Yellow Ribbon" is a prime example.

This film will probably never reveive kudos as similar films like Tombstone, True Grit or Will Penny. But, if your looking to spend some quality time with some good old fashion storytelling. This film will rise to the occaision.

I aslo might add, this film really deserves to be re-released on DVD.