10 Best Westerns Adapted From Louis L'Amour Novels

Louis L'Amour was the king of western novels, and many of his books and short stories have been adapted into classic movies. Across a four-decade career, L'Amour crafted dozens of novels and stories that brought western literature to the masses. His tales of frontier life made him one of the bestselling authors of all time, and he's still read today.

Naturally, L'Amour almost immediately began selling stories to Hollywood, and his books were first adapted into westerns at a time when the genre was at its most popular. Though his works rarely produced critically-acclaimed cinema in the early days, L'Amour remained a consistent source for filmmakers to draw from. Years later, L'Amour's books found new life as TV movies.

During a time when the genre was on the decline, L'Amour's novels were brought to the small screen in wildly successful western TV movies. Adaptations of L'Amour's works helped to make Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott bona fide western icons, and the author's best movies have stood the test of time to be must-see viewing.

Four Guns To The Border (1954)

Taken from one of L'Amour's nearly endless supply of short stories, Four Guns to the Border is a surprisingly strong mid-'50s western of the B-grade variety. The story has plenty of western tropes, including a band of outlaws, Apache warriors, and plenty of frontier justice. As is the case with most B-grade westerns, the cast makes everything worth watching.

Despite a stellar performance from Colleen Miller, Four Guns to the Border is one of the lesser Louis L'Amour movies because it is too unfocused. It plays out like a series of things that happen, instead of a tightly-plotted story. Nevertheless, it certainly outranks many of his other '50s films, which ended up being painfully dull.

Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado (1956)

Kilkenny was a lesser-known part of Louis L'Amour's bibliography, and it made for a decent western when it was adapted into Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado. Like a page from a western handbook, the title character is a retired gunslinger who is pressed back into service when a greedy cattle baron threatens his peace.

At a brisk 76 minutes, the gritty western is in stark contrast to the sweeping epics that came out around the same time. Its pace is ultimately its biggest saving grace, and though clichéd, it manages to remain entertaining throughout. Other films were better, but few exemplified L'Amour's characterization quite like the hidden gem western.

Utah Blaine (1957)

Rory Calhoun made a few Louis L'Amour movies in his career, but Utah Blaine is certainly the best. The title character is a gunslinger with a purpose, who helps nearby landowners keep their property when outlaws try to steal it away. Homesteading and ranching is a big theme in L'Amour's work, and it comes through in Utah Blaine.

The movie is far from perfect, and though it has a strong cast of character actors, it's easily forgotten compared to some of L'Amour's better works. Meanwhile, Utah Blaine is one of the author's best early films, largely because it doesn't change too much of what made L'Amour's books so popular in the first place.

Shalako (1968)

At the end of the Hollywood Golden Age, westerns found new life thanks to foreign film markets and popular subgenres like the spaghetti western. Shalako is an odd addition to the L'Amour filmography, and stars Sean Connery in the title role. The British production is stylish and violent, and also has touches of sexiness not usually found in westerns.

Despite its slower moments, Shalako shines when it hits its action-packed crescendos. Like most non-American westerns from the time, the violence is heightened, and the movie blends a more traditional anachronistic approach with realism. L'Amour's eye for detail shines through, and it's a nice middle-of-the-road movie that's perfect for western fans who have already seen the classics.

Stranger On Horseback (1955)

In between stints making some of the best horror films of the Golden Age of Hollywood, director Jacques Tourneur delivered a stunning little western. Stranger on Horseback is based on the L'Amour short story, and it features an unconventional protagonist. Joel McCrea gives a characteristically charismatic performance as a circuit judge who must take on an entire crooked town.

The underrated western hits all the common tropes, and also fulfills repeated themes from L'Amour's work, including justice and the taming of the West. The movie's color photography is vibrant, and it captures the sweeping vistas of its setting. Despite being a B-movie, Stranger on Horseback is one of L'Amour's most elevated early films.

The Shadow Riders (1982)

The Shadow Riders is one of the most important Louis L'Amour movies because it helped kick off the second phase of his movie career. The film teams Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott together in a story about two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War, who must unite to rescue their family from kidnappers.

Though it falls short of films that would come later, The Shadow Riders gives theatrical movies a run for their money. Elliott and Selleck are electric together, and the production value is quite high for a film made exclusively for the small screen. If it wasn't for later movies, The Shadow Riders would be near the top of L'Amour's filmography.

Crossfire Trail (2001)

Tom Selleck is the king of the TV movie western, and Crossfire Trail was the actor's final role in a Louis L'Amour story (thus far). Also starring Virginia Madsen and Mark Harmon, Selleck stars as a rambler who swears to protect the wife and property of his dying friend. While it has action, Crossfire Trail is mostly an interpersonal drama.

At only an hour and a half, it doesn't suffer from the same pitfalls as other TV movies which are way too long. Instead, it's a crisp and fast-paced story with strong performances from the ensemble cast. Crossfire Trail is one of L'Amour's better books, and it also turned out to be one of his better movies. Selleck was already decades into his western career, but he still had star power.

The Quick And The Dead (1987)

Not to be confused with the 1995 western of the same name, The Quick and the Dead is one of Sam Elliott's best movies. The HBO-produced film stars Elliott as the mysterious and heroic Con Vallian, who protects a family of homesteaders from outlaws. Vallian is the perfect L'Amour hero, and Elliott is the best man for the job.

Without the strong foundation of L'Amour's book, The Quick and the Dead could have been a boring western with little surprise. However, the film shines because of the characters and their relationships that grow throughout running time. The movie ranks near the top because it has depth, and doesn't rely on spectacle to make up for lackluster storytelling.

Conagher (1991)

Sam Elliott continued his western hot streak in 1991's TV movie, Conagher, and it gave him a chance to stretch his range a bit. Elliott is tapped to play the gruff main character, who slowly has his heart melted by a headstrong woman. Though lacking in action, Conagher is a strong love story.

Louis L'Amour wasn't the master of wholly original storytelling, but his character work and thematic depth made up for other shortcomings. Conagher sees those strengths on full display, and it's anchored by Elliott's performance. It triumphs over many other L'Amour movies because it has so much worth revisiting again and again.

Hondo (1953)

Though it's often overlooked in John Wayne's impressive catalog of classic westerns, Hondo is undoubtedly the best Louis L'Amour movie. Wayne plays the title character, a rough and rugged hero who bonds with a woman and her child after they settle in dangerous territory. Wayne was perfect for L'Amour's style of protagonist, and he was his usual swaggering self.

As in all great L'Amour stories, the bond between the characters is what makes the movie so compelling. It's also L'Amour's most high-profile film, and it looks as lavish as all the other great westerns of the Golden Age. Hondo is the best of what Louis L'Amour had to offer as an author, and the movie best represents his style.