McLaglen directed his first features ("Gun the Man Down" and "The Man in the Vault") in 1956, followed by "The Abductor" (1957), starring his father. He then signed a long-term contract with CBS-TV, where he became quite proficient at the helm of episodic Western fare (e.g., "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun--Will Travel" and "Rawhide"), as well as the courtroom drama series "Perry Mason". His feature reputation rests on the Westerns starring Wayne and "Shenandoah" (1965), a sentimental drama capturing the heartbreak of America's Civil War starring James Stewart which is arguably his best picture; but these films are memorable more for their performances than any particular McLaglen touch. With the exception of "Sahara" (1984), all of his features after 1976 were foreign affairs, the most notable being the British production of "The Wild Geese" (1978). The best of his later work was for the small screen, including "Louis L'Amour's 'The Shadow Riders'" (CBS, 1982), "The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission" (CBS, 1985) and the miniseries "The Blue and the Gray" (CBS, 1982) and "On Wings of Eagles" (NBC, 1986).