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The Searchers (1956)

Passed   |    |  Adventure, Drama, Western

The Searchers (1956) Poster

An American Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches.

7.9/10
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94 Metascore

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  • John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
  • John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
  • John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
  • John Ford in The Searchers (1956)
  • Natalie Wood in The Searchers (1956)
  • John Ford in The Searchers (1956)

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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Frank S. Nugent (screenplay), Alan Le May (from the novel by)
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Awards

Won 1 Golden Globe.

Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
7 October 2013 | AaronCapenBanner
9
| Landmark Western.
John Ford and John Wayne re-team for their best and most famous western. Wayne plays returning Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards, who comes to the Texas ranch of his brother on hopes of settling down to a new life. Unfortunately, these plans are cruelly thwarted when the ranch(filled with the women and children) is raided by ruthless and renegade Indian chief Scar, who attacks and massacres the family, except for little Debbie Edwards(Natalie Wood) Ethan, enraged and distraught by this raid, vows to track down and kill the tribe, and rescue his niece, with the help from his nephew Martin(played by Jeffrey Hunter). This search takes several years of their lives, across the country and through all kinds of weather and obstacles, until one day they finally locate Debbie, who is now assimilated into the tribe Ethan hates, and he may not be able to spare her...

Gorgeously filmed on location in Ford's beloved Monument Valley, with an intelligent and ambitious script and a superlative performance by Wayne, as a driven and vengeful man who is not always likable, but is still righteous and fascinating. Film does ramble a bit, and the outcome is not really in doubt, but excellent film is still worth watching, with an astonishing closing scene.

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Lana Wood went through a "grueling" audition. She was ushered into a room where she was introduced to John Wayne and John Ford. Instead of rehearsing a scene from the script with the two performers, Ford issued one command to Wayne: "Lift her up, please." As Lana recounted in her autobiography, "Mr. Wayne stood up--he seemed to extend further toward the ceiling than anyone I had ever seen in my life--grinned, and rubbed his huge hands together. Then he reached down, picked me up, and never once stopped smiling at me. 'That's fine, no problem at all,' he finally said, putting me down. And that was it."

Quotes

Aaron Edwards: Ethan?
Debbie Edwards: Hush, Prince.
Lucy Edwards: That's your Uncle Ethan!
Martha Edwards: Welcome home, Ethan!

Goofs

During the snowy creek crossing, a woman on horseback can be seen wearing sunglasses.

Crazy Credits

The credits state this Warner Brothers film is in VistaVision; this may be the only Warner film in VistaVision.

Soundtracks

The Bonnie Blue Flag
(uncredited)
Traditional

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Adventure | Drama | Western

Details

Release Date:

26 May 1956

Language

English, Navajo, Spanish

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Kayenta, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,750,000 (estimated)

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