IMDb > The Searchers (1956)
The Searchers
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The Searchers (1956) More at IMDbPro »

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962) -- AFI's 10 Top 10 - The 10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres
The Searchers (1956) -- As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.
The Searchers (1956) -- As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.
The Searchers (1956) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   28,245 votes
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Director:
Writers:
Frank S. Nugent (screenplay)
Alan Le May (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Searchers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 March 1956 (USA) more
Tagline:
The story that sweeps from the great Southwest to the Canadian border in VistaVision. more
Plot:
As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(41 articles)
User Reviews:
New Discoveries more (351 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Wayne ... Ethan Edwards
Jeffrey Hunter ... Martin Pawley

Vera Miles ... Laurie Jorgensen
Ward Bond ... Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton

Natalie Wood ... Debbie Edwards (older)
John Qualen ... Lars Jorgensen
Olive Carey ... Mrs. Jorgensen
Henry Brandon ... Chief Cicatrice (Scar)
Ken Curtis ... Charlie McCorry
Harry Carey Jr. ... Brad Jorgensen
Antonio Moreno ... Emilio Gabriel Fernandez y Figueroa

Hank Worden ... Mose Harper
Beulah Archuletta ... Wild Goose Flying in the Night Sky (Look)
Walter Coy ... Aaron Edwards
Dorothy Jordan ... Martha Edwards
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Additional Details

Runtime:
119 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (certificate #17787) | South Korea:12 (2003) | Brazil:12 | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Items #11 and #14 give contradicting descriptions of the medal given to Debbie. The medal may be a prop combining features of French and Mexican medals. The white and blue Maltese cross is similar to the white and red cross on the Mexican Order of Guadalupe and the red and green ribbon appears on the French Order of Merite Agricole. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The movie begins in 1868; however, all of the guns used are mid 1870s vintage. The pistols used are Colt 1873 Peacemakers and the rifles are Winchester Model 1892. Although both Spencer and Volcanic Repeating Arms both produced cartridge firing repeating rifles, it is more likely that most of the men, not being professional gun hands, would have carried Civil War surplus rifles (muzzleloaders)like Mose. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[seeing a horseman in the distance]
Aaron Edwards: Ethan?
Debbie Edwards: Hush, Prince.
Lucy Edwards: That's your Uncle Ethan!
Martha Edwards: [he approaches] Welcome home, Ethan!
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Thank Ya, Thank Ya Kindly (1991) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
The Searchers more

FAQ

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46 out of 67 people found the following review useful.
New Discoveries, 12 December 2000
10/10
Author: Ric-7 from New Orleans LA

About ten minutes into the film, there is a shot which begins with Captain Clayton (Ward Bond) slamming a door behind two children who were teasing two young lovers, Lucy and Brad. There follows a wordless interior shot, lasting maybe a minute, wherein Aunt Martha takes out Ethan's Confederate overcoat, tenderly caressing it before she hands it to Ethan. I noticed the sequence when I recently watched the film again, and I had to rewind and play it once more because I found it so stunning--all of the information and emotions conveyed without a word. I'd watched the film previously maybe a dozen times and had never noticed the power of this sequence.

Don't for a second tell me that Ethan is a stereotype, because there is so much more at work here. Obviously we are not supposed to sympathize with Ethan's prejudices, but notice that Ethan is not the only one who feels that way. Laurie (not at all disapprovingly) tells Martin that Aunt Martha would have preferred her daughter to be killed after being defiled. Interestingly, Martin is one-eighth Cherokee, which under the old racial percentages of the Confederacy would make him the equivalent of an octoroon, and therefore non-white. Martin's intended marriage to Laurie, on racial terms, would have been as taboo as Debbie marrying Scar: Laurie believes that death is preferable for Debbie, but she intends to do likewise with Martin. The contrast is that Debbie was abducted, whereas Laurie would willingly go. And note at the end that Laurie walks right by Debbie, as she heads for Martin.

The final shot is famous, but I noted the doorway theme throughout the film: the message of an open or closed door, whether the character enters the door or just looks in, at other times, the character is inside looking out. And all of this in a 50's western.

The movie is not perfect: I could have done without some of the comic relief. However, this is John Wayne's best work (The Shootist is a close second). Those who think this is the best film of all time have good reason to support their belief.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Searchers (1956)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Who Else Thinks This Film is 'Overblown'? JohnWelles
Could Mose be faking? kmerian
greatest ending ever nccomet
The chilling look. macatfo
How many DVD releases are there of this movie? movieman-232
Why no oscars? parrot2006
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