Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Searchers

  • 19561956
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
91K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,860
59
John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Jeffrey Hunter, and Vera Miles in The Searchers (1956)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer2:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureDramaWestern
An American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.An American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.An American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
91K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,860
59
    • John Ford
    • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
    • Alan Le May(from the novel by)
  • Stars
    • John Wayne
    • Jeffrey Hunter
    • Vera Miles
    • John Ford
    • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
    • Alan Le May(from the novel by)
  • Stars
    • John Wayne
    • Jeffrey Hunter
    • Vera Miles
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 596User reviews
    • 126Critic reviews
    • 94Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos3

    The Searchers
    Trailer 2:47
    Watch The Searchers
    The Searchers
    Trailer 2:45
    Watch The Searchers
    Did 'Home Alone' Inspire 'Rambo: Last Blood'?
    Clip 1:43
    Watch Did 'Home Alone' Inspire 'Rambo: Last Blood'?

    Photos206

    John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne in The Searchers (1956)
    Vera Miles in The Searchers (1956)
    Ken Curtis and Vera Miles in The Searchers (1956)
    Jeffrey Hunter in The Searchers (1956)
    Jeffrey Hunter, Olive Carey, and Vera Miles in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Henry Brandon, and Antonio Moreno in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne, Ward Bond, and Jeffrey Hunter in The Searchers (1956)
    John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter in The Searchers (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Wayne
    John Wayne
    • Ethan Edwards
    Jeffrey Hunter
    Jeffrey Hunter
    • Martin Pawley
    Vera Miles
    Vera Miles
    • Laurie Jorgensen
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton
    Natalie Wood
    Natalie Wood
    • Debbie Edwards - Age 15
    John Qualen
    John Qualen
    • Lars Jorgensen
    Olive Carey
    Olive Carey
    • Mrs. Jorgensen
    Henry Brandon
    Henry Brandon
    • Scar…
    Ken Curtis
    Ken Curtis
    • Charlie McCorry
    Harry Carey Jr.
    Harry Carey Jr.
    • Brad Jorgensen
    Antonio Moreno
    Antonio Moreno
    • Emilio Gabriel Fernandez y Figueroa
    Hank Worden
    Hank Worden
    • Mose Harper
    Beulah Archuletta
    • Look
    Walter Coy
    Walter Coy
    • Aaron Edwards
    Dorothy Jordan
    Dorothy Jordan
    • Martha Edwards
    Pippa Scott
    Pippa Scott
    • Lucy Edwards
    Patrick Wayne
    Patrick Wayne
    • Lt. Greenhill
    • (as Pat Wayne)
    Lana Wood
    Lana Wood
    • Younger Debbie Edwards
      • John Ford
      • Frank S. Nugent(screenplay)
      • Alan Le May(from the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
    8.1
    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
    Rio Bravo
    8.0
    Rio Bravo
    Stagecoach
    7.8
    Stagecoach
    High Noon
    8.0
    High Noon
    The Wild Bunch
    7.9
    The Wild Bunch
    Red River
    7.8
    Red River
    The Quiet Man
    7.7
    The Quiet Man
    True Grit
    7.4
    True Grit
    The Grapes of Wrath
    8.1
    The Grapes of Wrath
    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
    7.2
    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
    Fort Apache
    7.4
    Fort Apache
    Shane
    7.6
    Shane

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Beulah Archuletta (Look) was found crying in one of the tipis by John Wayne in between shooting scenes. When Wayne asked her why she was crying, she responded that she was going to miss her son's wedding because she was filming her scenes at the time. Wayne stopped production of the film for a few days and flew her to California so that she could attend the wedding.
    • Goofs
      The "dead" Indian under the rock, when the rock is removed, is clearly breathing.
    • Quotes

      Martin: I hope you die!

      Ethan: That'll be the day.

    • Crazy credits
      The credits state this Warner Brothers film is in VistaVision; this may be the only Warner film in VistaVision.
    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Fatale beauté (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      The Searchers (Main Theme)
      Composed by Max Steiner

      Lyrics by Stan Jones

      Sung by Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)

    User reviews596

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Kidnapped by the Day, the Vision
    I'm in a sort of quandary with this. I dislike these men, Ford and Wayne. I think Wayne is artless and was actually dangerous to society. Ford has this mean and misogynistic streak and likes dumb stories, really dumb. But in this case, I was swept away by the cinematography. Oh, its nothing particularly deep, but it just seems so pure and right for what they were attempting, which was this notion of transcendent freedom.

    Ford's idea of the west and therefore America was this business of openness. His cowboy stories usually deal with unhealthy constraint in some way. Here it is kidnapping and racial defilement. The story is simple: a man has an affair with his brother's wife and sires two girls. He runs off to the war and becomes a crook (but a good American one). Returns. Girls captured by evil Indians. Man searches for them to kill them, so that they don't have to live with the burdens of events.

    You could imagine all sorts of depth in this, and some watchers have, despite the bluntness of the two principles, and the absolutely childish second plot, childishly done as if it represented the intrusion of the little girl's mind before the captive sex.

    So I have to admit, that I give this my watchable recommendation. Even the bad parts work for me because it represents a visit to a fictional world of American liberty that is so iconic and pure it takes the breath away. Even the noble, manly fights. Even the hate. Even the halting thoughts of a man who won't listen — because he knows.

    Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
    helpful•16
    12
    • tedg
    • Mar 17, 2007

    FAQ5

    • Why did the Comanches attack the home of Aaron and Martha to begin with?
    • Did Ethan and Martha have an affair?
    • Is this based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 26, 1956 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • Navajo
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Monument Valley, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • C.V. Whitney Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 59 minutes

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ward Bond, Jeffrey Hunter, and Vera Miles in The Searchers (1956)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Searchers (1956) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.