The Searchers

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The Searchers

Released May 16, 1956

1h 59m

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

98 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.

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Critics Consensus

The Searchers is an epic John Wayne Western that introduces dark ambivalence to the genre that remains fashionable today.

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Jean Yothers

Orlando Sentinel

The story is appealing, the action is exciting and the expanse of scenery in VistaVision and Technicolor is truly awe-inspiring.

Mar 25, 2024

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Helen Bower

Detroit Free Press

Ford has achieved an extraordinary effect. There is the sense of time passing, yet the picture never drags. There is continued action, yet the picture conveys in almost leisurely fashion the life of isolated families in the remote early West.

Mar 25, 2024

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Jack Moffitt

Hollywood Reporter

[The Searchers] is undoubtedly one of the greatest Westerns ever made. For sheer scope, guts and beauty I can think of no picture... to compare with it. In it John Wayne delivers a performance that tops his great performance in The High and the Mighty.

Mar 25, 2024

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Jay Carmody

Washington Star

It is in keeping alive this seemingly endless [quest] that Ford's genius asserts Itself. He has landscape to work with, and colored film and a Vista-Vision camera. With these he can achieve miracles and, to the picture's great advantage, he does.

Mar 25, 2024

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Francois Truffaut

Arts (France)

John Ford symbolizes an age of Hollywood, the one when good health prevailed over intelligence, craftiness over sincerity. This age has gone; Elia Kazan's and Nicholas Ray's movies make more money than John Ford's, poetry triumphs over entertainment.

Mar 25, 2024

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William R. Weaver

Motion Picture Herald (Exhibitors Herald)

The Searchers is one of the great ones -- one of the greatest of the great pictures of the American West.

Mar 25, 2024

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Audience Member

There is a reason why this is Martin Scorsese's favorite movie: it is simply a rare masterpiece, created by one of the greatest masters of cinema. Yes, it has weaknesses due to the time of its creation, but it is a film full of Old Testament force. A must-see for every film lover.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

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Shaun B

An absolute brilliant film.Not only the finest Western ever made, but one of the greatest films.It's zero amount of Oscar nominations just show what a sham they have always been.Take a look at the other films that were,that year. WANKERS.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

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Joseph C

one of the most iconic westerns of all time. john fords direction is a accurate depiction of the american west. john wayne is great as uncle ethan and the music by max steiner is superb. a little slow at times but never boring the searchers is a excellent reccomendation to the western genre.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/27/24

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John Z

This is a truly great Western film by John Ford. Not to be missed!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/05/24

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AgustÃn R

The movie is a western beatiful

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

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Mike P

Intense western/actioner from John Ford; stars John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles and Natalie Wood.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

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John Ford

Director

John Wayne

Ethan Edwards

Jeffrey Hunter

Martin Pawley

Natalie Wood

Debbie Edwards (older)

Vera Miles

Laurie Jorgensen

Ward Bond

Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton

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Synopsis

In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.

Director: John Ford
Producer: C.V. Whitney
Screenwriter: Alan Le May, Frank S. Nugent
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 24, 2008
Runtime: 1h 59m

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