The Searchers

4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (491 customer reviews)
Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it.
  • Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter
  • Directed by: John Ford
  • Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
  • Release year: 1956
  • Studio: Warner Bros.
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The Searchers [Blu-ray]
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Product Details
Synopsis: Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it.
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter
Supporting actors: Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Henry Brandon, Ken Curtis, Harry Carey Jr., Antonio Moreno, Hank Worden, Beulah Archuletta, Walter Coy, Dorothy Jordan, Pippa Scott, Patrick Wayne, Lana Wood, Pipe Line Begishe, Exactly Sonnie Betsuie, Danny Borzage, Ruth Clifford
Directed by: John Ford
Genre: Western
Runtime: 1 hour 59 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: Details
Release year: 1956
Studio: Warner Bros.
ASIN: B001QJUX24 (Rental) and B001QJOZP0 (Purchase)
Rights & Requirements
Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period Details
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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Theatrical Release Information
  • US Theatrical Release Date: March 13, 1956
  • Production Company: Warner Bros, C.V. Whitney Pictures
  • Filming Locations: Aspen, Colorado, USA | Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Goosenecks State Park - State Highway 316, Mexican Hat, Utah, USA | Gunnison, Colorado, USA

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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
(491)
4.5 out of 5 stars
See all 491 customer reviews
“ John Ford's THE SEARCHERS is by far one of the best western films ever made. ” Taylor Miller  |  126 reviewers made a similar statement
“ Classic , great story and for the time the scenery and color beautiful. ” Mohawk413  |  87 reviewers made a similar statement
“ As Ethan Edwards, the main character, John Wayne gives the performance of his career. ” D. J. Zabriskie  |  61 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
200 of 217 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wayne's Finest Performance, in Ford Masterpiece... May 24, 2004
By Benjamin J Burgraff VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Even if you've never seen John Ford's THE SEARCHERS, you will have, undoubtedly, seen a film that owes it's 'style' to the film. DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES, UNFORGIVEN, JEREMIAH JOHNSON, and OPEN RANGE are just a few westerns that have 'borrowed' from it, but THE SEARCHERS' impact transcends the genre, itself; STAR WARS, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE LAST SAMURAI, even THE LORD OF THE RINGS have elements that can be traced back to Ford's 1956 'intimate' epic. When you add the fact that THE SEARCHERS also contains John Wayne's greatest performance to the film's merits, it becomes easy to see why it is on the short list of the greatest motion pictures ever made.

The plot is deceptively simple; after a Comanche raiding party massacres a family, taking the youngest daughter prisoner, her uncle, Ethan Edwards (Wayne), and adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), begin a long quest to try and rescue her. Over the course of years, a rich tapestry of characters and events unfold, as the nature of the pair's motives are revealed, and bigoted, bitter Edwards emerges as a twisted man bent on killing the 'tainted' white girl. Only Pawley's love of his 'sister' and determination to protect her stands in his way, making the film's climax, and Wayne's portrayal of Edwards, an unforgettable experience.

With all of Ford's unique 'touches' clearly in evidence (the doorways 'framing' the film's opening and conclusion, with a cave opening serving the same function at the film's climax; the extensive use of Monument Valley; and the nearly lurid palette of color highlighting key moments) and his reliance on his 'stock' company of players (Wayne, Ward Bond, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Harry Carey, Jr, Hank Worden, and Ken Curtis), the film marks the emergence of the 'mature' Ford, no longer deifying the innocence of the era, but dealing with it in human terms, where 'white men' were as capable of savagery as Indians, frequently with less justification.

Featuring 18-year old Natalie Wood in one of her first 'adult' roles, the sparkling Vera Miles as Pawley's love interest, Wayne's son Patrick in comic relief, and the harmonies of the Sons of the Pioneers accenting Max Steiner's rich score, THE SEARCHERS is a timeless movie experience that becomes richer with each viewing.

It is truly a masterpiece!

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133 of 150 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Amazing movie, terrible "remastering" September 20, 2006
By rasselas
Format:DVD
This is a review of the "Ultimate Collector's Edition," NOT a review of the film itself. If you're considering the purchase of a two-disc special edition, you probably already know that the film is great; you just want to know if this slick package is worth the pricetag.

In short, it's not. And let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I have known and loved this film for years. A few sequences look properly spectacular, but after watching this DVD on two separate (and high-quality) televisions, I'm amazed that all of the low-light scenes have been rendered almost completely dark. Like, too dark to tell what's even *happening*. For instance, the scene where Brad (Harry Carey, Jr.) runs off to his death, the scene where Marty's (Jeffrey Hunter's) "bride" is serving coffee along the river, and even the pre-dawn scenes leading up to the final storming of the Comanche camp, are utterly lost in the dark. By contrast, the bare-bones 1997 DVD release features noticeably richer colors in the daytime scenes and total clarity in the low-light scenes I've just mentioned. Don't waste your money on this special edition; you'll be much happier if you just shell out the $10.99 for the 1997 release.
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102 of 114 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Unquestionably John Wayne's Best Film July 22, 2005
By kone TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
On this site there are over 100 fan-reviews of this movie, and many tell the plot in great detail, therefore, my reivew will be short and sweet. With the great John Ford directing, John Wayne starring, and a superb story line - all this adds up to a 5-star movie if there ever was one! You cannot go wrong buying this DVD - it delivers!

Now considered possibly the greatest weatern movie of all-time, "The Searchers" was panned by the critics of its day for being just another "ho-hum" John Wayne western. It took years, but modern critics and viewers now recognize it as an epic of western filmmaking that perhaps will never be topped. If I had to choose one movie that represented the best of the west, it is undoubtedly "The Searchers".

John Wayne gives his most intense acting performance as the dark and vengeful Ethan Edwards, who vows to kill the Commanche raiders that murdered his beloved sister-in-law, brother, and took captive two of their daughters. Wayne easily carries the film on his broad brooding shoulders, pursuing the Indians for over 5 years through summer and winter, ever relentless to see their chief, "Scar", dead, and his captive nieces rescued.

Director John Ford is at the height of his creative powers in directing this western masterpiece. He weaves so many different themes and levels of interpretation into the film, that one discovers something new with each viewing. It would take a small treatise to bring out all the subtle details.

Succinctly and to the point, "The Searchers" is a film that you will watch again and again, and love it each time a bit more. It is that absolute best in western filmmaking!

Jim Konedog Koenig
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Classic 1950's Western Movie
This movie has received a lot of belated praise from many sources. I say belated because praise was slow in coming to the film as it won no academy awards at the time of its... Read more
Published 20 hours ago by David Bower
5.0 out of 5 stars a great movie
i love this movie. it one of john waynees best. i'm glad it arrived quickly vor viewing. i;ve wanted to own it for a long time.
Published 1 day ago by lana smith
5.0 out of 5 stars My Second Favorite Movie
After Casa Blanca, The Searchers, is my second favorite movie. I feel it's the best movie John Wayne ever starred in. Read more
Published 2 days ago by D. James
3.0 out of 5 stars Good But Not Great
There is now a movement afoot to make this THE great American movie. It's hard to think of it as such with a handsome blue-eyed Indian chief, white Indian captive Natalie Wood... Read more
Published 2 days ago by L. Murray
4.0 out of 5 stars John Ford's Masterpiece
Every scene in this movie dazzles the eyes with the magnifince of Monument Valley. Forget that it's suppose to be Texas. Read more
Published 4 days ago by James R. Hawkins
5.0 out of 5 stars It's The Searchers ... It's John Wayne ... It's Great
This is *not* my favorite John Wayne movie. Oh, it's up there ... top 10 ... but it's not my favorite. Read more
Published 6 days ago by John A. Gunnels
5.0 out of 5 stars You don't know the Duke until you've seen this
Growing up in the 1970s, for me John Wayne was more of an icon than a real star. Then I started watching these pictures from his prime. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Tim Byers
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest films of all time.
In film classes we would watch this over and over, it is a film to be studied for many many reasons and I wont get into it here. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Mike M
5.0 out of 5 stars Best western made.
The standard by which others are judged. Blue ray hd makes this better than ever. I can recommend this product.
Published 10 days ago by P. Cross
5.0 out of 5 stars John Wayne at his best.
Great movie presents an epic struggle of the pioneer West. John Wayne is at his rugged best in this story of a man's years long search for his nieces taken by Comanches. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Weven Staid
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Topic From this Discussion
Audio
No Raymond , to my knowledge the film has been left in mono. However in dolby digital mono..
Warners are careful NOT to upset too many people.
Thanks Kevin Janner.
Jul 21, 2007 by Mr. Kevin D. Janner |  See all 8 posts
Blu Ray vs. my standard DVD
Oh yeah, there's a difference. Huge. I have the DVD and the Blu-ray. The DVD is pretty good, the Blu-ray is shocking. It's hard to believe that it was filmed nearly 60 years ago -- the picture is that good. Those shots of Monument Valley look nearly 3D. This is probably the best transfer... Read more
May 4, 2010 by Charlie |  See all 4 posts
flaw with blu ray?
yep my audio is about 4 frames late i have e-mailed warners could be
there was a pressing fault
Nov 5, 2008 by D. BYRNE |  See all 7 posts
Hank Worden (ol mose) Worden
Loved him in Red River. "Planting and reading. Planting and reading. How come you fill a man full of lead and then read words over him like you're involving the Good Lord in the shooting?"
Sep 13, 2009 by True Crime Reader |  See all 2 posts
Opening title sequence Be the first to reply
Does anyone know the difference
The ultimate edition includes these extras:

Reproduction of 1956 Dell comic book
Reproduction of original 1956 Warner Bros. press book
Reproductions of filmmaker memos and correspondence
10 postcards with behind-the-scenes photos
Movie poster offer
Jun 6, 2006 by Timothy Murray |  See all 4 posts
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