Long hailed by Western film aficionados as perhaps the best John Ford/John Wayne collaboration, The Searchers (1956) has received honors from the American Film Institute (AFI) in recent years as well. The Searchers not only earned the #1 spot on the AFI's list of the greatest Western Films, but it placed high on their list of The 100 Greatest American Films Ever Made. An astounding directorial achievement for John Ford, beautifully shot in his beloved Monument Valley in Arizona, The Searchers is visually stunning and written with great depth of content. Thought to be inspired by the abduction of Cynthia Anne Parker by Comanche warriors in 1836, the story is both tense and poignant. John Wayne delivers a standout performance, accompanied by Natalie Wood, Harry Carey Jr., Vera Miles, Jeffrey Hunter and Ward Bond.
1868: Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns to his brother's home after three years of wandering after he fought on the losing side in the Civil War...
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
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| The Searchers. 1956 |
The reunion is happy, but short-lived. Ethan, along with a large group of others, go out to investigate the theft of some of their cattle. This was a ploy by Comanche warriors to draw them away from their homes, during which time a murder raid was conducted. Ethan returns to find his home in flames, most of his family dead and his niece, Debby, missing...
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
Bent on revenge and determined to rescue the girl, Ethan embarks on a years-long search to track down the Comanches...
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
he has some help...
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
it is a long journey, with the reward not always apparent...
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| The Searchers. 1956: Natalie Wood |
but hopefully finding his long-lost niece will provide some closure and work out well in the end...
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| The Searchers. 1956: John Wayne |
