The Searchers (1956)

This John Ford Western – one of the director’s best – inexplicably did not receive a single Academy Award nomination despite the fact that it features one of John Wayne’s best lead acting performances a compelling relevant story (Frank Nugent wrote the screenplay from Alan Le May’s novel) and beautiful Technicolor vistas of Monument Valley by 3-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Winston Hoch; it was however added to the National Film Registry in 1989 and it’s #96 on AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies list.

Wayne plays Ethan Edwards a man who returns to the relatively unsettled U.S. territory west of Texas fully two years after fighting for the south during the Civil War. His former Captain Samuel Clayton (Ward Bond) who had returned much earlier is in charge of the Rangers aka the law in this part of the country where Edwards’ family is trying to scratch out an existence among hostile Indians. Ethan doesn’t try to hide his racism or scorn for his brother Aaron’s (Walter Coy) adoptive son Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) who’s one-eighth Cherokee even though Ethan had saved the boy’s life in the distant past. The Edwards and Jorgensens are about the only two families left who haven’t given up trying to settle in the valley despite its challenging conditions.

When Lars Jorgensen (John Qualen) needs help retrieving some cattle after a Comanche Indian raid Clayton and men from both families head out to find them. After a forty mile horseback ride from home they discover that the raid was just a ruse to separate the men folk from their homes and women. Because the Jorgensen ranch is closer Clayton and most of the other men head there while much to Martin’s frustration Ethan and Mose Harper (Hank Worden) bed down to rest their horses for the trip back to the Edwards’ place. Later Ethan and Mose catch up with Martin who’d killed his horse by trying to ride back without first resting it just before discovering the worst: the Edwards’ homestead is burning all its occupants killed horrifying evidence that Aaron’s wife Martha (Dorothy Jordan) was raped before her death and the Edwards’ daughters Lucy (Pippa Scott) and Debbie (Lana Wood) missing presumed to be taken by the Comanches.

Clayton and the men search unsuccessfully for the girls and successfully hold off a Comanche onslaught – led by Chief Cicatriz aka Scar (Henry Brandon) – meant to eliminate them but Ethan’s surly nature and a subsequent disagreement cause most of the party to return home while only Ethan Martin and Lars’s son Brad (Harry Carey Jr.) soldier on. After coming upon the Indian’s camp one night and learning that Ethan had discovered that Lucy – Brad’s fiancée – had met with a similar fate as her mother Brad makes a suicidal raid of his own. Ethan and Martin continue on for the better part of a year without success before returning to the Jorgensen ranch. Mrs. Jorgensen (Olive Carey) greets Ethan while her daughter Laurie (Vera Miles) rushes Martin. Though Martin is somewhat clueless and curiously (& unrealistically given his age) uninterested in Laurie she informs him that they’ve been going steady since they were both 3 years old! But just as he’s come around to that fact and his feelings for her Ethan says that he’s off to find Debbie per a new lead. Martin insists that he has to go too; it is clear that Martin believes Ethan’s hatred and bigotry is not only the man’s driving force but it will lead Ethan to kill Debbie the minute that he finds her.

The remaining search takes several more years – hence the film’s title – and an entire segment of this time is related in a letter that Martin writes to Laurie which she reluctantly reads aloud to her family and the letter carrier Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis) who’s her unwanted suitor at first but later becomes her fiancé. It’s learned that Martin while trading hats for a blanket with a friendlier tribe of Indians inadvertently became betrothed to a squaw (Beulah Archuletta). But he writes she was later killed perhaps by the same Comaches that may still have Debbie.

*** SPOILERS ***

Eventually through a Mexican of some stature named Emilio (played by Antonio Moreno) Ethan and Martin find – and have a peaceful if contentious meeting with – Scar who speaks the English language fairly well and recognizes Ethan who he’s dubbed “Big Shoulders” (Ethan speaks Comanche). They discover that Debbie (Natalie Wood) now 15 years old is alive and is one of Scar’s squaws. After the meeting Emilio returns Ethan’s money (paid to set up the meeting) and departs quickly per the bad blood he’d sensed. While Ethan and Martin set up camp down the river from their Indian rivals and discuss their pending fate Debbie runs to warn them to leave as soon as possible. After hearing Debbie refuse Martin’s plea (e.g. that she escape with them) Ethan tells Martin to step aside as he draws his sidearm. Martin protects Debbie as an arrow from afar strikes Ethan in the shoulder; the two men then scramble to escape a Comanche raid. After they successfully defend their position among some rocks Martin helps Ethan to mend. But the two return ‘home’ at odds after Martin refuses to accept Ethan’s last will and testament which would have left the remaining Edwards’ assets to him because unlike Ethan Martin doesn’t consider Debbie to be already dead.

At the Jorgensens’ the men discover that they’ve arrived just in time to interrupt Laurie’s betrothal to Charlie. In a relatively civilized manner Martin and Charlie fight it out much to Laurie’s and her ‘lady’ mother’s delight. Though neither man wins or loses the fight (they exhaust one another) Charlie realizes that he’d never had Laurie’s heart so he calls off the wedding and leaves. Martin and Laurie reconcile. Just then a Union Cavalry son of a Colonel obviously inexperienced Lieutenant Greenhill (Wayne’s son Patrick) arrives to announce to the Reverend – the former Confederate Captain Clayton – that Scar and his Comanches are camped nearby. Clayton states that he and his fourteen rangers are game to handle the situation but he allows the lieutenant to tag along (much to his personal regret and near impalement by the greenhorn’s sword later). Martin sneaks into the camp to rescue Debbie and ends up killing Scar before Clayton Ethan and the rangers charge in cavalry-style and finish things off. After visiting the Chief’s tent to remove Scar’s scalp Ethan chases after Debbie successfully eludes Martin’s attempt to stop him and catches up to his ‘former’ niece. He lifts her into the air and instead of killing her cradles her to his chest and says “let’s go home Debbie”.

Director Ford’s iconic and oft-copied last scene of the film with Hoch’s visual framed by the doorway of the Jorgensens’ home (which bookends with the film’s opening sequence framed by the doorway of the Edwards’) features Ethan returning home on horseback dismounting and carrying Debbie to the porch where she is greeted and embraced by Mr. & Mrs. J. before these same three enter through the doorway. They’re followed by Martin and Laurie who had just had their own joyous reunion and are still clinging to one another as they enter which leaves Ethan standing alone almost awkwardly and silhouetted in the doorway (his shadow falls into the porch’s shade failing to reach the door’s threshold) a magnificient barren landscape with ‘monuments’ behind him. He turns takes the step down and walks away as the door closes.

Purchase this DVD now at

or buy the Blu-ray Disc here