The Searchers

The Civil War has been over for three years. Former confederate Ethan Edwards visits his brother’s home to make a new life for himself. Just when things begin to bright for Ethan, Comanches attacks his brother’s homestead and kidnaps Ethan’s nieces Debbie and Lucy. Ethan is determined to find the girls with the help of his adopted nephew, Martin Pawley. Yet as their search continues for several years, it slowly becomes clear that Ethan and Martin are trying to find Debbie and Lucy for different reasons. The Searchers is among the first of many revisionist westerns even before Sergio Leone. It strips away the romanticized view of the Old West to show how unforgiving it can be and how cruel the independent cowboy can be.

Production

Directed by John Ford

Screenplay by Frank Nugent

Based The Searchers by Alan Le May

Starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood

Music by Max Steiner

Cinematography by Winton C. Hoch

Edited by Jack Murray

Production companies: C.V. Whitney Pictures

Distribution & Stats

Distributed by Warner Bros.

Release date: May 16, 1956

Running time: 119 minutes

Country: United States

Language: English

Budget: $3.75 million