Classic Western movie, released in
1956. Directed by
John Ford and written by
Frank S. Nugent, based on
Alan Le May's
novel. Starred
John Wayne as
Ethan Edwards,
Jeffrey Hunter as
Martin Pawley,
Natalie Wood as
Debbie Edwards,
Ward Bond as
Reverend Captain Samuel Johnson Clayton, and
Henry Brandon as
Chief Scar.
Wayne stars in a rare
villainous role as an
Indian-hating
Civil War vet who spends years searching for his young
niece, played by Wood, who has been
kidnapped by
Indians. Though he starts out wanting to save her from
captivity, he eventually realizes that after so many years with the Indians, she will
identify with them and has likely taken an Indian
brave as a
husband, so he decides that he must
kill her when he finds her.
"
The Searchers" is usually considered to be both Wayne's and director Ford's
best film, and is often called the
greatest Western ever. Anyone who doubts Wayne's
ability to portray less-than-
heroic characters needs to check this movie out.
The
film inspired the
Buddy Holly song "
That'll Be the Day", for Wayne's
catchphrase.