The Searchers (1956)

Star Rating: 3
Length of Film: 120 minutes
Director: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, John Qualem, Olive Carey, Henry Brandon, Ken Curtis, Harry Carey Jr., Antonio Moreno, Hank Worden, Belulah Archuletta, Walter Coy, and Dorothy Jordan







Ethan  Edwards (John Wayne), returns home from the Civil War, greeting his family with open arms. He's been away for so long that he tells Lucy (Pippa Scott), that she hasn't grown since he left. Debbie (Lana Wood), corrects him with her little girl attitude telling her that Lucy, is over there.

While settling in, neighbors barged in saying that someone took their cows. They went on a search, and found the cattle dead, with spears in them. Ethan identified the spears being owned by the Comanche Indians. Ethan's family, at the homestead, looked out, while the sun was setting, and started preparing. Locking the windows, and telling Little Debbie to climb out the window and head for safety.

Fire burns the homestead, finding Aaron (Walter Coy), his wife Martha (Dorothy Jordan), and their son Ben (Robert Lyden) dead; and Debbie and her older sister Lucy missing, so they assumed the worse, that they were kidnapped. Ethan, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), who was Aaron and Martha's adopted son, go on the search (hence the title!) to rescue Lucy and Debbie. Ladies...eye candy!

Many individuals, including Lucy's fiance,  went on the hunt to find the 2 girls. Lucy's fiance got himself killed, after Ethan told him he found Lucy's body badly beaten, and dead in a canyon. During the winter, Ethan and Martin seeked refuge with the Jorgensen's. Their daughter Laurie (Vera Miles) took a liking to young Martin. A very playful flirtatious scene where Martin is in a bathtub and she barges in and he's all embarassed, it's actually quite funny! Ethan's plan was to wake up early, and ditch Martin. Of course, that didn't go over well, and he borrowed a horse from Laurie, and caught up with Ethan. Martin writes Laurie a letter, that she cherishs and re-reads over and over again. She waits for him, but then another suitor, Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis) swoops in and agrees, because its been years since she's heard anything about Martin. They finally track down information about a white girl traveling with the Comanche Indians. 5 years has passed, and they know not to look for a little girl, but a young woman.

You see Scar (Henry Brandon), Cheif of the Comanche's has taken Debbie as a wife. They try to make a trade; horse for Debbie, but Scar wouldn't go for it. They leave frustrated and empty handed. Not long after, Debbie approaches Ethan and Martin, dressed head to toe in Indian attire, and speaking their native tongue. Then in english, she tells them to go. Ethan pulls out his rifle, and points it Debbie. He would rather kill his last living family member, than see her as an Indian.

I'll leave you with that teaser...

John Wayne plays a strong man, with a vendetta to save his last living family member. My favorite part of the movie was the interaction between Laurie and Martin, and their flirtation. Especially when Martin shows up years later, on her wedding day to Charlie. It was great to see the two men fight it out, rolling around in the dirt.