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The Searchers

Play trailer Poster for The Searchers 1956 1h 59m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
87% Tomatometer 103 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.
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The Searchers

The Searchers

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Critics Consensus

The Searchers is an epic John Wayne Western that introduces dark ambivalence to the genre that remains fashionable today.

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Critics Reviews

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Jean Yothers Orlando Sentinel 03/25/2024
The story is appealing, the action is exciting and the expanse of scenery in VistaVision and Technicolor is truly awe-inspiring. Go to Full Review Helen Bower Detroit Free Press 03/25/2024
Ford has achieved an extraordinary effect. There is the sense of time passing, yet the picture never drags. There is continued action, yet the picture conveys in almost leisurely fashion the life of isolated families in the remote early West. Go to Full Review Jack Moffitt The Hollywood Reporter 03/25/2024
[The Searchers] is undoubtedly one of the greatest Westerns ever made. For sheer scope, guts and beauty I can think of no picture... to compare with it. In it John Wayne delivers a performance that tops his great performance in The High and the Mighty. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Aug 7
4/5
…like it or not, cinema history is littered with a dozen great John Wayne movies, and John Ford's The Searchers is surely up there with the very best of them... Go to Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies 08/25/2025
4.5/5
Even with its deeply uncomfortable racial politics, The Searchers remains one of cinema’s most important Westerns—a film whose artistry and legacy endure, even as its darker themes continue to spark debate. Go to Full Review David Reddish CBR 05/05/2025
4/4
The Searchers isn’t just the greatest Western ever to hit screens. It’s one of the greatest movies ever made. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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richard b 1d Great break from the norm. A simple movie of the ways of old. Fun to watch. See more Ray Calvert 1d The Searchers is an all time classic film. It was a privilege to watch it on the big screen. I was too young to have appreciated it on the big screen when it first came out. Please feature more classic films from movie history. Certainly we can find streaming copies, but watching them on the screen as they were intended is like seeing great art at a museum. It is a special experience. See more James 2d Best western ever and top John Wayne movie, #1 of many of his. 1A of numerous number 1's See more Richard A G 2d One of the greatest Westerns, it’s a definite must see! For the story, direction by John Ford and an incredible performance by The Duke. Beautifully photographed! See more bruce F @bruce999 Aug 15 nicely done... it's worth a look See more Nick P @RT29616493 Jul 19 Wayne’s best performance, greatest western of all time. See more Read all reviews
The Searchers

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Cast & Crew

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John Ford

Director

John Wayne

Ethan Edwards

Jeffrey Hunter

Martin Pawley

Natalie Wood

Debbie Edwards (older)

Vera Miles

Laurie Jorgensen

Ward Bond

Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton

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The Searchers

The Searchers (1956) The Searchers (1956) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.
Director
John Ford
Producer
C.V. Whitney
Screenwriter
Alan Le May, Frank S. Nugent
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 16, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 24, 2008
Runtime
1h 59m
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