He had to find her... he had to find her...
As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.
The Searchers (1956) is a western film directed by John Ford, released on May 16, 1956 with a runtime of 1h 59m. It stars John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles and Ward Bond. Viewers rate it 7.7 out of 10 across 1,621 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Searchers before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Searchers.
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John Wayne
as Ethan Edwards
Jeffrey Hunter
as Martin Pawley
Vera Miles
as Laurie Jorgensen
Ward Bond
as Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton
Natalie Wood
as Debbie Edwards
John Qualen
as Lars Jorgensen
Olive Carey
as Mrs. Jorgensen
Henry Brandon
as Chief Cicatriz (Scar)
Ken Curtis
as Charlie McCorry
Harry Carey Jr.
as Brad Jorgensen
Antonio Moreno
as Emilio Gabriel Fernandez y Figueroa
Hank Worden
as Mose Harper
Directed by John Ford, written by Frank S. Nugent and Alan Le May, produced by C.V. Whitney.
Average viewer score of 7.7/10 from 1,621 ratings.
What makes a man to wander? Upon returning from a trip out to find cattle thieves, Ethan Edwards finds his brother and sister-in-law murdered by Comanches and their two daughters missing. Driven by a hatred of Indians, and a motive of some determination, Edwards and his part Indian companion set off to find the missing girls - it's a perilous journey that will span many years. The Searchers is one of the greatest…
Reviewed on June 4, 2014
_**Overrated Wayne Western with a young Jeffrey Hunter**_ Released in 1956 and directed by John Ford, "The Searchers" chronicles the story of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) who returns from the Civil War to his brother's ranch in the Southwest; and to his brother's wife, whom he secretly loves. After the ranch is raided by Comanches, Ethan and his 1/8 Indian nephew (Jeffrey Hunter) search for the band of Indians to get…
Reviewed on April 13, 2021
**An interesting film, very well made, but with a weak script.** This is one of those old Western movies where the cowboy figure is glorified as the epitome of the common American hero, the women are helpless youths waiting for a gunslinger to keep them safe, the West is a lawless land where everyone does their own thing. whatever and the natives – in this case, the Comanche – are true terrorists, whom it is lawful…
Reviewed on August 12, 2023
Fabulously framed against a backdrop of Monument Valley; this is a most cinematic experience. John Wayne leads in this classic story of a man whose family are murdered/kidnapped by Comanches and of his subsequent search for his family and for vengeance. Jeffery Hunter plays his nephew "Martin" with considerable skill and emotion and Ward Bond is another who knows how to get the best from Frank Nugent's screenplay.…
Reviewed on June 9, 2024
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The Searchers (1956) is available to stream on YouTube TV, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and Spectrum On Demand. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Searchers (1956) includes John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood. The film was directed by John Ford. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Searchers was released on May 16, 1956 and runs for 1h 59m.
The Searchers (1956) holds an average rating of 7.7 out of 10 from 1,621 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy western films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Searchers trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
