The Searchers [HD-DVD]

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A favorite film of some of the world's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, John Ford's The Searchers has earned its place in the legacy of great American films for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably, it's the definitive role for John Wayne as an icon of the classic Western--the hero (or antihero) who must stand alone according to the unwritten code of the West. The story takes place in Texas in 1868; Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Confederate veteran who visits his brother and sister-in-law at their ranch and is horrified when they are killed by marauding Comanches. Ethan's search for a surviving niece (played by young Natalie Wood) becomes an all-consuming obsession. With the help of a family friend (Jeffrey Hunter) who is himself part Cherokee, Ethan hits the trail on a five-year quest for revenge. At the peak of his masterful talent, director Ford crafts this classic tale as an embittered examination of racism and blind hatred, provoking Wayne to give one of the best performances of his career. As with many of Ford's classic Westerns, The Searchers must contend with revisionism in its stereotypical treatment of "savage" Native Americans, and the film's visual beauty (the final shot is one of the great images in all of Western culture) is compromised by some uneven performances and stilted dialogue. Still, this is undeniably one of the greatest Westerns ever made. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Wayne plays ex-Confederate soldier Ethan Edwards, a believer more in bullets than in words. He's seeking his niece, captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger, thirst, the elements or loneliness. And in his obsessive, five-year quest, Ethan encounters something he didn't expect to find: his own humanity.

Customer Reviews:

amazing HD pictures for a great western.......2007-09-15

I will never say "the searchers" is the best western movie ever but it belongs to the high end category.It is up to yr tastes.
HD has made out of this 1956 movie something totaly amazing.it is a blast.
This is realy a piece to own in yr HD DVD collection.
The weakness and there is one depite the five star rating...the sound is excellent but is mono...so if you switch from Transformers or starwars you will feel something is missing in yr living room...

Great Movie!.......2007-09-01

Arguably, this is the best movie John Wayne ever made. The other candidates are "The Shootist" and "True Grit". Of course, Wayne got the Best Actor Award for "True Grit". He should have gotten one for this movie.

Wayne is admirably supported by a number of Wayne-movie regulars, such as Ward Bond, who plays the leader of a band of Texas Rangers, and Harry Carey, Jr. Olive Carey, the mother of Harry Carey, Jr. and wife of famous western actor, Harry Carey, has a part in the movie. In fact, Wayne pays a tribute to Harry Carey in the final scene of the movie where he stands silhouetted in the front door holding his right forearm with his left hand. This was a common gesture of Harry Carey. Jeffery Hunter, Vera Miles, and a young Natalie Wood round out the cast. Hunter does a particular good job as Wayne's young sidekick. You also will be able to pick out a young Festus Haggen ("Gunsmoke") aka Ken Curtis. He plays the part of young guy who tries to woo Vera Miles away from Jefferey Hunter.

Overall this is a great movie. The writing, directing, acting and cinematography are superb.

The Searchers.......2007-08-16

A classic film about human emotions regardless of genre and on the same footing as Casablanca.

Wayne's acting is so wooden.............2007-08-12

I have never been a John Wayne fan and I am surprised that this movie has gotten so many high praise reviews. I think it runs too long and the actors in it led by Wayne are all pretty much wooden. There is no humanity here at all.

Low on my list *** spoilers ***.......2007-07-28

I wonder where this movie would stand in list of the best Westerns ever made -- if the voters were American Indians. I'm American Indian and I'm puzzled by the high regard that film is held in.

Is it because Wayne's character undergoes some sort of transformation? From racist to what? He forgives his white niece for being forced to sleep with an Indian -- after slaughtering a bunch of them thar sperm producers. There's no sign of a conversion. No epiphany. There's no logic to it. It just happens. Just like the positive feelings towards this movie.

With those ugly and demeaning scenes with the young man's Indian bride presented as comedy, I long for the days when Indians were just cardboard villians, trotted out to fill a role in a "good guys, bad guys" scenario. Those don't bother me half as much.

I may watch the scene where Ken Curtis sings a few bars of "Skip to My Lou". I may respect the fine visuals. While I have almost always been bothered by Wayne's awkward way with a line of dialog, that hasn't put me off from his other movies. This one, tho, offends me.

The Searchers (Two-Disc Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

amazing HD pictures for a great western
Great Movie!
The Searchers
Wayne's acting is so wooden......
Low on my list *** spoilers ***

The Searchers (Two-Disc Anniversary Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles , Ward Bond , and Natalie Wood
Director: John Ford , and Nick Redman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F0UUIM
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Working together for the 12th time, John Wayne and director John Ford forged The Searchers into a landmark Western offering an indelible image of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Wayne plays an ex-Confederate soldier seeking his niece, captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger, thirst, the elements or loneliness. And in his five-year search, he encounters something unexpected: his own humanity. Beautifully shot by Winton C. Hoch, thrillingly scored by Max Steiner and memorably acted by a wonderful ensemble including Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood and Ward Bond, The Searchers endures as "a great film of enormous scope and breathtaking physical beauty" (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic).

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich
Documentaries:Behind the Cameras (4-parts): Meet Jeffrey Hunter, Monument Valley, Meet Natalie Wood, Setting Up Production
Documentary:The Searchers: An Appreciation
Featurette:A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Searchers
Introduction:Intro by Patrick Wayne
Theatrical Trailer:Theatrical Trailer The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Customer Reviews:

amazing HD pictures for a great western.......2007-09-15

Great Movie!.......2007-09-01

The Searchers.......2007-08-16

A classic film about human emotions regardless of genre and on the same footing as Casablanca.

Wayne's acting is so wooden.............2007-08-12

Low on my list *** spoilers ***.......2007-07-28

Average customer rating:

amazing HD pictures for a great western
Great Movie!
The Searchers
Wayne's acting is so wooden......
Low on my list *** spoilers ***

The Searchers
Starring: John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles , Ward Bond , and Natalie Wood
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Cowboys & Indians | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Epic | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6304696566
Release Date: 1997-10-29

Product Description

With The Searchers, John Wayne and director John Ford forged an incredible saga of the frontier and the men and women who challenged it. Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, and ex-Confederate who sets out to find his niece, captured by Comanches who massacred his family. He won't surrender to hunger, thirst, the elements or loneliness. And in his obsessive quest, Ethan finds something unexpected: his own humanity. One of the most influential movies ever made, The Searchers contains sequences that are "a brilliant fusing of editing, camerawork and performance as filtered through a master director's eyes" (Ted Sennett, Great Hollywood Westerns).

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

amazing HD pictures for a great western.......2007-09-15

Great Movie!.......2007-09-01

The Searchers.......2007-08-16

A classic film about human emotions regardless of genre and on the same footing as Casablanca.

Wayne's acting is so wooden.............2007-08-12

Low on my list *** spoilers ***.......2007-07-28

The Searchers (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

amazing HD pictures for a great western
Great Movie!
The Searchers
Wayne's acting is so wooden......
Low on my list *** spoilers ***

The Searchers (Ultimate Collector's Edition)
Starring: John Wayne , Jeffrey Hunter , Vera Miles , Ward Bond , and Natalie Wood
Director: John Ford , and Nick Redman
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1950s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000F0V0LI
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Amazon.com essential video

Description

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich
Documentaries:Behind the Cameras (4-parts): Meet Jeffrey Hunter, Monument Valley, Meet Natalie Wood, Setting Up Production
Documentary:A Turning of the Eart: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Searchers
Interviews:The Searchers: An Appreciation
Introduction:Intro by Patrick Wayne
Theatrical Trailer:The Searchers Trailer The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Trailer

Customer Reviews:

amazing HD pictures for a great western.......2007-09-15

Great Movie!.......2007-09-01

The Searchers.......2007-08-16

A classic film about human emotions regardless of genre and on the same footing as Casablanca.

Wayne's acting is so wooden.............2007-08-12

Low on my list *** spoilers ***.......2007-07-28

Average customer rating:

Fun Movie
not a "B" western
What a great surprise
John Wayne was Tallin the Saddle
Tall in the Saddle...

Tall in the Saddle
Starring: John Wayne , Ella Raines , Ward Bond , George 'Gabby' Hayes , and Audrey Long
Director: Edwin L. Marin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs as Low as $7.49 | The Big DVD Sale | Stores | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007P0X96
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

In this convoluted Western mystery, "tall in the saddle" is more of a genealogical clue than an accurate index of the hero's behavior. John Wayne has come to town, so he says, to work for a local rancher--who was murdered shortly after sending for him. Prime villain would appear to be Ward Bond, exuding oiliness as the local judge, who doesn't seem to be a real judge. Paul Fix (who cowrote the screenplay) and Harry Woods supply the thuggery. But mostly it's women that Wayne has trouble with: the dead man's genteel niece (Audrey Long) and her virago of a duenna (Elisabeth Risdon), and especially Ella Raines, who dresses like a man (well, a very pretty boy), runs the neighboring ranch, and falls into instant love-hate with Wayne. (This was Raines's glory period--within a few months in 1943-44 she was breathtakingly lovely in Corvette K-225, Hail the Conquering Hero, and Phantom Lady--but alas, here she's mostly just shrill.)

As run-of-the-mill Wayne Westerns go, this RKO picture is a bit upscale from the fare at Republic, if also less robust. Edwin L. Marin's direction is undistinguished, but the RKO craftsmanship is handsome as usual, and it must have been nice to work from a coherent screenplay for a change. Gabby Hayes is around to discuss sexual politics with Duke. For some reason the veteran character actor Frank Puglia goes uncredited as Raines's enigmatic servant, who seems to have wandered in from a Val Lewton production. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Woman-hating cowboy becomes foreman of ranch run by pretty woman and her spinster aunt who have inherited the ranch.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Movie.......2007-07-24

I'm not a connoisseur of Westerns, but I've seen quite a few, including the artful and hallowed ones, such as Broken Arrow, The Searchers, High Noon, Shane, etc. Tall in the Saddle is light fare, with a lot of snappy banter and winks at the audience. My dad (in his 90s) was watching this and I sat down for a few minutes but watched it to the end. A good flick's a good flick!

not a "B" western.......2007-05-27

One of my favorite westerns. I own a copy. The plot is complex enough to be worthy of Cecil DeMille, though directed by Edwin Marin. Some have categorized this as a glorified "B" western, but I see nothing "B" about the cast of main characters nor the story line. Of course, we soon figure out that Wayne and Ella Raines' character were made for each other, but the "right" woman doesn't quite always end up with the hero, as for example in "The Far Country". We are kept in suspense through most of the film as to who killed Red Cardell and why, and who has been trying to ambush Wayne and why. We also wonder what Wayne's real motive is for sticking around after discovering that Red Cardell, whom he presumably never met, is deceased. It's always a treat to have Gabby Hayes back in a Wayne western. Ward Bond, another fixture in Wayne movies of the 1940s and 1950s, does well as a prime suspect for being responsible for the plot shenanigans and in piecing things together at the end. Audrey Long is perfect as the prim naive beauty from the East, as is Elizabeth Risdon, as her scheming arrogant old battle-ax of an aunt. Wouldn't the latter and Gabby make a lovely couple! Ella's character may have been a more exciting lover and companion than Audrey's; but, if I were Wayne, I'd be extremely careful about getting into a relationship with such a hot-headed jealous tomboy who thinks nothing of using me for target practice with her pistol and knife! There are a few seemingly incongruous details to the plot. Why does Ella's bodyguard hold off telling who killed Ella's brother? Does he want Wayne to take the blame? Jealous? Maybe he doesn't think anyone would believe him or doesn't believe the legal system will do justice. Or, perhaps he did tell the real reason to Ella. As is true of westerns in general, vigilante justice seems to be condoned by the main characters as the most just and efficient way to rid societies of evil people or those who have done you personally wrong....As a side note, this film should not be confused with the later Clark Gable western with the somewhat similar title "The Tall Men"

What a great surprise.......2007-04-28

I was expecting this early Wayne film to be one of those "cliched and routine" stock westerns, so imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered a well written and well performed, solid and unique little western/mystery. Wayne is great in his role and many of his "iconic" mannerisms are evident in this performance.
Co-star Ella Raines is not only very lovely, but she's very convincing as a "tough as nails" cowgirl. She and Wayne have great chemistry together.
The story in this film is airtight and very believable and was truly well written. There are many snappy and memorable bits of dialog delivered with perfection.
Gabby Hayes and Ward Bond once again demonstrate why they became such popular, co-starring character actors. Both of them really shine in their roles and make this film such an enjoyable experience. A special nod to actress Elisabeth Risdon for playing the bitter, conniving old crone so well, and to Audrey Long for making her "sweet and gentle" character memorable instead of boring. (not an easy task)
If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed western with a great story, then definitely check out "Tall in the Saddle." I now know this is one of the best from it's era, and highly recommend seeing it.

John Wayne was Tallin the Saddle.......2007-03-08

Take John Wayne and add a story from Paul Fix about murders and an evil Land grab, and you have a rip snorting story that zips right along. The film has a cast of character actors that read like who's who. Ward Bond is the bad attorney. Gabby Hayes is the cantankerous old wagon driver. Look for Ella Raines as the beautiful but equally tough heroine. This movie is just a lot of fun.

Tall in the Saddle..........2007-02-03

It's in black-and-white, the story is simple, nothing fancy, but yet, it appealed to me. Why? John Wayne of course. His character was nothing fancy, but I couldn't help but like the character for trying to do the right thing. One of my favorite early western movies. Five stars...

Average customer rating:

Fun Movie
not a "B" western
What a great surprise
John Wayne was Tallin the Saddle
Tall in the Saddle...

Tall in the Saddle
Starring: John Wayne , Ella Raines , Ward Bond , George 'Gabby' Hayes , and Audrey Long
Director: Edwin L. Marin
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

All Titles | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

1940s | John Wayne Store | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000O599NU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Description

Woman-hating cowboy becomes foreman of ranch run by pretty woman and her spinster aunt who have inherited the ranch.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Movie.......2007-07-24

not a "B" western.......2007-05-27

What a great surprise.......2007-04-28

John Wayne was Tallin the Saddle.......2007-03-08

Tall in the Saddle..........2007-02-03

Lone Cowboy: Lawless Frontier/Star Packer/Hurricane Express/Trail Beyond

Average customer rating:

Lone Cowboy: Lawless Frontier/Star Packer/Hurricane Express/Trail Beyond
Starring: John Wayne
Manufacturer: Vintage Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007VF20A
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Description

THE LAWLESS FRONTIER - An outlaw Zanti kills John Tobin's father, then attempts to kidnap Ruby and kill her grandfather Dusty, but Tobin intervenes just in time to put a stop to it.

THE STAR PACKER - U.S. Marshal John Travers is hoping to catch an outlaw chieftain known only as "The Shadow".

THE HURRICANE EXPRESS - "The Wrecker", a master of disguise, tries to sabotage the L. & R. Railroad to bolster an airline service.

THE TRAIL BEYOND - Rod Drew is reacquainted with Wabi who is a "half-breed" framed for the shooting murder of a card shark.

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