The Searchers

The Searchers is a 1956 epic Western film directed by John Ford, which tells the story of Ethan Edwards, a bitter, middle-aged loner and Civil War veteran played by John Wayne, who spends years looking for his abducted niece. The movie was adapted by Frank S. Nugent from the novel by Alan Le May. It is a very influential film, inspiring other westerns as well as dramas, science fiction, and even Bollywood films.

Much of it was filmed in Monument Valley, Utah. Additional scenes were filmed in Mexican Hat, Utah, and in Bronson Canyon in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.

The film was shot in the VistaVision widescreen process.