Reacting to THE SEARCHERS (1956) | Movie Reaction

[@waterbeauty85]

When I first started watching KZbin, I never would have predicted that a Scottish woman watch classic American westerns would be one of my favorite things on KZbin. Best reactions ever.

[@joelwillems4081]

To use Dawn's phrasing, it's lovely to watch someone learn something of the American Western culture.

[@mikesilva3868]

Mac and me Wow. That was rough going. Somehow the film is even more terrible than any article written about it, any podcast that covered it, and any clips on KZbin could reflect. This tedious garbage goes on seemingly forever, with a pace that’s glacial and characters that are both unappealing and unconvincing, alien or otherwise.😮😢😱😨🙀

[@karlmortoniv2951]

I think Dawn's the first reactor I've seen who can cope with the tone shifts that John Ford usually indulged in as a matter of course but which often confuse and alarm modern viewers. Ford liked silly characters and comedy as a palate cleanser - Charlie McCrory in this movie is a prime example. Most reviewers I've seen really don't like the whiplash going back and forth from seriousness to goofiness, but as bizarre as it seems older moviegoers weren't as... I was going to say 'intolerant' but that's not quite what I mean.... and set in their ways as a lot of modern ones.

[@davewhitmore1958]

@@mikesilva3868 Everyone's entitled to their opinion, even when it's incredibly wrong 👍

[@APerson4889-g5f]

lol same here

[@IHeartShenanigans]

The big rocks are called Mesa's. This was filmed in a place called Monument Valley.

[@RetroClassic66]

No, mesas are larger and wider. The towering rock formations in Monument Valley are called buttes (byoots).

[@roywall8169]

The Duke should have won an oscar for this portrayal. What a redemption story!

[@leefischer5814]

That one and Red River as well

[@smg85051]

Should've earned at least 3 or 4 in his distinguished career

[@Sven_E07]

​@@smg85051 Not far from the truth. He was overlooked for nominations a few times, The Shootist, The High And The Mighty, some more... Some were for political reasons, some were poor advertisement from the studio like The Shootist, which was Oscar worthy acting.

[@AlunThomas-mp5qo]

@@Sven_E07 John Wayne and Cary Grant were both at a disadvantage when it came to the Oscars because neither was ever contracted to a major film studio and therefore never had the full weight of studio campaigns to back them up. In thirty five years they only received four Oscar nominations between them when they should have had twelve.

[@DoubleJ1203]

The Searchers should've won at least six Oscars: Best Actor - Duke Best Picture - Merrian C. Cooper Best Supporting Actor - Jeffrey Hunter Best Director - John Ford Best Adapted Screenplay - Frank S. Nugent Best Cinematography - Winton C. Hoch Could've won Best Supporting Actress - Vera Miles or Olive Carey Best Musical Score - Max Steiner

[@christopherschafer7675]

Laurie is the girl from 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance', Vera Miles. She turned in a solid performance in every part she ever had and she is still with us, 93 years young.

[@Madbandit77]

She also played Lila Crane in Psycho (1960).

[@johneastwood3039]

​@Roy Phillips She was in Psycho 2 as well.

[@tokenjoy]

@@Madbandit77 Hitchcock also wanted her to play Madeleine/Judy in Vertigo but Miles was pregnant at the time.

[@RexBell303]

She lived in my hometown, Pratt(KS) when she was in high school. A friend of mine’s dad spoke about how good looking she was. She won Ms Kansas in 1948.

[@Robert-un7br]

I just realized that earlier today. That it was Vera Miles in both roles. I can’t wait to watch the whole movie again, even though she’s only in the first part.

[@richln9682]

Let's go home, Debbie. My favourite line in any film. Comes as such a relief. One of the very few all-time great movies not to receive a single Oscar nomination!

[@ElliotNesterman]

The flat-topped rock formations go by two names. The larger ones are called mesas ( _mesa_ is Spanish for table), the narrow ones are called buttes (from the French _butte_ a mound or hillock).

[@mikecronis]

Yep. We have 'em here in Colorado. They don't fall.

[@creech54]

Like many of John Ford's westerns, "The Searchers" was shot in a place called "Monument Valley" (named for the rock formations found there).

[@MrVvulf]

To avoid embarrassment you should have let Dawn know the pronunciation. Byoots, not butts.

[@markhamstra1083]

Really big ones are plateaus, next in size are mesas, then buttes. The smallest ones have lots of names, including pillar, spire, tower, needle and hoodoo.

[@Ecrocken]

@@MrVvulf There's no "Y" in the pronunciation, unless you're in the deep south. Here in the west, we pronounce it "beauts" as in beauty.

[@michaelbrennick]

The film beautifully opens and closes with the entrance scenes of the cabin. These are iconic film shots showing the genius of John Ford. At the end you see the darkness as Debbie enters, a whole new world opens to her. She is looking all around as she enters. John Wayne, on the other hand, is an outsider to civilization. He doesn't join in the welcoming scene. He is the loner who sadly must pursue a different course than domestic life. His melancholy walk outside is a brilliant piece of visual storytelling by Ford and acting by Wayne.

[@marioarguello6989]

And the song, with the lyrics.

[@dennisfitzgerald8486]

That was my Dad's favorite John Wayne movie,,,, rip Dad.

[@samuraiwarriorsunite]

Many consider this Wayne's best film. A must-have in any John Wayne collection. The end scene where Wayne stands in the doorway raised his left hand, reached across his chest, and grabbed his right arm at the elbow was a moving tribute to his childhood hero, actor Harry Carey.

[@cliffchristie5865]

And Brad, the young man who rides off and gets himself killed, is played by Harry Carey Jr.

[@RoninUK-e3u]

@@cliffchristie5865 and I believe the swedes wife is Harry Carey's widow.

[@cliffchristie5865]

@@RoninUK-e3u Didn't know that. You probably did know that the unseasoned young cavalryman is John Wayne's son Patrick.

[@RoninUK-e3u]

@@cliffchristie5865 Yes Patrick popped up in a lot of his dad's movies and only passed away a f ew weeks ago.

[@joelwillems4081]

@@RoninUK-e3u Oh, I didn't know Patrick just passed. I really liked his performance in "Big Jake".

[@Hiraghm]

The Searchers is one of my favorite John Wayne westerns. Probably tied with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

[@carlanderson7618]

Rio Grande, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Shootist are probably my top three John Wayne westerns.

[@tonyjanney1654]

Hondo.

[@McPh1741]

I’ve loved the Duke since I was a kid in the 80s-90s. In 1991 the aired the 3D version of Hondo. His daughter introduced the movie. I still have the 3D glasses and I cut the advert out of the TV Guide and kept it too.

[@Mc.Garnagle]

Rio Bravo for me. The Searchers is a close second though

[@Hiraghm]

"where's your horse?" Horses are not automobiles. He rode it to death because he didn't listen to his uncle.

[@anthonyflynn9953]

Although when I was young I drove my car to death. 😉

[@genekent2391]

Martin was played by Jeffrey Hunter, who played Capt Pike in the original pilot for Star Trek (TOS) and Jesus Christ in "King of Kings". He was getting pretty popular until he kicked the bucket in 1969 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

[@Madbandit77]

Jeffrey was also in another John Ford film "Sergeant Rutledge" with Woody Strode.

[@timbaker7238]

Jeffrey Hunter also played Gabby Gaboldin in "Hell to Eternity". A movie well worth seeing.

[@michaelm6948]

One of the top 5 westerns. The movie was dedicated to legendary silent western star Harry Carey Sr. A great friend of director John Ford and John Wayne. His son, Harry Carey Jr., was the boyfriend of the murdered girl Lucy. And Carey's widow played the older woman who gave Moes his rocking chair. John Wayne's walk out the doorway at the end was from Harry Carey's way of walking and holding his forearm and done as a dedication to him.

[@guymelton1094]

Gosh young Lady can’t believe you watched this flick , you give me hope, I enjoyed your reactions 👍🙏✌️😊

[@frost1977]

john wayne actually got to meet The real Wyatt Earp, his iconic swagger and manner of speach is influnced by what he saw in Earp. For John wayne movies the 1969 TRUE GRIT is a must, this is the role where John wayne won the Oscar at the acadamey awards for best actor.

[@leefischer5814]

Not only that, Earp told him to change his name cause nobody would ever respect a cowboy named Marion.

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

No, John Wayne never met Wyatt Earp at all. That is one of those charming Old Hollywood fables. All that Wayne knew of Wyatt Earp he got second hand from director John Ford who did know Wyatt Earp.

[@frost1977]

@@Patrick-xv6qv show me some articles or something because everything I can find says yes he did while working as a prop hand so show me a quote from a credible source or what you said is irrelevant.

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

@@frost1977 you will find several sites that claim they met and even that Wayne was Earps coffee boy amd some even go further that they formed a close friendship and Watne was one of Earps pallbearers. Those are all myths. There are other sites that tell those were myths and the 2 never met. I am basing my comment that Wayne and Earp.met was a myth based on 2 of the several biographies I have read about John Wayne including the foremost and most accurate, John Wayne; the Life and the Legend by Scott Eyman who has written several books about actors and producers from the Golden Age of Hollywood and is considered an expert on the subject. Botj books about Wayne stated that Wayne and Earp never met and that they did was a myth fabricated by Hollywood public relations to give John Wayne more popularity, as if he needed it.

[@bobschenkel7921]

Some answers for you. The "hills" are called Mesa's, which is Spanish for "table", because they are flat on top. The Comanche Chief named "Scar" was the person at the beginning of the movie that captured Debbie, and later made her one of his wives. And he was shot by Marty, (Jeffrey Hunter) when they rescued Debbie, (Natalie Wood) and yes he was scalped by Ethan (John Wayne), as retribution for all the past nastiness. "The Searchers" was Directed by John Ford, one of the best directors ever, he influenced the Japanese Director Akira Kurosawa, and the Italian Director Sergio Leone, who did all the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, and many, many others. Ford used real Native Americans, Hopi's mostly, for the Natives in the movie, and he was beloved by the Hopi for the way he treated them, and paid them. They had very few opportunities out in the Arizona desert. The location is Monument Valley, a place Ford used many times in his movies.

[@JohnnyUtah15]

The one Dawn is referring to is a butte 13:42

[@richardcramer1604]

Though it was filmed in Monument Valley AZ, for the story it was supposed to represent TX.

[@bobschenkel7921]

@@JohnnyUtah15 You forgot, and I did too, about the "Mittens", the most famous of the rock formations.

[@JohnnyUtah15]

@@bobschenkel7921 Yep, that’s them.

[@unclebobunclebob]

"That'll be the day" was a phrase John Wayne used over and over in this film. Buddy Holly later used the phrase, which he got from the movie, to write one of his famous rock and roll songs; "That'll be the Day."

[@billolsen4360]

I think "The Day" was a Biblical reference.

[@unclebobunclebob]

@@billolsen4360 Uh...no.

[@Herman_Laurenz]

If you re-watch The Searchers notice the interactions between Ethan and his sister-in-law. The way she strokes his coat, the way he kisses her goodbye on her forehead (while the Reverend Captain uncomfortably eats his donut). There was something going on when he left 7 years earlier. Maybe he was even Debbie's father.

[@sartanawillpay7977]

Also when he returns to the burning ranch he calls out for Martha twice, but not for anyone else.

[@anthonyflynn9953]

At least he believed he could be. The movie couldn’t be explicit, but the thought that his daughter was having sex with Indians fueled his hatred.

[@Texy88]

When I first saw _The Searchers_ I had just got back from a fortnight-long touring holiday in the United States and one of the places I stopped at was Monument Valley, where this film's exteriors were shot. What a great place Monument Valley is.

[@Hiraghm]

"It was your mother's" "What? How'd he know?" Because Ethan was the one who found Martin as a baby.

[@12classics39]

Martin might just have been Ethan’s son.

[@jeffmayle6776]

@@12classics39that was my guess too. Hated the Indians that did it….that’s why he wanted to kill them all, or as many as he could.

[@wwciii]

John Wayne's tag line of That'll be the Day was the inspiration for Buddy Holiday's song That'll be the Day. A double eagle was a god coin worth $20.

[@creech54]

I think you combined "Buddy Holly" and "Billie Holiday". LOL

[@drcornelius8275]

*gold coin

[@CaveatEmptor1966]

❤❤

[@Hiraghm]

"What if like their tribe is humongous, and there are like... only 10 of you guys?" Well... that's what Texicans call "a fair fight".

[@jpavlvs]

I saw the film the first time when I was 5 in my pjs at the drive in theater in 1956. The scene where Ethan shot out the eyes stuck with me my whole life. It's a great study of racism and obsession or determination. Ken Curtis who played Charlie MacQuarie made a whole career on that character. He was also a great singer in 40's big bands and with the Sons of the Pioneers.

[@stefanfalke8041]

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE JOHN WAYNE MOVIES INCLUDING "HONDO" AND 'SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON" A BIT OF TRIVIA THE BRITISH 1960'S ROCK BAND NAMED THEMSELVES AFTER THIS MOVIE "THE SEARCHERS" ONE OF THEIR HITS WAS "LOVE POTION NUMBER 9 , AND DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY.' AND MANY MORE HITS

[@mikedignum1868]

One of the best cowboy films, and Wayne plays such a dark role.

[@petequesada2936]

Charlie was played by Ken Curtis who became hugely famous as Festus on the long running tv show Gunsmoke. At the time of this movie, he was a member of the popular singing group Sons of the Pioneers. The song at the end of the film was one of their big hits Tumbling Tumble Weeds. Vera Miles - as mentioned in the comments played a big role in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

[@FloridaMugwump]

I wouldn't call Festus hugely famous, lol. Everytime we mentioned him, the old folks would say "No, it was Chester. Festus is just some sorry replacement for Chester". We wouldn't know what they were talking about because they had only syndicated the color episodes.

[@gavinmead835]

I've seen this film many, many times, but it's fun watching this lass enjoying it and her commentary is adorable

[@normlee6566]

I believe scar was killed by martin and when wayne found him dead, he scalped him. The scene when wayne chases down debbie in the sand/dirt, raises her above his head, and then cradles her, is one of most iconic scenes in film history. I remember this film was originally shown in black and white and was arguably legendary director john ford's greatest movie.

[@billbabcock1833]

My favorite John Wayne movie, and one of the best Westerns ever made. And definitely the best ending shot with John Wayne framed in the doorway as the door closes. Don't apologize for doing Westerns on your channel, I can tell how much you like them.

[@creech54]

It might have been in B/W on your B/W TV, but it was shot in TechniColor.

[@Mac40581]

This was a color film. Perhaps you saw it on a B&W TV.

[@normlee6566]

@@Mac40581 it was shot in black and white. Ford did that to convey despair and stagnation.

[@creech54]

@@normlee6566 Then why do all the original movie posters say "Technicolor"?

[@pnwcruiser]

The vertical wall flat topped structures are called either buttes or mesas, buttes being smaller than mesas. The movie was filmed in Monument Valley on the present day Navajo Reservation. I once worked as a camping tour leader and took many groups to the area camping overnight below the buttes and mesas or on mesa tops accessed by Jeep, horseback and on foot with Navajo guides. Spectacular country often with stunning sunrises and sunsets glowing on and through the red rock walls. Southern Utah and far Northern Arizona are otherworldly.

[@billolsen4360]

John Ford also filmed "Stagecoach" at the same locale.

[@Hiraghm]

It wasn't that she didn't want to go back... what happened right after she showed up? The Comanche attacked. She was telling them to go away and leave her because _she did not want them killed_ . Ethan misinterpreted this as her having become Comanche.

[@mr.aldini6801]

In the script, it explained that she didn't know the Comanches killed her family, they'd only told her they had rescued her.

[@kieronball8962]

Loved your reactions to one of the greatest westerns ever made, Dawn Marie. Fun Movie Fact: Whenever you saw a gun jam, or mis-fire during this film, it was an actual gun jam or mis-fire. The actors then had to ad-lib their reactions and carry on, as it wasn't possible for them to re-shoot the scenes.

[@EgbertWilliams]

Ethan wasn't just worried about Lucy's sanity, but that she'd been despoiled by sleeping with a Comanche.

[@PGHEngineer]

Yes, it's always the case with these Hay's Code era movies that you have to ask yourself "Did something sexual happen that they are alluding to but not actually saying?" . Often if you don't realise that, you miss the whole motivation for what happens next.

[@ppjkb8]

Wow I had to like and subscribe before even watching. I've watched a lot of your reaction videos, but this is one of my favorite Westerns of all time!

[@shainewhite2781]

One of the best, if not, the greatest influential western movies ever made.

[@snootybaronet]

In western movies the tribes you'll mostly see are Apache, Comanche, Sioux, sometimes Navajo, because they are on the plains and further west. But at one time different tribes were all over the country. Thanksgiving involves the Native Americans because the English settlers were helped by them in the Massachusetts area. That tribe was a branch of the Algonquin Indians who were once plentiful on the eastern seaboard and up into Canada and the Midwest of the USA.

[@timcynique8974]

The "big rock" it's Monument Valley. John Ford shot all his westerns here. And if you see it in a western now (like in once upon a time in west or Back to the future 3) it's a hommage.

[@joeanimalskull4243]

Always can't hold my tears back, when Ethan raises Debbie before he says "Let's go home."

[@mr.aldini6801]

In the script, he didn't kill Debbie because he saw Martha in her. But it's rumored that he didn't kill her because she was actually his child, and he couldn't go through with it.

[@Packard63]

The best western ever.....an epic western that just becomes more epic every time you watch it.......that will be the day.

[@billolsen4360]

Yes, it is the best. John Ford and his cinematographer, Winton Hoch, made practically every scene look like an oil painting.

[@jlmain5777]

Buddy Holly wrote the song “That’ll Be the Day” after seeing this film at the movie theater in 1956.

[@JasonRule-1]

The mountains you asked about are called buttes (pronounced "byoots"). Mesas (pronounced "maysas") are much wider, flat-topped (tabletop) standing similarly to buttes.

[@kevinhouse4376]

Dawn Marie, thank you for reacting to what I believe is the greatest western ever made. "The Searchers" is loosely based on a true story, which is expertly recounted in Glenn Frankel's book, "The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend." Also, if you watch closely, you'll realize Wayne's character and his brother's wife were in love with each other. In addition, Ethan was going to kill Debbie because in his mind she was no longer human, having been "tainted" by sleeping with Scar. Finally, Wayne walks away alone at the end because he's an uncivilized man living in a country that is rapidly becoming more civilized. He doesn't fit in anywhere anymore. Truly great film!

[@chrisedwards7095]

This was filmed in Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation Reservation in Arizona. John Ford loved to film there because it looked so good, and because he was away from his bosses in Hollywood. The young lieutenant was Patrick Wayne, John Wayne's son. Clayton (Ward Bond) got stabbed with his sword. Charlie was Ken Curtis, a singer with the Sons of the Pioneers.

[@sartanawillpay7977]

Ken Curtis married director John Ford's daughter and later was famous as Festus in the "Gunsmoke" tv series.

[@billolsen4360]

@@sartanawillpay7977 Never knew that!

[@michaelceraso1977]

wow The 1st reaction Ive seen to this classic film ( and fave of SCorcese & spielberg) and your great emotional comments. SO much to say , as EThan (J Wayne) was a complicated character. SOme people say that Debbie might have been his own child as he might have been in love with his brother's wife. John ford went all out in this beautifully filmed classic. oh and Scar the Indian was shot by Marty and The preacher was stabbed by the young kid (J Wayne's oldest son) with scabbard lol,

[@christofferknight8567]

At the end when he stands in the door with his arms folded, it was a tribute to Wayne's favorite cowboy

[@susanfigueroa872]

This movie was loosely and I mean loosely based on a true incident that happened in Texas when the Comanches, who dominated the land and other native nations. They would raid and destroy, kill, loot and take hostages. The child's name was Cynthia Parker and eventually she assimilated into the tribe, became a wife at 15 or 16 and bore a son who would later become a fierce warrior and chief, by the name of Quana Parker. My husband read a book about his life and we both watched a documentary of his life. He became a celebrity and had a large home and many kids!

[@barrycollier7451]

One of the best westerns ever made. It's an epic. You need to watch " Stagecoach" from 1939, it was John Wayne 's first major role, and it's another classic.

[@richb313]

John Ford directed this movie and he and Wayne both should have been nominated for Oscars for this movie which has gained more respect since both of their deaths.

[@philmakris8507]

Do all the Westerns you want Dawn! You're one of the few channels that does all these classic and modern westerns.

[@kevincaulder96]

The young soldier you thought would sword somebody was John Wayne's son, Patrick. He started in a few movies with his famous father. Also, John Wayne chose the name of his character Ethan for one his other son's. This is the older John Wayne. The one most of us baby boomers grew up with. Tough, salty, and full of grit and a little compassion. The one we knew as the Duke. Watch all the westerns you can stand. I love that your enthusiasm for them. In fact I've got one for you. It stars a few of my favorite actors. The movie is called BANDELERO! And it features, Jimmy Stewart George Kennedy Dean Martin Raquel Welch and Andrew Prine. It's got humor, guns, a chase element, and just a little romance to keep you going. I would end by saying that by giving a film your BEST MOVIE EVER stamp of approval is your way if saying you loved the movie. Make all of the others measure up to your standards. After all it's your channel. And we you ❤️ love spending time with you. Thanks. And Happy Mother's Day !!!

[@thomast8539]

The young lieutenant played by Patrick Wayne, DID in fact stab the good Reverend with his sword in the buttocks as alluded to in the film.

[@billolsen4360]

@@thomast8539 Patrick was just 15 at the time, but had shot up like a weed so could pass for 20

[@DoubleJ1203]

The back story is that Ethan and Martha were in love and that Debbie is Ethan's daughter. Also Martin is Ethan's son from another woman he loved who was killed by the Comanche and he dropped him off to be raised by Aaron and Martha. When he tells him about the scalp being his mothers, that's what he's referring to.

[@cbretschneider]

Hello Dawn. This movie is rough. They filmed it in a kind of light hearted way but the story is seriously harsh. I'm so glad you enjoy the Westerns. I hope you get back to watching more. Since you recently watched the Maltese Falcon, I have a great recommendation for you. Hatari by the same director Howard Hawks with John Wayne. It's a bit different. A story about a bunch of guys who catch animals for zoos in Africa. Great soundtrack too by Henry Mancini.

[@Hiraghm]

The Comanche (and other tribes) were very dependent on bison for their survival; at one time, a single heard could cover an entire State. Then the railroad was coming through, and we drove them near extinction. In the past 50 years we've brought them back, to the point where we've had to cull the herds so they didn't starve. The idea of shooting more than one buffalo was to provide hardship for his enemies. "Empty bellies" as he put it.

[@Carandini]

The Comanche in particular were only defeated because it became policy to slaughter bison and feral cattle (and wild horses) to starve them out. As Theodore Roosevelt himself said, the Comanche were the finest light cavalry in the world. The westward expansion of the United States was actually being pushed back by the Comanche until the concept of killing the animals they needed for food and mobility was insituted. As for bison, thank Colonel Roosevelt again. He was the one who protected the bison when the 'experts' were assuring him that there were still plenty of animals left. As president, he also created many of the national parks in the US to preserve something of the wilderness. Bison are now raised for slaughter and the meat is so damn good. More savory than beef and surprisingly tender.

[@cbeaudry4646]

"Fort Apache" is a good 1 Erol Flynn's "The Sea Hawk" or "They Died with their Boots On" are great too

[@cbeaudry4646]

& you keep asking about the little boy Oof. Historically, boys aren't taken as war trophies

[@hajdukMikboban]

Fantastic Reaktions Marie 👍👍 One of my favorite western movies 😉✌️ Greets and cheers 🇭🇷 MIK

[@TheBTG88]

Steven Spielberg watches this movie every time he is about to start a new project. It's that influential.

[@wgandy9541]

Love your channel and your love of westerns! This is my favorite John Wayne movie with a close second of "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". Thank you so very much for watching these old classics!!! I love watching them because I don't have to worry about foul language and nudity being in them. I love these wholesome movies!

[@ericanderson8886]

When you get back to westerns two good ones are "Fort Apache" which pair director John Ford and John Wayne once again and "Shane" Which has the iconic rancher vs settler dispute. Both are classics of course.

[@smg85051]

The Searchers and several other John Ford/John Wayne movies were filmed in Monument Valley, Arizona where there is an abundance of spectacular rock formations. Two very special formations look like left & right hands due to a single spire rising up that would be a thumb. They're named "The Right Mitten" & "The Left Mitten" I was fortunate enough to spend the better part of a day in Monument Valley and made the acquaintance of two Navajo men on horseback, right at the stream & sand dune where Ethan & Marty hole up & Debbie comes running down to Ethan. A trip to remember.

[@brianbaswell5895]

Great Reaction Dawn! I love watching your channel at the end of a hard day at work. Your Husband is a very lucky man and your Children Blessed! You have an Angelic Face, a Melodic Voice and a Sweet Disposition! I love your Scottish Accent, it's Music to my Ears!

[@oldfarmshow]

there is a long synapse of the entire movie; what each movie scene represents; how two scenes are connected; the cabin represents family; we see groups of people together as family, Ethan Edwards stands alone; near the start of the movie we see Ethan Edwards lifting young Debbie Edwards in the air thinking it was her older sister; near the end the the movie we see Ethan Edwards lifting an older Debbie Edwards; at the end we see the family entering the cabin Ethan Edwards does not

[@Hiraghm]

Debra was played by two actresses: Natalie Wood and her little sister, for the different age scenes. The head of the rangers was played by Ward Bond, who was a good friend of John Wayne's and was in a lot of his movies. The blonde boy in love with Lucy was Harry Carey, jr, son of John Wayne's good friend Harry Carey, sr. Wayne and Carey sr _invented_ the barroom brawl in movies, together. Old Mose was in several Wayne movies as well, including "The Alamo". "He who follows" Martin Pawley, was played by Jeffrey Hunter. Most Star Trek fans will recognize him as Captain Christopher Pike, commander of the USS Enterprise before it was given to Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Martin's love interest, Laurie, was played by Vera Miles. She played the love interest of both John Wayne and Jimmy Steward in the western "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". She was in another, modern movie with John Wayne, "Hellfighters", where she played Wayne's estranged wife. Swenson, his neighbor, was played by the same actor, John Qualan, who owned the restaurant in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". He was also in "Casablanca" and one of my favorite Jimmy Stewart movies, "Firecreek".

[@Madbandit77]

Henry Kleinbach, who played Scar, played the creepy landlord, Silas Barnaby, in "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. He also played a cop in "John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13".

[@christopherschafer7675]

And Harry Carey Jr.'s real life mom, Olive Carey, plays Laurie's mom in this movie.

[@creech54]

@@Madbandit77 Born Heinrich von Kleinbach, aka Henry Brandon by the 1940s.

[@cliffgraham9892]

This is a John Ford Movie and Ford used many of the same actors in his movies (the John Ford Road Company) . A demanding Director he liked to work with actors who knew how he worked and he know how to get the best out of.

[@liamoconnor9487]

And the yankee cavalryman was played by John Waynes son, Patrick.

[@scottdarden3091]

Watch all the Westerns you want! I'm here for it 😉😉

[@brianjones7907]

the present comanche nation can be found in Oklahoma.. ps if you want to see another all time best western may i surgest the following from 1976 "The Outlaw Josey Wales" starring Clint Eastwood & chief Dan George..

[@cliffchristie5865]

The location is Monument Valley, Arizona, filming site of many classic westerns and, eventually, "Back To The Future III". Hapless Charlie McCorry is played by Ken Curtis, who became part of the cast of "Gunsmoke", the longest running western in tv history, appearing himself for the last nine seasons. The tribes are indeed real and, presently, there are 574 officially recognized Native American tribes in North America.

[@MrGpschmidt]

Wayne's & Ford's finest hours. Arguably their best collaboration.

[@resdawg2244]

I'm all in for the westerns. So many great ones out there and you've barely scratched the surface. You really need to see Dances with Wolves. As for the Native tribes there are over 500 in the US.

[@michaelmccoy8059]

Vera Miles who plays Laurie was in many who shot Liberty Vamens and Psycho. Ward Bond was a big supporting actor in some icon films for decades. One of his earliest was in Gone with the Wind.

[@joeschulz5584]

One of the greatest westerns ever, is Lonesome Dove! It has several parts, 6+ hours total. Is has a huge star filled cast. One of my all time favorites! You would definitely love it.

[@aragorn50th]

John Wayne's speech and physical movements, including his walk, he picked up from the legendary lawmen Wyatt Earp. As a young man, he worked on movie sets as a laborer. It was there he met an older Wyatt Earp who was friends with some of the older western movie stars and was paid as a consultant by the studios.

[@allendesalme197]

The guy playing his dad in the first ghost's deal is his brother Brian Murray - also the mayor in Groundhog Day.

[@nationaltrails9585]

Was very surprised and glad to see a posted reaction to this movie, The Searchers (1956) made by John Ford. There are many who have requested reactions (mostly to American KZbinrs, "That'll Be the Day!), but kudos to you for being the first of this current cycle of reactors to do so, job well done. More to write, hope to be back later with more. :)

[@mr.aldini6801]

Im going to Scotland in June. It's nice to know there are some Scots that appreciate Westerns.

[@alisonrodger3360]

Check out the 'BA Cowboys', from Falkirk 😁

[@ToddSauve]

The film was shot in Monument Valley which is spread over an area where Utah and Arizona come together. They said it was west Texas at the beginning of the film but that was only for dramatic purposes. There is nothing like that in Texas. The tall, solitary rock formations are actually the cores of ancient volcanoes where the mountains have worn away leaving only the cores. Spectacular to film Westerns in that area. The landscape becomes a third character in every Western. There are "hoodoos" all over the western US and Canada, but nothing like the size of of the ones in Monument Valley. The buffalo hunting scenes were filmed in Alberta, as there were no decent sized herds left in the US in the 1950s. Along with "Tombstone," "The Searchers" is my favourite Western. 🤠💖

[@michaelhoward6663]

Love the reaction as always! The Searchers is one of my favorites. Another John Wayne to watch is his last movie, The Shootist. It'll break your heart. As far as Native American tribes, there are still lots. I live near the largest reservation in the country. The land belongs to the Navajo tribe. Several Navajo actors played Comanches in The Searchers. Looking forward to the next western.

[@beowulfthedane]

The actor that played the cavalry officer at the end, the young one that told them about scar, was Patrick Wayne. John Wayne's real son.

[@Flastew]

John made some outstanding westerns and war movies. Another western you may like, but doesn't have John, and is well known is Shane. It is so fun watching you reaction to westerns you really get into the movies and the characters. Commentor Elliot N. nailed it on the name of the formations you asked about. Great reaction Lady Dawn.

[@celestemcallister1307]

I get the feeling Debra is actually Ethan's daughter,explaining why he didn't come home sooner..

[@alen7480]

Two things, the groups are called Nations (from the same root as Natives interestingly enough, meaning the place you are born in Latin). Nations may or may not be divided into tribes, depending on the nation and how extended kinship was recognized. Then clans (Irish word for families) which meant the extended families. We often get mixed up because the movies often focused on one nation and their tribes. The second thing is that this movie has a lot of layers. John Wayne's character hates "Indians" but knows a lot of their customs and language. There are hints that he lived among them himself and, maybe even ended up becoming part of them. His hatred is a resentment against this among perhaps other things hinted at (he clearly went off for some reason while his brother married a woman he still loves and she still loves him). It gets hinted at that he was adventurous when younger, and so maybe he lived with the "indians" he later resented for keeping him from a family life he himself chose not to pursue. Anyway, really great movie, one that has a lot more going on under the surface if you watch it again.

[@alen7480]

I should add, assimilation was often used to bolster numbers among various nations in North America. So it was not unusual to "adopt" women and children (and sometimes even men) after raids, or wars. Natalie Wood's character was assimilated, and this is what John Wayne's character feared. That she changed her mind is a sign of course that she could be "rehabilitated".

[@marioarguello6989]

You can say that again

[@custardflan]

This is filmed in Monument Valley in Utah. Notice the shots through doorways? At the end is John Wayne, holding his arm, a tribute to Harry Carey, a great actor who died before this movie and is the father of Brad and the husband of the farm wife.

[@banjoman101145]

In prehistoric times there was an inland sea that covered much of the of our western states. Those flat topped mountains are called mesas. They owe their shapes from erosion originally by water and later wind and rain.

[@ranger-1214]

My all-time favorite Western movie. Many of the main actors are already mentioned by others, and were in other John Ford/John Wayne movies. We also saw here John's young son, Patrick Wayne, as the new cavalry Lieutenant. Ken Curtis was a great singer with the Sons of the Pioneers and can be heard in another Ford/Wayne movie "Rio Grande" where the Sons are the Regimental singers. He was later Festus on TV's Gunsmoke. Another great John Wayne Western is "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon". All great selections when you want to see some of the older Westerns.

[@mrjoepad1]

The actor who played Scar is Henry Brandon. He played the villain Barnaby in the Laurel and Hardy movie, March of the Wooden Soldiers.

[@michaelmccoy8059]

I TOLD YOU it was the best Western ever made. Been voted so on many stores. So happy you enjoyed it.

[@philmakris8507]

Those formations go by several names. Bluffs, mesas, outcroppings, red rocks, volcanic plugs, cliffs. Most all of these golden age classic westerns were all filmed in Monument Valley in southern Utah

[@joepike1972]

13:52 As it has already been pointed out the land formation is called a mesa. They are caused by water erosion of a shoreline without the benefit of shading trees.

[@oldfarmshow]

One of my Favorite movies.

[@theylied1776]

A double Egale is a Gold Dollar. Today a single Gold Double Eagle from (1868) would be worth $600 today.

[@jonjofarrell4495]

A double eagle is a $20 coin , a singe eagle is $10

[@theylied1776]

@@jonjofarrell4495 We're talking about an 1860 double eagle. They can go as much as $70,000. Depending on the condition of the coin.

[@rickpalacio7]

Hi Dawn Marie! I LOVE the fact that you react to and enjoy westerns! Please don't apologize or stop. Personally, I love many genres including the western. It's a much richer, more varied genre than most people give it credit for and is magnificent for depicting all kinds of themes and types of conflict: man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. self, etc. Keep 'em coming at your leisure!

[@duanelavely5481]

In the western U.S. a flat topped outcropping is called a "mesa" (Spanish). Also known as a plateau or butte.

[@totallytomanimation]

Those rock formation in the landscape is called a "Mesa" - These Mesa's are in Monument Valley Arizona, very famous location in cinema, due to John Ford's love of shooting there for many of his westerns.

[@jkbrown5496]

The ending closing the door on Ethan is symbolic of his type of man. One with no place in civilized society after the danger/quest is done.

[@alancranford3398]

I think you were talking about mesas--a mesa is a type of mountain. I live in mesa country. Another poster explained mesas and buttes. Imagine being the only human in a fifty-kilometer radius. I just have to remember doing that. Some people cannot handle isolation. The Searchers shows a lot of empty real estate and when I was on radio relay teams, sitting out in the desert 150 kilometers from the nearest relay station or terminal drove some of my teammates crazy.

[@michaelmccoy8059]

I'm so excited you watched the Searches that I suggested NUMEROUS times. Great movie!

[@reinholdmueller4882]

Great Reaction! The Searchers is arguably John Wayne's best Western, but in my humble opinion *Rio Bravo* is just as good, and *Red River* is even better still.

[@APerson4889-g5f]

Agreed!

[@thomast8539]

To a lot maybe of fans I suppose, but I beg to differ. The Cowboys is Wayne's best western followed by Rio Bravo, The Shootist and True Grit. The Searchers can stay in the top five though.

[@impishsongster333]

Hi Dawn Marie! I'm a, Danielle Marie. So, cheers to our middle names!🍻 I say, nahh...don't stop watching westerns. I get why you have to watch the Patreon poll winners, but other than that, watch what you want! I for one, really hope you watch, Rio Bravo. Another John Wayne movie, and one of my favorites. There's a bit of everything in it, even music. I think you'll really enjoy it, so I hope it makes it on a poll, or you just decide to react to it. Rio Bravo. A close second, would be, The Cowboys. Great reactions! Love your take on movies I've seen dozens of times; makes them new again. Well done, keep at 'er! Have a great rest of your week. Best wishes, from The Pacific Northwest, USA! 🌲🏞🦌

[@tywco]

The movie takes place in Texas, but it’s filmed down where I’m from on the Utah/Arizona border. John Wayne and John Ford supposedly broke down during the filming of one of these westerns and my grandfather had to drive them both to Moab. My mom likes to tell people that she sold John Wayne a candy bar when she was a little girl. Those mountains are called buttes.

[@AnotherAmateurAstronomer]

One of the best western films plus Dawn. Thumbs up! 👍

[@McPh1741]

This is one of my favorite westerns of all time. Indeed, one of the best westerns of all time. John Wayne's performance was top notch. His character is complex and the whole time he and Martin are searching for Lucy, you are left wandering if he Ethan is trying to rescue her or kill her. His character is an ex-officer from the Confederate Army. After the lost the American Civil War, he left instead of officially surrendering. After the war thousands of Confederate soldiers traveled to Mexico. The medal he gives to Debbie is supposed to have been (according to IMDB) awarded by Maximillian who was Emperor of Mexico appointed by France. He hired many Confederate mercenaries to fight for France from 1865-1867. After the French were defeated, Mexico became independent and the Confederates were again on the losing side. This would explain Ethan's absence and eventual return.

[@stevejette2329]

In 1956, Buddie Holly and the Crickets had a hit with "That'll Be The Day". That may be the source of "That'll be the day, pilgrim." from this movie. Or vice a versa.

[@cutekittens228]

@9:10, I live in that noise, it grows on you, it becomes very peaceful sounding, if you hear it, it means nature is alive and everything is calm and as it should be, when you don't hear the animals is when you should worry.