The Searchers was the adaptation of the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, which later defined Wayne’s career, though it failed to earn the praise it deserved at the time
Legendary Hollywood director John Ford bagged four Oscars for his directing prowess during his career. Still, it was curious that what many consider his finest work didn’t even get a look-in at the Academy Awards.
Even John Wayne, who gave a career-defining performance in The Searchers, an adaptation of Alan Le May’s 1954 novel, didn’t receive so much as a nod from his Academy peers.
Wayne, famed for his portrayals of cowboys and soldiers, typically clear-cut heroes, was spot-on casting for Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards, a man on a mission to find his niece after her capture by Native Americans.
In Marc Eliot’s book American Titan: Searching for John Wayne, the author writes about a moment when Wayne w as asked whether he thought The Searchers was the best movie that John Ford made. “No, I don’t. Two classic westerns were better – Stagecoach and Red River,” Wayne replied, per Far Out magazine.
That’s what Wayne reckoned, but he didn’t stop there. He conceded that The Searchers might have been a bit underrated, confessing, “The Searchers… deserved more praise than it got,” Wayne said.
Despite never snagging an Oscar, The Searchers was hailed as the top American Western by the American Film Institute in 2008, and it also made their 2007 roundup of the 100 greatest American flicks ever. Entertainment Weekly even crowned it the best Western.
The Searchers was pitted against some heavyweight contenders of its time, like The Ten Commandments, The King and I, and Richard III, not to mention Around the World in 80 Days, which bagged the Best Picture gong. While some aficionados might argue The Searchers trumps them in certain respects, the critics back then begged to differ.
However, Ford’s work on The Searchers inspired a generation of directors. Alien Director Ridley Scott’s passion for directing was ignited after watching John Ford’s classic.
In an interview for Venice Magzine, the interviewer asked Scott what sparked his interest in direction. Scott replied: “The Searchers. I remember just being blown away by that film. I love westerns. I want to do a western some day. I don’t think anyone else ever captured the west the way John Ford did.”