Published 11:21 IST, August 24th 2020
Cast of 'The Searchers': List of actors and the characters they play in John Ford's film
The 1956's release, 'The Searchers', was directed by John Ford. Here is the list of actors, such as John Wayne, Lana Woon, Natalie Wood & others, in the film
Late director John Ford's movie The Searchers, released in 1956, is considered as one of the finest films of all-time in Hollywood. The film, based on a novel written by Alan LeMay, revolved around a nine-year-old girl, who was abducted by Comanche Indians from her prairie home, and how her American Civil War veteran uncle embarked on a journey to rescue her. Read on to know the details of the cast of The Searchers.
Cast of The Searchers
John Wayne
John Wayne's character in the film, Ethan Edward, was a former soldier for the Confederacy and a veteran of the Mexican War. As John's character was a soldier man, he was brave but hot-headed and racist. Also, his character lacked empathy when it came to seeing the grey areas in any given situation. He is dogged in his pursuit of finding Debbie, but when he learned that she had integrated with the Comanche tribe, he thought she would be better off killed than returned home. By the end of the film, he changed his mind and decided to bring Debbie back to the Jorgensens.
Natalie Wood & Lana Wood
Natalie Wood and Lana Wood portrayed the character Debbie's elder and younger version, respectively. Debbie was the youngest of the Edwards children. She was kidnapped by Comanches and spent five years living as one of them.
Jeffrey Hunter
Martin Pawley, played by Jeffrey Hunter, was an adopted child of the Edwards family. A brave and compassionate young man, he joined Ethan on the five-year search to track down Debbie. Because he was 1/8 Cherokee, he had a more even-handed approach than Ethan towards the Comanches and wanted to keep Debbie alive no matter what. Meanwhile, he was also in love with Laurie Jorgensen.
The Searchers characters
Apart from Ethan, Debbie, and Martin, the other lead characters were Laurie Jorgensen, Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnson Clayton and Scar, essayed by Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Henry Brandon, respectively. The ensemble star cast of the flick also featured John Qualen, Olive Carey, Ken Curtis, and Hank Worden, among many others. On the other side, actors such as Ruth Clifford, Robert Lyden, Peter Mamakos and Mae Marsh were seen portraying pivotal characters. Meanwhile, many from the audience were wondered who sang Skip to My Lou in The Searchers. The lead actor John Wayne vocalised the song.
Is Debbie Ethan's daughter in The Searchers?
The mutual attraction between Ethan Edwards and his brother's wife, Martha was quite evident on the screen. Although no dialogue between the duo suggested it, a multitude of visual references to their relationship are seen throughout the film. A few critics have suggested the unspoken passion between the duo implied that Debbie could be Ethan's daughter.
Updated 11:21 IST, August 24th 2020