Tonight's Movie: The Searchers (1956) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

A stunning restoration of one of the truly great American film masterworks, John Ford's THE SEARCHERS (1956), is now available on 4K and Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

Viewing the restoration's 70mm world premiere was the highlight of last year's TCM Classic Film Festival, which I wrote about both here and at Classic Movie Hub. As I wrote at Classic Movie Hub, seeing this masterpiece in a beautiful print was "a majestic, profound experience which left me awed and deeply moved."

Though home viewers of course won't be seeing a huge 70mm theatrical print, everyone can now enjoy the restoration, which may be ordered either in a 4K/Blu-ray combination pack or as a standalone Blu-ray.

The packaging for both options can be seen here. The 4K is bundled with the Blu-ray, which contains most of the disc extras, and the Blu-ray can also be purchased separately. It's worth noting, for clarity's sake, that in both cases the Blu-ray is the new restoration and should not be confused with an older Blu-ray with imperfect colors. (The extras are listed at the end of this review.)

I first saw the film twice as a 14-year-old, in a scratchy print at the original Beverly Theater and a few months later at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Leo S. Bing Theater -- both theaters sadly demolished -- then over the years I've viewed it many more times on relatively poor VHS and DVD prints.

With that as my background, I can say this restoration is a revelation. No more scratches, no more washed-out, odd colors. As my friend Toby Roan, an expert on the film, writes at 50 Westerns From the 50s, "the color...is perfect." Given how many times he's seen the film, I trust his critique implicitly.

Last month I had the chance to attend a Zoom presentation hosted by Allied Vaughn, where two of the film's restorationists, Jan Yarbrough and Miles Delhoyo, spoke along with the Warner Archive Collection's George Feltenstein.

They talked about a variety of aspects of the restoration, including that the dyes of the original camera negative were less durable and the blue, in particular, was decaying. The tidbit which blew my mind most was learning that each frame of the original VistaVision camera negative was scanned half a frame at a time, then later digitally "stitched together." It would have been hard to imagine this kind of restoration technology existing not all that many years ago.

Also of note, Feltenstein said that 4K releases will be "a rarity, not the norm" for the Warner Archive Collection. 4K is four times the expense, and cost, profitability, and the limited information on the negatives are all factors in why the 4K format will be utilized sparingly.

Indeed, like many people who mainly watch classic-era films, I don't presently have a 4K player, so I've reviewed the Blu-ray release, which as indicated above is extremely impressive. I would imagine the lack of a 4K audience for older films may be a factor in the Warner Archive's decision-making as well, but that's simply supposition on my part.

As for the movie itself, as I've written in past reviews of favorite films, sometimes I find it most difficult to write about the films closest to my heart.

Suffice it to say that Ford's tale of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) and Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) and their long search for Ethan's missing niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is in my opinion one of the greatest films ever made, with one of Wayne's most outstanding -- and at times chilling -- performances.

I suspect most of those reading this review are already well acquainted with the film and it needs no further introduction, and for those who are new to it, it almost seems a gift to be able to approach it knowing very little -- as was the case for me back in the '70s -- and then revisit it again and again, learning more along the way. The extras provided in this set are a great place to begin one's education regarding this film.

THE SEARCHERS runs 119 minutes. It was filmed in Technicolor by Winton C. Hoch. The screenplay was written by Frank S. Nugent from the novel by Alan LeMay. Max Steiner composed the memorable score, joining with lyricist Stan Jones to create the memorable closing song sung by the Sons of the Pioneers.

The movie also stars Vera Miles, Henry Brandon, Dorothy Jordan, Pippa Scott, Lana Wood, and Walter Coy. Many members of the "John Ford Stock Company" are seen in the film, including Ward Bond, Harry Carey, Jr., Ken Curtis, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Hank Worden, Jack Pennick, Patrick Wayne, and more.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include material created for previous releases, including A TURNING OF THE EARTH: JOHN FORD, JOHN WAYNE, AND THE SEARCHERS (1998); THE SEARCHERS: AN APPRECIATION (2006); an introduction by Patrick Wayne from 1996; WARNER BROS. PRESENTS "Behind the Camera" TV excerpts; a newsreel with premiere footage; a commentary by Peter Bogdanovich; the trailer; and outtakes, mostly from the "wedding" sequence.

The 4K disc also includes Bogdanovich's commentary track.

Films and presentations don't come any better than his new release. THE SEARCHERS is not only highly recommended, it's an absolute "must own" for any classic film fan.

Related Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Posts: Westerns at the TCM Classic Film Festival (2024); Another Look at Western Movie Locations! (Bronson Cave, 2022).

Related Laura's Miscellaneous Musings Posts: A Visit to Monument Valley, Part One (2013); A Visit to Monument Valley, Part Two (2013); A Visit to Monument Valley, Part Three (2013); Weekend Movie Fun: Out and About in Los Angeles (Bronson Cave, 2020); The 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Five (2024).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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