Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) was a renowned American photographer and ethnologist who is best known for his 20-volume work The North American Indian. He spent over 30 years photographing and documenting the lives of Native American tribes across North America before the reservation period. The document provided a detailed study guide for John Ford's 1956 western film The Searchers, analyzing the film from technical, dramatic, socio-historic, genre, and auteur dimensions. It discussed the film's cinematography, characters, themes of racism, historical contexts surrounding Native American relations and depictions in cinema, the western genre, and John Ford's directorial style.

1. Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)

2. Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952)

5. “The Searchers”
Study Guide
EMC/JOUR 3000
Edward Bowen

6. “The Searchers” (1956)
C.V. Whitney Pictures, Warner Brothers
Pictures
Directed by John Ford
Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent
From “The Searchers” by Alan Le May
Cinematography by Winton C. Hoch
Music by Max Steiner
Location – Partially filmed at Monument
Valley, Utah
Starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera
Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Henry
Brandon, Harry Carey Jr.

7. The Technical Dimension
Composition – The Landscape

8. The Technical Dimension
Composition

9. The Technical Dimension
Composition

10. The Technical Dimension
Composition

11. The Technical Dimension
Composition

12. The Technical Dimension
Especially in his westerns, Ford loved to create bustling, busy interiors full of life and
feeling, and he was equally fond of positioning human figures, alone or in small,
vulnerable groups, against vast, obliterating landscapes.
A. O. Scott, The New York Times

13. The Technical Dimension
The Heroic Frame

14. The Technical Dimension
The Heroic Frame

15. The Technical Dimension
The Heroic Frame

16. The Technical Dimension
Color

17. The Technical Dimension
Lighting

18. The Technical Dimension
Stock Company
Frank Nugent (Writer) – 10 Ford films
John Wayne - 14+ Ford films
Jeffrey Hunter – 3 Ford films
Vera Miles – 3+ Ford films
Ward Bond - 20+ Ford films
John Qualen – 8 Ford films
Olive Carey – 3 Ford films
Ken Curtis – 11+ Ford films
Harry Carey Jr. - 9+ Ford films
Hank Worden – 8+ Ford films
Patrick Wayne - 8+ Ford films
http://www.directedbyjohnford.com/performers.html

19. The Dramatic Dimension
The Introduction of the Anti-Hero
Inference
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/457977/Searchers-The-Movie-Clip-Texas-1868.html

20. The Dramatic Dimension
The Introduction of the Anti-Hero
Inference
Three year absence
Quantities of gold
The medal Ethan Edwards gives to Debbie is not a Confederate or Union Army medal.
It is the Order of St. Guadalupe, the second highest award of the Mexicans at the time
(equivalent to the Distinguished Service Cross), a French medal awarded to
mercenary soldiers who fought between 1865 and 1867 for the Emperor Maximilian
of Mexico. This medal implies Ethan served in the French Mexican Expedition during
his mysterious three year absence and also explains his fluency in Spanish.
Many Confederates went south after the war and as a Horse Artillery Sergeant (red
SGT stripes with yellow britches stripes) he would have been highly paid.
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/457977/Searchers-The-Movie-Clip-Texas-1868.html

21. The Dramatic Dimension
The Legacy of Unspoken Love

22. The Dramatic Dimension
Relationships Between the Lines

23. The Dramatic Dimension
Racism as Character Trait
Is the film intended to endorse their attitudes, or to dramatize and regret them? Today
we see it through enlightened eyes, but in 1956 many audiences accepted its harsh
view of Indians.
Roger Ebert
http://www.brentonpriestley.com/writing/searchers.htm

24. The Dramatic Dimension
Racism as Character Trait
Ethan Edwards, fierce, alone, a defeated soldier with no role in peacetime, is one of
the most compelling characters Ford and Wayne ever created (they worked together
on 14 films). Did they know how vile Ethan's attitudes were? I would argue that they
did, because Wayne was in his personal life notably free of racial prejudice, and
because Ford made films with more sympathetic views of Indians. This is not the
instinctive, oblivious racism of Griffith's ''Birth of a Nation.'’
Roger Ebert
With a lot of blacks, there’s quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and
possibly rightfully so. But we can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn
everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the
blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don’t believe in giving authority and
positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.
John Wayne, 1971

25. The Dramatic Dimension
Comic Relief

26. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Fort Parker Massacre – May 19, 1836
The 1836 Kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker (Naduah)
Battle of Pease River
Cynthia Ann Parker – Kidnapped by a Comanche war
party at the age of nine. Family and community viciously
slaughtered.
Adopted by the Comanche, lived with them for 24 years
Married Chief Peta Nocona, bore three children.
Mother to Quanah Parker, last free Comanche chief
December, 1860 - Rescued at age 24 by Texas Rangers
during a surprise raid at Pease River
Spent last ten years of her life refusing to adjust to white
society, escaping once and being re-rescued.
Stands With A Fist

27. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Britt Johnson
Born a slave in Tennessee around 1840
Moved to Texas with his master Moses Johnson in the
1850s, where he was appointed ranch foreman with
unlimited freedom to perform his duties and raise his
own horses and cattle.
October 13, 1864 – The Elm Creek Raid. Kiowas and
Comanche killed Johnson’s son, kidnapped his wife and
two daughters.
Johnson sought after his family for months, until they
were ransomed from the Comanche.
Johnson died in a Kiowa attack on his wagon train in
1871.

28. The Socio-Historic Dimension
The James Box Family
Indian Peace Commission – 1868 Report
The testimony satisfies us that since October 1865, the Kiowas, Comanches, and
Apaches have substantially complied with their treaty stipulations entered into at that
time at the mouth of the Little Arkansas. The only flagrant violation we were able to
discover consisted in the killing of James Box and the capture of his family in western
Texas about the 15th of August 1866. The alleged excuse for this act is, that they
supposed an attack on Texas people would be no violation of a treaty with the United
States; that as we ourselves had been at war with the people of Texas, an act of
hostility on their part would not be disagreeable to us.

29. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Battle of Washita River, November 27, 1868
“Little Big Man” (1970) Arthur Penn
http://youtu.be/wBZkS0uYrpo
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Little Big Man.mp4

30. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Battle of the North Folk of the Red River, 1872

31. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Perspectives
http://www.nativeamerican.co.uk/searchers.html
Native American Reactions to the Searchers by Tom Grayson Colonnese
Are the westerns of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s to Native Americans what “Birth
of a Nation” is or was to African Americans?

32. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/315565/Native-American-Images-On-Flim-
Movie-Promo-Non-Indians-Part-One.html

33. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
http://youtu.be/_hJFi7SRH7Q
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/How Hollywood stereotyped the Native
Americans.mp4

34. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond
http://youtu.be/htyEJSEZYNU
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Trailer.mp4

35. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond
http://youtu.be/mTVWtlkXDSI
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 1 Crazy Horse.mov

36. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“Reel Injun” (2009) Neil Diamond
http://youtu.be/Scp7VWJ5yzQ
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 2 Tragedy and Myth.mov

37. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them (American Indians),
if that’s what you’re asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a
matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the
Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.
John Wayne 1971
http://youtu.be/m6BA5cDSiAM
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/Reel Injun Clip 3 The cowboy.mov

38. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“The West Wing – The Indians in the Lobby” (2001) Aaron Sorkin
http://www.flasharc.com/bqo 3:30 7:20 17:20 38:10

39. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“Cheyenne Autumn” (1964) John Ford
http://vimeo.com/13192460
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/John_Ford_s_Indians Miscegination.mov

40. The Socio-Historic Dimension
Native American Depictions
“Peter Pan” (1953) P.J. Hogan
http://vimeo.com/13192460
Why does he ask you, "How?” Once the In
When did he first say, "Ugh!” In the Injun b
What made the red man red? Let's go back
You've got it from the headman The real tr

41. The Genre Dimension
The American Film Institute defines westerns as “a genre of films set in the
American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the
new frontier.”

42. The Genre Dimension
Civilization
Community
Order
Wilderness
Individuality
Chaos
Nature
Savages
Honor
Justice
Law

43. The Genre Dimension
http://www.helium.com/items/130765-movie-analysis-underlying-myths-in-the-searchers
The film is constantly contrasting the wilderness with the civilized homestead of the
white settlers, the Indians who are thought of as primitive and savage, feel at home in
the wilderness, whilst the whites do not. The white settler's way of life and traditions,
are contrasted with that of the Indians, the ideas of villain and hero also arise, as do
issues concerning the contrast between masculinity and femininity.

44. The Genre Dimension

45. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
The Horizon
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 2 Cut Horizon.mov

46. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
In One
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 3 Two Rode.mov

47. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Cinematography
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 4 Under Protest.mov

48. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Blocking and Dialogue
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 5 Blocking and Talking.mov

49. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Print the Legend
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 7 Print the Legend.mov

50. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Ann’s Theme
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 8 Anns Theme.mov

51. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Ritual
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 9 Ritual.mov

52. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Sentiment
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 10 Sentiment.mov

53. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Kate
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 11 Kate.mov

54. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
One Man’s Vision
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 12 One Man's Vision.mov

55. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Resonance
http://mtmedia.mtsu.edu:8888/ebowen/DBJF 13 Resonance.mov

56. The Auteur Dimension
“Directed by John Ford” (1971/2006) Peter Bogdanovich
Resonance
Harry Carey John Wayne

57. Legacy
http://books.google.com/books?id=0tcCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=the+search
ers+stuart+byron&source=bl&ots=SlWD4J2agr&sig=s3c2FBEz-
GrxEpKh7oBNmDJTxGY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3mN6T9qnJKbC2wXGy9iMAw&ved=0CC8Q6AEw
Ag#v=onepage&q=the%20searchers%20stuart%20byron&f=false
Inspired by or Homages to The Searchers
After Hours Close Encounters of the Third Kind The Emerald Forest E.T. Hardcore The Lion K