The Searchers ranks as one of the best Westerns ever made, even with many people pointing out problems with the movie concerning accuracy issues. Directed by John Ford, the classic Western masterpiece stars John Wayne as a Civil War veteran who sets out to find his niece after a Comanche tribe kidnaps her.

What makes The Searchers a groundbreaking story is that John Wayne played against type. Wayne did not play a good man here, and his main goal was to find his niece and kill her so she wouldn’t ᴀssimilate into the Comanche tribe. He is an outsider, and while he makes the morally right decision in the end, he remains so.

The Searchers Is Based On A True Story

There is little that is accurate about The Searchers and the history of the American West. However, one thing that is true is the basis of the John Wayne story. Two incidents share a similar story. American History Magazine reports that African-American teamster Britton Johnson rescued his wife and children from the Comanche tribes in 1865.

Johnson then made three trips into the Indian Territory in Kansas looking for another kidnapped girl, but was killed before rescuing anyone. However, the story of Cynthia Ann Parker shared a much more precise comparison. Comanche warriors kidnapped her when she was nine, and she spent 24 years with them.

Cynthia married the war chief and had three children with him. Her uncle spent a fortune and many years trying to find her, and they rescued her, against her will, with the Texas Rangers’ help. It was similar to what Ethan Edwards did in the movie to “rescue” his niece, who was living happily with the Comanche tribe.

The Searchers’ Depiction Of Native American Culture Is “Utter Nonsense”

A Cowboy and Wild West historian named Michael Grauer spoke with Insider about several scenes from different Western movies, and discussed what was realistic and what was, in his words, “utter nonsense.” These movies included The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, True Grit, Django Unchained, and The Searcher.

His most significant complaints about The Searchers stemmed from the depiction of both the cowboys and the Comanche in the film. His point was that the entire trope of “Cowboys versus Indians” rarely occurred in the Old West and is a misconception thanks to movies. He also said that their costumes were inaccurate.

On top of that, Grauer also said that the film was inaccurate when it came to the Comanche territory being in Monument Valley in Utah, which is “too far west.”

The historian mentioned the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker, stating that she was “fully Comanche” when they rescued her, but this aspect was not explored in the movie itself. As for the other women, he pointed out that all the Comanche women in the film are played by Navajos wearing Navajo female costumes, blending the native cultures.

The historian was a lot more appreciative of John Wayne’s character, Ethan Edwards, especially in his costume and appearance. However, he also pointed out that the Westerns from this era with cowboy boots were unrealistic, since they were not recognized as “cowboy boots” yet in the 1860s.

Even The Fighting In The Searchers Isn’t Realistic

Michael Grauer also said that the fighting scenes in the movie were not realistic. He said that the entire idea that the Comanche warriors in “full regalia” in a full-frontal ᴀssault at a fortified position was unrealistic. He said Native American warfare was based on advantage or surprise. Plus, they preferred not to fight at all.

“As far as Cowboys versus Indians, which becomes a very common misconception, that almost never happened. Usually, when a herd was met by a group of Native Americans, they might ask for a let’s say a toll or a tax. Most cattlemen were willing to do that, so as far as fights between actual cowboys and Native people almost never happened.”

This has been discussed by other historians as well. When talking about the depiction of Native Americans in the movie, film scholar Ed Lowry told TCM that the Comanches are “depicted as utterly ruthless.” However, he does point out that the white men were just as appalling.

On top of the false fighting for dramatic purposes, Grauer said that, while they used some Native American actors, the leader of the Comanche tribe was played by a German (Henry Brandon was born in Berlin, Germany). With all that said, the historian noted that The Searchers got no better than a two or three out of 10 for accuracy.

Source: American History Magazine, Insider on YouTube, TCM