The entry begins:My book has an unusual issue when it comes to casting: it’s a non-fiction book about a classic movie, so it’s been cast once already. Truth is, unlike True Grit or 3:10 to Yuma, no one’s ever had the nerve or foolhardiness to try to remake The Searchers. For many cinephiles, it’d be as sacrilegious as rewriting the Bible. The one time anyone tried to remake a John Ford Western, a woebegotten version of Stagecoach, the tragic results merely proved the point.Learn more about the book and author at Glenn Frankel's website.
Still, since we’re having fun--and no Hollywood studio would ever take us seriously--it’s worth a discussion. John Wayne gives one of the most towering performances in the history of cinema as Ethan Edwards, the avenging uncle seeking to reclaim his niece Debbie from the Comanches who abducted her. Ethan is a force of nature--charismatic yet capable of murder. He doesn’t plan to restore his niece to their shattered family, but to kill her because she has grown into a young woman and has been polluted by marrying a Comanche. The actor must make us identify with Ethan yet at the same time reject his hatred.
A number of actors wanted the Wayne role, most notably Kirk Douglas, who lobbied John Ford for the part and certainly would have brought a manic intensity to it. Among modern actors, Jeff...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: The Searchers.
--Marshal Zeringue
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