The Searchers

Dir. John Ford. 1956, 119 mins. U.S. New 70mm print from a restoration by Warner Bros in collaboration with The Film Foundation. With John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood. Martin Scorsese has claimed that he watches this film, arguably western master Ford’s greatest achievement, every year, and with good reason. Its epic story sweeps from the American Southwest to the Canadian border as it tracks Wayne’s increasingly unhinged quest for his beloved niece, kidnapped by Chief Scar in a raid years before. Wayne’s Ethan Edwards is as neurotically obsessed as DeNiro’s Travis Bickle. Thanks to this staggering new restoration, screening here in a newly struck 70mm print, scanned from the original 35mm VistaVision camera negative and approved by The Film Foundation, making its East Coast big-screen debut, The Searchers has never looked more richly beautiful.

Notes about the restoration from Warner Bros.: The Searchers was filmed in VistaVision and released in 1.85. WB’s Motion Picture Imaging scanned the original 8 perf 35mm VistaVision camera negative in 13K with all restoration work completed in 6.5K. The 70mm film print was created at Fotokem by filming out a new 65mm negative. WB’s Post Production Creative Services restored the original mono audio mix. Inventure Studios created the DTS-encoded deliverable of the restored audio to playback flawlessly with the 70mm film print. The Film Foundation has approved this newly restored version.

Tickets: $20 / $15 for MoMI members. There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.