# The Searchers - great film?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** movies\
**Created:** [March 16, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240 "2023-03-16T01:42:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/61 "2023-03-19T14:37:47Z")

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I think he was also quite good in Bronco Billy.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/62 "2023-03-19T14:48:01Z")

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Wayne himself said something to the effect of “I don’t act, I _react_.”

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/63 "2023-03-19T15:02:58Z")

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John Wayne’s directors all wanted him to act like John Wayne. Just like Eastwood’s early directors wanted him to act like Eastwood. The only way Eastwood broke out of that was by becoming his own director.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/64 "2023-03-19T15:07:49Z")

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> [@silenus](#):
>
> Wayne himself said something to the effect of “I don’t act, I _react_.”

That is true of many top actors.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/65 "2023-03-19T16:21:34Z")

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True of most actors. That’s how the lines are written, how they’re directed. The audience has expectations for genre movies, no need to let acting get in the way.

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**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-searchers-great-film/981240/66 "2023-03-25T00:35:52Z")

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wel, besides JW westerns/military movies, he did make The Quiet Man and Donovans Reef

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