Paul Hutton Believes The Searchers Is A Masterpiece, But Not Everyone Agrees With The Distinguished Professor

 November 25, 2025

   My good friend Paul Hutton named his oldest daughter Lorena based on his love of John Ford's most revered Western. But it turns out not everyone on the planet agrees The Searchers is a masterpiece.

Not everyone sees eye to eye with

The Duke's best film

The little Aussie Bastard Weighs In

   "I shall always respect John Ford's artistic vision, but The Searchers demonstrates that a film can be both celebrated and overrated. A popular and influential Western of its day? Absolutely. The greatest or most authentic Western of all time? Get serious.

   "If we are talking most authentic Westerns, then any film with a white actor dressed up as an Indian chief is immediately disqualified. 

The Comanche "Scar" is portrayed by

German born Heinrich von Kleinbach

(stage name Henry Brandon) 

   "Not because of any 'woke' sensitivity: because it just looks ridiculous. As Cheyenne-Arapaho filmmaker Chris Eyre once said; 'White people playing native roles? I love it. Because it’s funny.'    As for greatest Western of all time; are we really going to ignore the stiff and comically poor acting from most of the cast? While Mr. Wayne was steady in a leading role that typically demanded little range from him (let’s face it, he was no Brando), the dog playing 'Chris' was the most talented thespian on the Edwards homestead. Not to mention the cringe-worthy performance from Vera Miles. Realism also flies out the window when a small handful of rangers fight off a large Comanche war party without taking a scratch and Ethan suddenly changes his mind about killing Debbie for no reason other than providing viewers with a sappy, contrived ending.

   "While I can understand the nostalgic appeal of The Searchers for those who grew up on the film and miss their youth, Ulzana’s Raid is a vastly superior and more authentic Western. Aside from anything else, Burt Lancaster was a better actor in his sleep than Marion Morrison."

— James B. Mills

"Hutton, tell me why I should have any respect for you whatsoever. That's the worst film I ever saw."

—David Zucker, confronting Paul Andrew Hutton after the Distinguished Professor took the director of Airplane to see The Searchers