David Smith

This is not your typical "John Wayne" western movie. I think this was one of Wayne's best performances. Why he didnt win an oscar for this I'll never know. It shows almost a dark side to his character, Ethan Edwards, while searching for his niece Debbie who was abucted by the Comanche indians after her family was massacred. I think director John Ford did a brilliant job blending the right amount of humor into the plot while dealing with such subje as war, prejudice and racism. The suppoting cast is brilliant with Ward Bond at his best.