So Daniel does not enter Hillard house doorway at the end of "Mrs. Doubtfire" for the same reason that Ethan does not enter the doorway at the end of "The Searchers", the doorways lead into a world that they do not belong. Powerful illustration, I'd say.
The director of Mrs. Doubtfire borrowed this image because he felt it was the perfect way to illustrate divorce.
This scene inspired 2 scenes for the 1993 movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire". When Daniel is divorced, the Hillard household is a world he can no longer enter. Daniel is only able to pass through that doorway dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, which he does when Miranda and children first meet Mrs. Doubtfire. And at the end when he comes to take the kids to his place for a few hours, she opens the door but he only takes one step forward and does not enter and says he'll wait outside. It's like what Ethan does.
@E7USMCRET In all of the John Wayne movies, this movie is tied with "The Alamo" for my favorite. Now "The Alamo" played very loose with history, but still packed a great message. Same with "The Searchers" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". Demons and heroics.
olive carey who played mrs jorgensen was the widow of harry carey one of the great cowboy actors of the silent screen
Harry always closed his films with the stance adopted by john wayne as he stands in the doorway at the end of the film and this scene was quite unrehearsed- wayne should have just walked away into the sunset- however being the man he was he altered the scene for the benefit of harry's widow - I saw her recount this episode years later and it still bought tears to her eyes!
Here's an even more interesting fact: The priest/marshall (Ward Bond) in this awesome movie also played a priest ( Father Peter Lonergan) in The Quiet Man (released in 1952) also starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford! In fact, he was in 16 movies with John Wayne!
Best western ever made, I've watched it for well over fifty years, and never get tired of it. That's Festus singing the title song, along with The Sons of the Pioneers..
This should have won an Oscar, I mean even considering John Ford's other movies I think this is probably his Magnus Opus. Just look at how beautifully shot all the scenes. A great movie by far one of the best westerns I've seen.
Ken Curtis, who played Festus in "Gunsmoke", played Charlie McCorry in "The Searchers". We hear him singing "Skip to My Lou" in the middle of the movie. But I don't think he was part of the group ("Stan Jones and the Sons of the Pioneers") who sang at the opening and closing of the movie but I could be wrong about that.
@4Topwood - Ugh! Sorry, I just saw your post AFTER I went looking for the answer to this mystery. You know, there's a little bit of doubt about this here. Several searches revealed he did indeed perform with the group for this opening song, while others make no mention of him at all. I'm a little bit puzzled...but I'm still blown away that all this time I didn't recognize what was later to become "Festus".
@MrWheelscomp - Yes! Ken Curtis plays the yokel who courts the young woman. Isn't he also Festus in Gunsmoke? This is just weird. Next I'll find out that Ken Curtis was the guy behind the Grassy Knoll.
@TwoUselessLegs That would have been the guy who played Festus. I forget his real name offhand but he was one of the singers with the Sons of the Pioneers. He appeared in a lot of John Ford movies, including this one as the guy who tried to get the girl while Blankethead was off looking for Debbie.
I think if they put it on Blu-ray it'll sort of diminish the song at the end even though it improves sound. Even on here it doesn't sound like it does on DVD accounting for that's the only one I've watched it on.
What this has come to mean to me: Ethan was a veteran of the terrible Civil War. Afterwards, poor and angry, he drifted into outlawry. Finally risking arrest to come home, he sees the woman he loves happily married to his friend. Then the Commanche raid, massacre, and the hunt for his niece. Now he's middle-aged and unable to 'come in from the cold.' A great, great novel and movie.
One of the greatest film endings ever. The classic hero who never quite has a home. The door closes on him, the film ends in much the same way it started. Funny, it shouldn't really work. I mean, where the hell is he going? Yet, it does work. Fabulously. You know, you could never make a film like this today. There is nobody who could play Ethan...except for maybe Eastwood. He's too old now...but even in his prime, he was never a match for the enormous screen presence of John Wayne.
Two of the greatest images in World Cinema happened within 5 minutes of each other in this film. Don't forget John Wayne lifting Natalie Wood over his head, when everybody thought he was going to kill her. Except us who had been watching, and knew that he was going to do no such thing, even before he caught on.
Love this movie. Just love it. JW should have won an Oscar.
908shayes 3 weeks ago
So Daniel does not enter Hillard house doorway at the end of "Mrs. Doubtfire" for the same reason that Ethan does not enter the doorway at the end of "The Searchers", the doorways lead into a world that they do not belong. Powerful illustration, I'd say.
The director of Mrs. Doubtfire borrowed this image because he felt it was the perfect way to illustrate divorce.
pytko3 2 months ago
@pytko3 Mrs. Doubtfire. Hahaha. Deep dude. Reeeeeal deep.
OrphanSeasun 17 hours ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This scene inspired 2 scenes for the 1993 movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire". When Daniel is divorced, the Hillard household is a world he can no longer enter. Daniel is only able to pass through that doorway dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, which he does when Miranda and children first meet Mrs. Doubtfire. And at the end when he comes to take the kids to his place for a few hours, she opens the door but he only takes one step forward and does not enter and says he'll wait outside. It's like what Ethan does.
pytko3 2 months ago
Comment removed
pytko3 2 months ago
It was Ken Curtis .....he was Festus on Gunsmoke . He was a member of the sosns of the Pioneers . That rascall had a golden voice !
james28570 3 months ago
No one will ever write a better ending to a movie then this one.
E7USMCRET 4 months ago
@E7USMCRET In all of the John Wayne movies, this movie is tied with "The Alamo" for my favorite. Now "The Alamo" played very loose with history, but still packed a great message. Same with "The Searchers" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". Demons and heroics.
Cav89 3 months ago
One of the best John Wayne films ever.
dao3rd123 4 months ago
olive carey who played mrs jorgensen was the widow of harry carey one of the great cowboy actors of the silent screen
Harry always closed his films with the stance adopted by john wayne as he stands in the doorway at the end of the film and this scene was quite unrehearsed- wayne should have just walked away into the sunset- however being the man he was he altered the scene for the benefit of harry's widow - I saw her recount this episode years later and it still bought tears to her eyes!
bhyllsman 4 months ago
Vera Miles was so cute.
whitethronebooks 4 months ago
I also think that ward bond, if I'm correct, narrated the quiet man too!
soxboywoz93 5 months ago
Here's an even more interesting fact: The priest/marshall (Ward Bond) in this awesome movie also played a priest ( Father Peter Lonergan) in The Quiet Man (released in 1952) also starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford! In fact, he was in 16 movies with John Wayne!
soxboywoz93 5 months ago 2
@soxboywoz93 fuck me that's interesting
garfrain 5 months ago
Ride away....
batfrend 5 months ago
The Searchers is the Best Western ever made and definitely
John Wayne's best movie.
Ntalie Wood is to be commended for taking a small part and
making her role the best she ever did.
John Ford must have appreciated Jeffrey Humter because he
made three movies with him and yet he wasn't part of the
John Ford clique.
aracusdune 5 months ago
The song in "The Searchers" ...is sung by the "Sons of the Pioneers" featuring the great Ken Curtis who was also Festus in "Gunsmoke"
(See "I'll take you home again Kathleen" sung in the John Ford/John Wayne trilogy )
graham2375 7 months ago
Best western ever made, I've watched it for well over fifty years, and never get tired of it. That's Festus singing the title song, along with The Sons of the Pioneers..
suprsnips 7 months ago
This should have won an Oscar, I mean even considering John Ford's other movies I think this is probably his Magnus Opus. Just look at how beautifully shot all the scenes. A great movie by far one of the best westerns I've seen.
Nathan920 1 year ago
I heard an interesting rumor: one of the character actors in TVs "Gunsmoke" sang this song (not Dennis Weaver). Anybody know?
TwoUselessLegs 1 year ago
@TwoUselessLegs
Ken Curtis, who played Festus in "Gunsmoke", played Charlie McCorry in "The Searchers". We hear him singing "Skip to My Lou" in the middle of the movie. But I don't think he was part of the group ("Stan Jones and the Sons of the Pioneers") who sang at the opening and closing of the movie but I could be wrong about that.
4Topwood 1 year ago
@4Topwood - Ugh! Sorry, I just saw your post AFTER I went looking for the answer to this mystery. You know, there's a little bit of doubt about this here. Several searches revealed he did indeed perform with the group for this opening song, while others make no mention of him at all. I'm a little bit puzzled...but I'm still blown away that all this time I didn't recognize what was later to become "Festus".
TwoUselessLegs 1 year ago
@TwoUselessLegs i always thought it was tex ritter, is that definitely wrong?
garfrain 1 year ago
@garfrain- Wow! This blows me away! I did some research.
Ken Curtis is not only the actor who played Festus in Gun-
smoke but... apparently, he sang the opening theme song
with his band "Sons of the Pioneers" for "The Searchers".
Not only that, he was IN The Searchers! He plays Charlie
McCorry, the slow-talkin' country-bumpkin who almost marries
"the girl". I had NO idea that was Festus from Gunsmoke!
Also, it seems John Ford wasn't just his director, he was
his FATHER-IN-LAW!
TwoUselessLegs 1 year ago
@TwoUselessLegs Ken Curtis and the Sons of the Pioneers. They were featured in many John Ford movies.
MrWheelscomp 3 months ago
@MrWheelscomp - Yes! Ken Curtis plays the yokel who courts the young woman. Isn't he also Festus in Gunsmoke? This is just weird. Next I'll find out that Ken Curtis was the guy behind the Grassy Knoll.
TwoUselessLegs 3 months ago
@TwoUselessLegs That would have been the guy who played Festus. I forget his real name offhand but he was one of the singers with the Sons of the Pioneers. He appeared in a lot of John Ford movies, including this one as the guy who tried to get the girl while Blankethead was off looking for Debbie.
custardflan 3 months ago
Ken Curtis was the name. It just came to me.
custardflan 3 months ago
@custardflan - Ken Curtis (now it's posted everywhere).
I think it's interesting how acting styles have changed. I
think all of the supporting characters are rather cartoonish.
Over-the-top, if you will. Almost Disneyesque. Old Mos (the
guy in the wheelchair) seems to be modeled on Dopey from
Snow White. Ken Curtis is doing something equally strange.
John Wayne seems to be the only NORMAL person in the
movie. Even the indian chief seems suspiciously like a blue
eyed WHITE guy.
TwoUselessLegs 3 months ago
@TwoUselessLegs - LOL "wheelchair"! I meant ROCKING chair!
TwoUselessLegs 3 months ago
I think if they put it on Blu-ray it'll sort of diminish the song at the end even though it improves sound. Even on here it doesn't sound like it does on DVD accounting for that's the only one I've watched it on.
Nathan920 1 year ago
BEST ENDING IN THE HISTOY OF CINEMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
epicvlas 1 year ago 12
What this has come to mean to me: Ethan was a veteran of the terrible Civil War. Afterwards, poor and angry, he drifted into outlawry. Finally risking arrest to come home, he sees the woman he loves happily married to his friend. Then the Commanche raid, massacre, and the hunt for his niece. Now he's middle-aged and unable to 'come in from the cold.' A great, great novel and movie.
Axgoodofdunemaul 1 year ago
John Wayne is the greatest thomas haverstock
haverstock1888 1 year ago
Holy Shit! That is the way to make a movie, and that is the way to end a movie!
TatarInExile 1 year ago 9
One of the greatest film endings ever. The classic hero who never quite has a home. The door closes on him, the film ends in much the same way it started. Funny, it shouldn't really work. I mean, where the hell is he going? Yet, it does work. Fabulously. You know, you could never make a film like this today. There is nobody who could play Ethan...except for maybe Eastwood. He's too old now...but even in his prime, he was never a match for the enormous screen presence of John Wayne.
TwoUselessLegs 1 year ago 2
@TwoUselessLegs
Two of the greatest images in World Cinema happened within 5 minutes of each other in this film. Don't forget John Wayne lifting Natalie Wood over his head, when everybody thought he was going to kill her. Except us who had been watching, and knew that he was going to do no such thing, even before he caught on.
grabit1 1 year ago