Western

Drama

Thriller

3:10 to Yuma

Columbia Pictures

United States of America

English

Glenn Ford

Van Heflin

Felicia Farr

Leora Dana

Henry Jones

Richard Jaeckel

Robert Emhardt

Sheridan Comerate

George Mitchell

Robert Ellenstein

Ford Rainey

Dorothy Adams

Jimmie Booth

John Cason

Richard Devon

Joe Haworth

Robert "Buzz" Henry

Danny Borzage

Frank Hagney

Woody Chambliss

Barry Curtis

Jerry Hartleben

Bill Hale

Tex Holden

Boyd Stockman

Guy Teague

Guy Wilkerson

William Dyer Jr.

Ann Kunde

Tex Lambert

Fred Marlow

Tony Mayo

Jerry Oddo

William Rhinehart

Erwin Neal

Delmer Daves

George Duning

Halsted Welles

David Heilweil

Charles Lawton Jr.

Al Clark

Robert Priestley

Helen Hunt

Sam Nelson

Robert J. Schiffer

William Kiernan

Frank Hotaling

Jean Louis

John Speak

Morris Stoloff

Arthur Morton

John P. Livadary

Jack N. Young

Clay Campbell

J.S. Westmoreland

Robert Bradshaw

Brad Harris

Elmore Leonard

Room 207 and the 3:10 To Yuma.

Van Heflin plays rancher Dan Evans whose family and livelihood is at breaking point due to a devastating drought. Needing money fast, Evans gets thrown a financial lifeline when a reward is offered to escort a recently captured outlaw, Ben Wade (Glenn Ford), on to the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. But as Wade's gang closes in to free the shackled outlaw, and the clock starts to tick down, Evans finds himself torn between a sense of social duty and an easy option courtesy of Wade's mind game offer.

Based on a story by Elmore Leonard, this is a tight and tense Western that harks to the wonderful High Noon five years earlier. Directed by Delmer Daves, 3:10 to Yuma sees two of the Western genre's most undervalued performers come together in perfect contrast. Heflin's Evans is honest, almost saintly; but ultimately filling out his life with dullness and too much of a safe approach. Ford's Wade is the other side of the coin, ruthless (the opening sequence sets it up), handsome and very self-confident. This coupling makes for an interesting story-one that thankfully delivers royally on its set-up. As Wade's gang closes in, led by a sleek and mean Richard Jaeckel, Wade toys with Evans, offering him financial gain and gnawing away at him about his abilities as a husband, the tension is palpable in the extreme. Nothing is ever certain until the credits role, and that is something that is never to be sniffed at in the Western genre.

The comparison with High Noon is a fair one because 3:10 to Yuma also deals with the man alone scenario. A man left alone to deal with his adversaries and his own conscience; money or pride indeed. Daves' direction is gritty and suitably claustrophobic, with close ups either being erotically charged {watch out for Felicia Farr's scenes with Ford in the saloon} or tightly wound in room 207 of the hotel; where Heflin & Ford positively excel. His outdoor work, aided by Charles Lawton Jr's photography, also hits the spot, particularly the barren land desperate for water to invigorate it. While the piece also has a tremendous George Duning theme song warbled (and whistled by Ford in the film) by Frankie Laine. Great acting, great direction and a great involving story; essential for fans of character driven Westerns. 8.5/10

Footnote: The film was very well remade in 2007 with two of the modern era's finest leading men, Russell Crowe & Christian Bale, in the dual roles of Ben & Dan respectively. One hopes, and likes to think, that they remade it purely because it was such a great premise to work from. Because Daves' film didn't need improving, it was, and still is, a great film showcasing how great this often maligned genre can sometimes be.

A top 50’s Western with Glenn Ford only held back by the B&W photography

RELEASED IN 1957 and directed by Delmer Daves, "3:10 to Yuma” is a Western about a struggling Arizona rancher, Dan Evans (Van Heflin), who has no choice but to hire-on as an escort of dangerous, but charismatic outlaw, Ben Wade (Glenn Ford). Wade proceeds to employ psychological manipulation in order to corrupt the righteous family man and escape.

This is a quality psychological Western from the 50s, only held back by the B&W photography. The Arizona landscapes are spectacular but they’re all for naught due to this flat B&W presentation. Nevertheless, the story & characters are great. The mind games Wade plays with Evans keeps things interesting. Felicia Farr, the hottie from Glenn Ford’s excellent “Jubal” (1956) is on hand as a bartender who has a thang for bad boys. I’m not complaining about her role, but it’s a tad unlikely that such a smoking hot woman would be alone for too long in the Old West where there were twenty times more men than women.   

Most old Western theme songs are hopelessly hokey, e.g. “North to Alaska” (1960) (a great Western), but the one here sung by Frankie Laine is very good. I like it when words that don't rhyme are made to rhyme in a song: "There's a legend and a ruma', when you take the 3:10 to Yuma."

The 2007 remake with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in the Evans/Wade roles takes the template of this film and makes a superior Western with more action and deeper themes, not to mention IN COLOR. 
                   
THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 32 minutes and was shot in Arizona (Old Tucson,, Contention City, Sedona, etc.) and the studio ranch in Burbank, California. WRITERS: Halsted Welles (screenplay) and Elmore Leonard (story). 
 
GRADE: B

Interesting watch, especially after the remake (which improved on some plot holes).  The first half is a "typical western" that you could easily see Wayne or Stewart in.  But the second half (once they arrive in Contention), sees this turn into more of a psychological drama.

Especially surprising is that Wade's torments actually seem to break the hero, Evans.  In this movie, Evans then suddenly seems to "right" himself and get on the train with a happy ending because Wade, for some inexplicable reason, decides to help him.  

The acting of the 2 leads is top notch (esp Ford), but all else are left aside and not developed. The score and cinematography are superb.

Overall an above average western, worthy of its status as a classic, but not the masterpiece I was hoping for.

Heidi Honeycutt on 3:10 TO YUMA

Official Trailer

Three Reasons: 3:10 to Yuma

Elmore Leonard on 3:10 to Yuma

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3:10 to Yuma

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Glenn Ford

Van Heflin

Felicia Farr

Leora Dana

Henry Jones

Richard Jaeckel

Robert Emhardt

Sheridan Comerate

George Mitchell

Robert Ellenstein

Box office

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