Search form

3:10 TO YUMA (1957) (***1/2)

This minor Western classic has a similar vibe to another famed Western, HIGH NOON. One man stands against the urging of everyone to do what is right. The chief difference between this film and the Gary Cooper classic is the presence of the charming killer played by Glenn Ford.

Dan Evans (Van Heflin, SHANE) is a rancher whose farm is suffering under a two-year draught. His wife Alice (Leora Dana, POLLYANNA) worries that they won't survive the year in the desert. One day with his two sons, Dan finds outlaw Ben Wade (Ford, THE BIG HEAT) using his cattle as a blockade in a stagecoach robbery. Later Dan reluctantly lures Wade into capture and aids the stage line owner Mr. Butterfield (Robert Emhardt, KID GALAHAD) in taking the bandit to Contention City to put him on the 3:10 train to Yuma.

The tale, based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, begins by setting up its characters. Ford is the charming outlaw, who is ruthless only when he has to be. Heflin is the nervous farmer, who doesn't want to stick his neck out when he knows he is powerless. He is a reluctant hero who becomes more resolved when the goings get tough. Ford is calm and calculating, only taking a risk when an opportunity opens up. However, he always plays each situation six different ways, making his own opportunities. With his sad relationship with barmaid Emmy (Felicia Farr, "Night Caller" episode of THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR) and the story he relates to Mrs. Evans, he longs for something he's never had.

Ford, playing against type, makes a killer who shot you dead without a second thought, but will feel bad about it afterward. His performance alludes to an individual forced into his certain role in life, who knows he great at what he does, but regrets a life he wishes he could have had. It's a subtle performance. He overshadows Heflin, who makes Dan whinier in the beginning when bitter would have been more dynamic. As the character develops so does the performance.

Along with the Bogie and Bacall film DARK PASSAGE, this film is what director Delmer Daves is best known for. The first act moves along at a steady pace toward the prolonged middle act where Evans and Wade just wait for the train to arrive. It's an interesting mind game between the two characters, but it does slow the momentum down a bit. A late arrival right before 3:10 is a bit contrived and melodramatic, but it doesn't ruin the nicely shot and believable action conclusion. Adding Daves well is writer Halsted Wells' sharp dialogue.

A minor classic is a good term to define this solid production. The film holds up well over time and presents a nicely dimensional bad guy. Ford steals the show, as the actors are concerned. Though we like Wade more, we still understand what motivates Evans and how he motivates the other characters. As one of the last black & white Westerns, 3:10 TO YUMA works equally as a character study and drama, focusing on the idea that heroes are people who, when things are at their worst, they still are determined to do what they believe is right.

Rick DeMott's picture

Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks