3:10 To Yuma (1957)

3:10 To Yuma (1957) Down on his luck, a rancher agrees to get an outlaw on the train to Yuma, so he can stand trial.  His gang tries to free him, resulting in a battle of will.

Directed by Delmer Daves                               Starring Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

Why I Liked It – A tense thriller that pits two outstanding actors in great roles.

Unless you’re a fan of old movies, I bet you don’t know the names of the two stars here.  Again, you’re missing out.  Both were well known and well respected stars in thier day.  Here, Ford gets to play the bad guy, which was not his usual role.  He had been offered Dan Evans, the rancher but had suggested he play Ben Wade.  Wade is a cruel man who torments Evans, trying to convince him to free him. It’s a jolting change in character for the actor best known for decent men caught in unusual situations (like Evans).

Heflin was one of those reliable actors that work steadily, are always solid in their roles, but never hit the big time in stardom.  He was involved in highly successful movies and a few flops.  His career began in supporting roles, till he won an Oscar for 1942’s “Johnny Eager”.  That moved into lead roles. He was a familiar face to movie audiences in the ’40s and ’50s.

The movie is another in the trend of grittier, less optimistic (and perhaps more realistic) westerns.  The traditionalists hated them, but the industry continued to move away from the older style western.  To aid in that feeling, directer Daves shot the movie in black and white.  Using a common technique, he put red filters on the camera lenses.  This creates an image that feels sun baked and barren.

What you get is a western that is so much more than the traditional movies.  The characters have depth, flaws, and motivations that aren’t always clear at first.  There’s no “white hat vs black hat” simplicity here.  The conflict between the two main characters is never a foregone conclusion.

Two interesting bits of trivia.  The movie is based on a book by Elmore Leonard.  Before becoming one of the top mystery writers, Leonard was a regular westerns author.  Meanwhile, the theme song feels like it doesn’t belong here.  Sung by Frankie Laine, the song has the upbeat feel of a traditional western.  It is out of place in this one.

Rating **** Recommended