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