3:10 to Yuma, a Tense Western Thriller

A classic Glenn Ford film, 3:10 to Yuma owes some of its suspenseful plot and style to the superior High Noon, but nonetheless stands on its own as an enjoyable western, with great scenery, good sets and a bunch of familiar western character actors from the 1950s.

The Plot

Ford stars as slick and famous outlaw Ben Wade. We meet him and his dedicated band of ne’er do wells diverting a herd of cattle to block a stagecoach and relieve it of its gold shipment. The cattle’s owner, rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin), outnumbered and outgunned, is humiliated in front of his young sons when he can’t take action, and the stagecoach driver is shot in an attempt to foil the holdup.

The bad guys get away, but Wade decides to dally too long with a comely barmaid (Felicia Farr), and is captured. The rancher, who badly needs money to make up for a season of drought, is deputized to guard Wade and attempt a ploy to throw his gang off the scent. The idea is to get the outlaw safely onto the titular 3:10 to Yuma out of Contention City and into custody.

The tension builds as the stoic rancher and the charming outlaw develop a sort of wary respect for each other, even as the outlaw plots his escape and the rancher’s allies on the side of the law start to slip away in fear of Wade‘s gang.

The Cast of '3:10 to Yuma'

Ford is fun to watch, with his appeal to the ladies in the movie and his own code of outlaw ethics. As the upright, uptight rancher, Heflin’s role is less juicy, but he does well. Henry Jones, a familiar face from literally hundreds of TV shows, is touching as the town drunk who remains loyal to Evans to the end. Farr, the real-life wife of actor Jack Lemmon, is luscious as the saloon gal who falls fast for the outlaw. Leora Dana delivers as the rancher’s wife, and her drive into town at the height of the tension to stand by her man clearly echoes High Noon.

The Backstory

Frankie Laine, one of the most successful popular singers of the day, sings the overproduced version of the theme song, “3:10 to Yuma,” and various riffs on the tune underlie most scenes. The ubiquitous theme gets a little annoying -- the filmmakers were obviously hoping for a crossover hit on the music charts from the man who sang the theme to “Rawhide.”

Fifty years after it was made, 3:10 to Yuma was remade in 2007 with same title. Russell Crowe plays the Glenn Ford part, and Christian Bale stars as the steadfast rancher. Free of the restraints of the Hollywood production code, the remake is far more violent and overtly bloody - although there are a few shocking moments in the original as well.

'3:10 to Yuma' - the Bottom Line

There are better and more well-known westerns of the period, but for fans of 1950s westerns, 3:10 to Yuma is fine piece, with solid performances and a classic story. It’s also a nice look at the nuances of what constitutes justice in a society struggling to impose a uniform system of law and order: the American West.

Recommended for You

If you liked 3:10 to Yuma, you may like other classic western films, such as The Searchers, High Noon or Once Upon a Time in the West.

3:10 to Yuma at a Glance:

Year: 1957, Black and White
Director: Delmer Daves
Running Time: 92 minutes
Studio: Columbia