rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1957
Directed by Delmer Daves; produced by David Heilweil; screenplay by Halsted Welles
Starring Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Felicia Farr, Leora Dana, Henry Jones, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Emhardt
The original '3:10 to Yuma' is almost as good as the remake and that is a big compliment. The 2007 version has the better ending but everything leading up to that point is as good here. It finds its inspiration in 'High Noon', where the ticking clock created a brilliant kind of suspense. Here the device is used in a similar way. There is a lot of talking, some would say too much, but I found it adding up to the tension most of the time. On itself an inspiration for 'Last Train from Gun Hill', this western, based on an Elmore Leonard story, is a very entertaining genre piece.
The hero is Dan Evans (Van Heflin), the villain is Ben Wade (Glenn Ford), although he is much more interesting villain than you might think. He is smart and not all bad. Evans is the person who will bring the arrested Wade to Contention, to put him on the 3:10 train to Yuma. At first Evans is only in it for the money and Wade understands this, offering him a lot more for freedom. Of course, Wade's outfit is eager to get him free. Now led by Charlie (Richard Jaeckel), they discover he is held in a hotel room in Contention, where Evans and Wade slowly wait until it's time to make a run for that train.
Women have important roles in '3:10 to Yuma'. Wade has an episode with a lonely woman (Felicia Farr), and after these scenes we see him differently. Evans' wife (Leora Dana) loves him, but in her words is a hint of disappointment when she talks about his actions and reactions. We wonder is she, or their two children, is the real reason Evans does what he does, even though we know he really needs that money. She has this feeling too, causing her to be present when the big finale starts. Unfortunately the film takes a couple of wrong turns there, where the remake played these scenes just right.
The film looks gorgeous and sounds good too. The black and white photography brings it own style. In the finale it shows how deep focus can be used effectivily to create extra tension simply by showing multiple characters in one shot, the hero close, one of the villains further away. As a western it needs a tune of course. Ned Washington and George Duning provide it and sung by Frankie Laine it fits the film well.
All these qualities make '3:10 to Yuma' an above avarage western. It may not be as good as most westerns from John Ford or Howard Hawks, it is Delmer Daves' best film, entertaining and smart.