3:10 to Yuma (1957)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

Elmore Leonard (story)
Halsted Welles (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 August 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

The Lonesome Whistle of a Train... bringing the gallows closer to a desperado--the showdown nearer to his captor!

Plot:

After outlaw leader Ben Wade is captured in a small town, his gang continue to threaten. Small-time...

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Outlaw | Rancher | Small Town | Train

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Ben Wade
Van Heflin	...	Dan Evans
Felicia Farr	...	Emmy
Leora Dana	...	Mrs. Alice Evans
Henry Jones	...	Alex Potter, town drunk
Richard Jaeckel	...	Charlie Prince
Robert Emhardt	...	Mr. Butterfield, Stage Line Owner
Sheridan Comerate	...	Bob Moons (Stagedriver's Brother)
George Mitchell	...	Bartender
Robert Ellenstein	...	Ernie Collins
Ford Rainey	...	Bisbee Marshal
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Adams	...	Mrs. Potter (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Townsman (uncredited)
John L. Cason	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
Woody Chambliss	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Barry Curtis	...	Mathew Evans (uncredited)
Richard Devon	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
William Dyer Jr.	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Townsman in Contention (uncredited)
Bill Hale	...	Dave Keene (uncredited)
Jerry Hartleben	...	Mark Evans (uncredited)
Joe Haworth	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
Tex Holden	...	One-Legged Man (uncredited)
Fred Marlow	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Tony Mayo	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
Erwin Neal	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
Jerry Oddo	...	Wade Henchman (uncredited)
William Rhinehart	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Boyd Stockman	...	Bill Moons (uncredited)
Guy Teague	...	Orin Keene (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Hotel Proprietor-Bartender (uncredited)

Directed by
Delmer Daves

Writing credits
Elmore Leonard		(story)
Halsted Welles		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Heilweil	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Al Clark

Art Direction by
Frank Hotaling

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan
Robert Priestley

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	sound recording supervisor (as John Livadary)
J.S. Westmoreland	....	sound (as Josh Westmoreland)
John Speak	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Robert Bradshaw	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)

Also Known As:

Three Ten to Yuma (USA) (working title)
Zähl bis drei und bete (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
15.10 do Yumy (Poland) [pl]
3 H 10 pour Yuma (France) [fr]
3.10 till Yuma (Sweden) [sv]
3:10 til Yuma (Denmark) [da]
Armoton ase (Finland) [fi]
El tren de las 3,10 (Spain) [es]
El tren de las 3,10 a Yuma (Argentina) [es]
Gönüllü katil (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Galante E Sanguinário (Brazil) [pt]
O Comboio das 3 e 10 (Portugal) [pt]
Oi gigantes sygrouontai (Greece) [el]
Quel treno per Yuma (Italy) [it]
To teleftaio traino gia tin Yuma (Greece) (reissue title) [el]

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | South Africa:PG | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #18496) | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Amerind Foundation - 2100 N. Amerind Road, Dragoon, Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

James Mangold, who directed the 2007 remake, was sufficiently influenced by the film to name the lead character Heflin in his 1997 film Cop Land (1997), after Van Heflin, the star of this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Wade is handcuffed and set in the stagecoach, his jacket is completely unbuttoned, and remains like this in all shots he appears, until he step down on the Dan's ranch. When he walks toward the Dan's house, his jacket is completely buttoned. Once inside the house, the jacket appears in part unbuttoned.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mr. Butterfield, Stage Line Owner: Let me warn you - I am Mr. Butterfield; this is my line, these are my passengers. You bother any of them, I'll hound you from here to kingdom come.
Ben Wade: Mr. Butterfield, we don't mean to bother anybody - we just mean to get what's under that tarpaulin up there, that's all

Movie Connections:

Remade as 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Soundtrack:

3:10 To Yuma

Psychotic killer or gentleman thief?

I've liked this movie for a long time. Watching it last night, though, it finally occurred to me to wonder about the character played by Glenn Ford. I don't really understand what motivates him, or his gang.

Some people have commented that the closing scene is unbelievable, but I think that's only true because we never get a fix on Glenn Ford's character. Is he a psychotic killer, or is he a gentleman thief?

The psychotic killer label is supported by his actions in the opening scene of the stage coach robbery. He didn't even try to talk himself out of that situation, even though the driver was one against twelve and couldn't carry out his threat without being gunned down instantly. It's also supported by the fear that his name strikes into the hearts of all the townspeople. A man doesn't generate that kind of fear by simply robbing stage coaches. Obviously, he and his gang have done a lot of killing.

The gentleman thief label is supported by his complete lack of bullying characteristics. In every other situation of the movie except that opening scene, he uses his charm to try to get around people. He doesn't attempt to run roughshod over them. That completely contradicts the image of a guy who shoots first and asks questions later.

As for his gang, they show an extraordinary amount of loyalty to him and each other, which makes the shooting during the stage coach robbery that much more unconvincing. Why would they be loyal to a leader who didn't even try to save one of his own? Maybe that was just an anomaly. Ford tells us later in the movie that his gang will always go to extraordinary lengths to save one of their own, and they do just that to try to free him. Yet, at the end, he chooses to save the life of Van Heflin rather than go with his gang. Okay, so he decided that Van Heflin was a good guy worth saving, even if it did get his second in command killed. I don't mind that. What bothers me is, why is he so confident that, having turned his back on his gang, they are going to try to rescue him again in Yuma??? If I'm in that gang, he's made his choice and he can swing for it.