Monday, May 21, 2012

3:10 to Yuma (1957)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Delmer Daves
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Columbia TriStar)

Glenn Ford is cast against type as the leader of a ruthless gang of outlaws. They hold up a stagecoach, kill the driver and steal a gold shipment. In the nearby town, they belly-up to the bar. Ford lingers to flirt with the pretty bartender and is arrested for the murder. A posse forms to catch the rest of the gang. Local rancher Van Heflin, who witnessed the hold up, is the best shot in town and is assigned to escort Ford to the nearest train station to stand trial. Ford and Heflin spend the rest of the movie in a psychological battle of wills. When the rest of the gang shows up, the posse bails on him and he must face them alone for the final trek to the train station. This may be one of the best examples of the "psychological western", with some striking black and white photography by cinematographer Charles Lawton.

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