3:10 to Yuma is a 1957 American Western film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Based on a 1953 short story of the same name by Elmore Leonard (1925-2013), the plot concerns an impoverished rancher who takes on the risky job of escorting a notorious outlaw to justice.
In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States on the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film was remade in 2007, directed by James Mangold and starring Russell Crowe with Christian Bale.
The title song, "The 3:10 to Yuma", was written by George Duning (music) and Ned Washington (lyrics), and sung at the beginning and end of the film by the noted Western and Country music singer Frankie Laine (1913-2007), who also did several other popular Western film / TV series musical theme songs. He recorded the song for Columbia Records also in 1957 with the Jimmy Carroll Orchestra when the feature film was released, and later repeated in 1960 with the Johnny Williams Orchestra (future famous film music theme composer, born 1932). It was also recorded again seven years later by Sandy Denny in 1967 for Island Records.
Plot[]
In the old Arizona Territory (1863-1912, later succeeded by the 48th State of Arizona) during the 1880s of the American frontier, struggling rancher Dan Evans and his two sons witness a gang led by notorious outlaw Ben Wade rob a passing coach of the famous Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. When the stagecoach driver manages to overpower one of the robbers, Wade calmly shoots both men dead. On the way south to the border with Mexico, the robbers stop at a saloon in Bisbee for drinks. Wade alerts the town marshal of the nearby robbery and the murders. A posse is called out for and assembled and badman Wade instructs his gang to ride quickly across the border to safety until he can rejoin them, while the posse heads back toward the stage. The posse meets up with Dan and the well-known Butterfield stagecoach company's prominent owner, Mr. John Butterfield (1801-1869), who accompany the lawmen as they head to the saloon. Charlie Prince, Wade's second in charge, returns to Bisbee to see what is delaying Wade just before the posse arrives back in town. Evans distracts Wade, allowing the marshal to approach Wade from behind and arrest him. Prince is shot in the hand but escapes on his horse to summon and retrieve the rest of the gang to help out.
The marshal requests two volunteers to escort Wade to nearby Contention City to catch the 3:10 train going further west to Yuma, Arizona, on the Southern Pacific Railroad's new trans-continental line near the western territorial border with California and a larger major town, where he can be held for trial. Butterfield offers to pay any volunteer $200, and Dan and a drunkard posse member named Alex Potter volunteer their services. The marshal has a man pretending to be Wade placed on a stagecoach leaving town that evening, hoping to mislead Wade's men and buy Dan and Potter some time. Wade is taken to Dan's ranch, where Alice Evans, his wife, learns of her husband's decision. Wade is subsequently moved to Contention City, where Dan and Potter meet Butterfield in a hotel room to wait for the train. Wade tries to bribe Dan into releasing him but is impressed by Dan's refusal.
The slain stagecoach driver's brother, Bob Moons, arrives and barges into the hotel room seeking revenge. Dan wrestles his gun away, but it fires. Prince, having secretly tracked the party to Contention, hears the gunshot and alerts Wade's gang. The local sheriff is out of town, so Butterfield hires five men to provide security while Wade is taken to the rail station. As the gang surrounds the hotel, the locals flee, once again leaving only Dan, Alex and Butterfield. Alex saves Dan from gunfire from an outlaw on the roof, but Prince shoots Alex in the back and has the men hang him from the hotel chandelier. Butterfield is horrified and offers to give Dan his money, planning to release Wade. Alice arrives and tries to change her husband's mind, but he is committed to see Wade brought to justice. Dan takes Wade out a back door, skillfully moving him across town as the outlaws fire at them.
The outlaws finally reach Dan as the train starts to leave. Prince shouts for Wade to take cover so he can shoot Dan. Instead, Wade tells Dan to jump into the passing car, and they leap to safety together. The gang runs after the train, but Dan shoots Prince dead and the rest abandon the pursuit. Wade explains that he owed Dan a favor for saving his life earlier, and he claims that he has escaped from the infamous Yuma Territorial Prison before, meaning Dan will be able to claim his reward honestly. Alice sees Dan leave safely on the train as rain pours down on her, breaking the long drought.
Cast[]
- Glenn Ford as Ben Wade
- Van Heflin as Dan Evans
- Felicia Farr as Emmy
- Leora Dana as Alice Evans
- Henry Jones as Alex Potter
- Richard Jaeckel as Charlie Prince
- Robert Emhardt as Mr Butterfield
- Sheridan Comerate as Bob Moons
- George Mitchell as Mac
- Robert Ellenstein as Ernie Collins
- Ford Rainey as Marshal of Bisbee
- Woodrow Chambliss as blacksmith (uncredited)[citation needed]
- Boyd Stockman as Bill Moons (uncredited)[citation needed]
- Barry Curtis as Mathew Evans (uncredited)[citation needed]
- Jerry Hartleben as Mark Evans (uncredited)[citation needed]
- Dorothy Adams as Mrs. Potter (uncredited)[citation needed]