That clock keeps ticking – Original “3:10 to Yuma” now on 4K UHD

4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / HDR SCREENSHOTS

Glenn Ford plays charismatic outlaw Ben Wade, who is arrested inside the Bisbee watering hole. A crowd gathers to get a glimpse of the notorious gunman.

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4K screenshots courtesy of The Criterion Collection/Sony Pictures - Click for an Amazon purchase

“3:10 TO YUMA: THE CRITERION COLLECTION”

4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray; 1957; Not Rated

Best extra: An interview with author Elmore Leonard from 2013.

CELEBRATED ACTOR Glenn Ford was billed as “the fastest gun in Hollywood” – able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds – even faster than James Arness (“Gunsmoke”) and John Wayne. The son of a Canadian railroad executive, raised in Southern California, Ford regularly played well-meaning men caught in extreme circumstances.

“The Western is a man’s world, and I love it,” Ford said. He was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in the late 1970s.

The folks at Criterion and Sony Pictures salute the soft-spoken Ford – who never hid the gap between his front teeth – with the underrated western “3:10 to Yuma” from director Delmer Daves (“Broken Arrow,” “The Hanging Tree”).

Kent Jones writes in the enclosed booklet that Daves was considered one of Hollywood’s “most visually gifted directors” during the 1950s.”

(1) “3:10 to Yuma” premiered in Denver, August 7, 1957. (2-4) Wade and his gang use rancher Dan Evans’ cattle to stop the Butterfield stagecoach. Mr. Butterfield (Robert Emhardt) just happens to be onboard. (5&6) From a distance, Evans (Van Heflin) and his two sons witness the robbery and the driver's murder.

Based on Elmore Leonard’s (“Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight”) 44,500-word pulp fiction story published in Dime Western Magazine, spring 1953. “It’s one of the best Westerns of the decade, right up there with “High Noon,” Jones writes.

Ford plays the charming gunman Ben Wade, and Van Heflin (“Shane”) is cast as the hardscrabble rancher Dan Evans, riding with his two sons in the drought-stricken Arizona Territory. They stumble upon a stagecoach robbery carried out with ruthless violence by Wade and his gang. Wade and his crew separate after a round of drinks in the nearby town of Bisbee, and he’s captured after a stolen hour of lovemaking with barmaid Emmy (Felicia Farr).

The psychological thriller roils between the two men – Evans, who’s agreed to guard Wade for $200 in hopes of saving his struggling ranch. He must deliver the killer to the 3:10 train to Yuma for transport to prison. The ride becomes a battle of wills and bullets as Wade’s gang tries to spring their leader while Evans’ wife pleads with her husband to save his own life.

SIDENOTE: The famous Yuma Territorial Prison housed 3,069 prisoners (including 29 women) between 1876 and 1909; only 26 managed to escape into the Sonoran Desert.

The “3:10 to Yuma” 2007 remake starring Russell Crowe (Ware) and Christian Bale (Evans) from director James Mangold (“Walk the Line,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”) was highly acclaimed by critics and moviegoers. Wild West Magazine’s – 100 Greatest Westerns list from 2010 selected Mangold’s version No. 21 in the grand list, while Daves’ original was left out. They said the remake “brings unexpected dexterity to the task of broadening the narrative scope without over-amplifying or disrespecting Leonard’s basic storyline.”

(1&2) Mrs. Alice Evans (Leora Dana) reassures her two sons after Wade steals their horses. (3) Barmaid Emmy (Felicia Farr) serves the Wade gang. (4&5) Wade and Charlie Prince (Richard Jaeckel) convince the Bisbee Marshal (Ford Rainey) they weren’t involved in the robbery.

EXTRAS

• “Elmore Leonard” (13 mins.) an interview ported over from the 2013 Criterion Blu-ray, captured at the author’s home in Detroit.

  
  

  He recalls his days as a young writer whose paycheck was a modest two cents per word – $90 for “3:10 to Yuma.” He began his day by setting the alarm for 5 a.m.; he wrote for two straight hours, whipping up western yarns before heading to his full-time job at an advertising agency. Much of his description was pulled from magnificent color photographs published in Arizona Highways magazine.

  
  

• “Peter Ford” (15 mins.) also ported over, an interview with Glenn’s son Peter, who wrote the definitive biography of his father, “Glenn Ford: A Life.”

  
  

  Peter reveals how his dad was considered a “great horseman,” who got his start as a stable boy for American cowboy and social commentator Will Rogers. Ford himself called his role in “3:10” a “likable heavy,” and considered the film his favorite western. Interestingly enough, the studio originally wanted Ford to take the role of Evans, but he rejected the offer.

  
  

  Ford didn’t like dialogue and would start trimming his lines once on the movie set. He told his son it was because of his speech cadence: “I’ve got one speed, and it’s slow.” Moviegoers didn’t seem to mind – in 1958, Ford was named the No. 1 box office star.

  
  

  One of Ford’s first performances for Columbia Pictures, “Glida” (1946) arrives on Criterion 4K UHD in April. He co-stars as Johnny Farrell, the bitter henchman, opposite the dashing Rita Hayworth (Glida), in one of her most iconic roles.

(1&2) Wade’s gang leaves Bisbee, but he stays behind for a short fling with Emma. (3&4) Evans arrives at the bar, hoping for a payment from Wade for using his cattle in the robbery. The Marshal and the posse arrest Wade and wound Prince.

VIDEO

Around 15 years ago, Sony Pictures scanned the original 35mm black and white open matte camera negative in 4K. The new 4K master was framed in its theatrical 1.85:1 aspect, digitally restored and cleaned up, which Criterion used for its 2013 Blu-ray.

At that time, the results were splendid, but now with its higher resolution and HDR10 and Dolby Vision grading, the imagery is so much more pronounced.

The stark Arizona landscape was filmed during the winter months in Elgin, Willcox, Texas Canyon, and Old Tucson, with cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr. (“The Lady from Shanghai”), who said in 1969, “We got beautiful long, long shadows.” The natural film grain is more defined, while the expanded grayscale yields deeper, more detailed shadows. The highlights and midtones are more balanced.  

AUDIO

The original Mono soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm optical negative, a magnetic soundtrack, and original vinyl studio recordings of the score. Plus, a six-channel DTS-HD was created from those sources, which adds some enveloping experience. Even so, we decided to stick with the original 2.0 Mono track, which gives the theme song by Frankie Laine, the famous voice from “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and “High Noon,” a new fidelity.

Western fans don’t let this classic pass you by – especially with its outstanding 4K imagery.

— Bill Kelley III, High-Def Watch producer

Waiting for the 3:10 train to Yuma

(1&2) Evans agrees to guard and escort Wade for $200 in hopes of saving his struggling ranch. They arrive in Contention City and wait for the train in a hotel room. (3-5) Wade’s gang arrives, hoping to spring Wade, as the 3:10 train rolls into town.

SPECS:

• 100 GB disc

• TRUE 4K mastering

• Captured on 35mm black and white negative film stock in the open matte, but framed at the theatrical 1.85:1 aspect.

• Video bitrate: Varies from the low 70 Megabits per second and peaks at 111 Mbps, with a running time of 92 minutes

• Awards: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee for Best Film from any source.

• National Film Preservation Winner 2012 – National Film Registry

• Venice Film Festival – 2025 nominee for Best Restored Film

• Rotten Tomatoes: Top Critics’ 89 percent, audience 79 percent

• Screenrant.com – The 10 Best Westerns of the 1950s – “3:10 to Yuma” is No. 6, landing between “Johnny Guitar” (1954) and “High Noon” (1952).

• Vulture.com – 50 Greatest Westerns of all time – “3:10 to Yuma” is No. 18, landing between “Shane” (1953) and “High Noon.”