Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews as I go through the process of finishing post and releasing my 12 Westerns in 12 Months during 2020. I am watching these films not from an audience perspective but as a filmmaker, as a student of the genre.
Week 109: Yuma
There are two things that elevate Yuma beyond just being a failed pilot turned a movie: Clint Walker and director Ted Post.
Walker, who I have now seen in several Westerns, deserved a longer career as a leading man in theatrical films. His presence, acting chops, and ability to carry the picture from beginning to end cannot be denied. Sometimes when he’s the supporting part, even up against Burt Reynolds, he steals the show. I wish there was an abundance of Walker Westerns out there and that he’d worked with even better directors.
That brings me to Ted Post, a good craftsman who elevates this material above the usual TV fair. Though some of its origins shine through in weak moments, Post does a worthy job bringing this story, which is really a cop procedural, to the big screen.
As part of my monthly study of 70s Westerns, I’m glad I finally got to see Yuma.
Watch on Tubi.
