Former "Rawhide" TV director Ted Post helmed the ABC Made-For-TV movie "Yuma" with Clint Walker between the time that he called the shots for Clint Eastwood in "Hang'em High" (1967) and the second "Dirty Harry" thriller "Magnum Force" (1973). Aaron Spelling of "Charlie's Angels" fame produced this standard-issue, law & order oater about a tough, deep-spoken lawman who tames the town. Undoubtedly, this movie was a pilot for a series that failed, despite its slick production values, good acting, and occasional bloodletting.
Dutiful David Harmon (Clint Walker of the "Cheyenne" TV series) finds his hands full the first sun-scorched day that he arrives in bustling Yuma, Arizona. The free-wheeling King Brothers steal an empty stagecoach from the depot, careen it onto Main Street, and turn it over, creating a nuisance and a hazard that Harmon refuses to tolerate. When our hero demands that Rol King (Bing Russell of "The Magnificent Seven") and Sam King (Bruce Glover of "Diamonds Are Forever") surrender their firearms in a local bar, Rol ignores Harmon's orders and starts shooting. Harmon lets Sam have both loads and the impact knocks the villain off the bar, down behind it and kills him. Rol survives the shoot-out, and Harmon lodges him in a cell in the marshal's office.
Harmon checks into a hotel room and flirts with the apparent owner, Julie Williams (pretty Kathryn Hays of "Ride Beyond Vengeance"), when he gives her a month's rent in advance. She points out that the last two marshals didn't last a week. Meanwhile, Harmon makes friends with a young, homeless Hispanic teenager, Andres (Miguel Alejandro of "Badge 373"), gives him money for new clothes, and allows him to sleep at the marshal's office. Two men awaken AndresCaptain White (John Kerr of "Tea & Sympathy) and Saunders (Robert Phillips of "Hour of the Gun")spring Rol from captivity and then let him escape, only to drop him with a shotgun blast on the street where he dies. They flee the scene, and Harmon shows up too late to catch them. Local cattle buyer Nels Decker (Barry Sullivan of "Forty Guns") finds Harmon holding the shotgun that killed Rol and accuses the new lawman of the crime. As it turns out, Andres clears Harmon of any wrongdoing. All Andres can remember is that one of the men wore shiny boots. Harmon deduces that the 'shiny boots' belonged to a U.S. Cavalry officer. He rides out to the fort and demands to see fort commandant Major Lucas (Peter Mark Richman of "Pool Hal Junkies"), but Lucas' orderly explains that the commander has retired for the evening. Nonplussed, Harmon draws his revolver and fires enough shots in the air to rouse every soldier on the premises. Harmon gets his interview with Lucas about Captain White. Later, Harmon learns from the local reservation Indians that they are being cheated in regard to the amount of meat that the Indians require. Eventually, Sanders and Harmon cross paths again when the lawman catches the killer sneaking into his office. Harmon literally shoots the six-gun out of Sander's holster when the villain tries to double-talk his way out of an arrest charge.
Ted Post directs with competence and assurance. "Yuma" emerges as a neatly-made, but formulaic little western with enough twists and turns as well as a surprise ending that it ranks a notch above the usual "Gunsmoke" clone that it clearly was. The point of view shots during the opening scene when our hero rides into town are excellent. Clint Walker could walk sleep walk through this role. He gives his usual strong performance and his David Harmon differs significantly from the aimlessly drifting hero in "Cheyenne." Unlike Cheyenne who wore his six-shooter on his right hip, Harmon wears his Colt's .45 with the plow-handle turned backwards in a holster wore for an across-the-waist draw. Not surprisingly, violence is held to a minimum, since it was made for television. Harmon guns down Sam King in the opening scene and later he takes out both Sanders and Nels Decker. Barry Sullivan is adequate as scheming cattle buyer Nels Decker who cares not a whit what happens to the reservation Indians that he is cheating. Morgan Woodward is good as the elder King who wants vengeance. Edgar Buchanan isas alwayssuperb. Meantime, John Kerr is shamefully squandered in an inconsequential role as a corrupt cavalry officer.
Dutiful David Harmon (Clint Walker of the "Cheyenne" TV series) finds his hands full the first sun-scorched day that he arrives in bustling Yuma, Arizona. The free-wheeling King Brothers steal an empty stagecoach from the depot, careen it onto Main Street, and turn it over, creating a nuisance and a hazard that Harmon refuses to tolerate. When our hero demands that Rol King (Bing Russell of "The Magnificent Seven") and Sam King (Bruce Glover of "Diamonds Are Forever") surrender their firearms in a local bar, Rol ignores Harmon's orders and starts shooting. Harmon lets Sam have both loads and the impact knocks the villain off the bar, down behind it and kills him. Rol survives the shoot-out, and Harmon lodges him in a cell in the marshal's office.
Harmon checks into a hotel room and flirts with the apparent owner, Julie Williams (pretty Kathryn Hays of "Ride Beyond Vengeance"), when he gives her a month's rent in advance. She points out that the last two marshals didn't last a week. Meanwhile, Harmon makes friends with a young, homeless Hispanic teenager, Andres (Miguel Alejandro of "Badge 373"), gives him money for new clothes, and allows him to sleep at the marshal's office. Two men awaken AndresCaptain White (John Kerr of "Tea & Sympathy) and Saunders (Robert Phillips of "Hour of the Gun")spring Rol from captivity and then let him escape, only to drop him with a shotgun blast on the street where he dies. They flee the scene, and Harmon shows up too late to catch them. Local cattle buyer Nels Decker (Barry Sullivan of "Forty Guns") finds Harmon holding the shotgun that killed Rol and accuses the new lawman of the crime. As it turns out, Andres clears Harmon of any wrongdoing. All Andres can remember is that one of the men wore shiny boots. Harmon deduces that the 'shiny boots' belonged to a U.S. Cavalry officer. He rides out to the fort and demands to see fort commandant Major Lucas (Peter Mark Richman of "Pool Hal Junkies"), but Lucas' orderly explains that the commander has retired for the evening. Nonplussed, Harmon draws his revolver and fires enough shots in the air to rouse every soldier on the premises. Harmon gets his interview with Lucas about Captain White. Later, Harmon learns from the local reservation Indians that they are being cheated in regard to the amount of meat that the Indians require. Eventually, Sanders and Harmon cross paths again when the lawman catches the killer sneaking into his office. Harmon literally shoots the six-gun out of Sander's holster when the villain tries to double-talk his way out of an arrest charge.
Ted Post directs with competence and assurance. "Yuma" emerges as a neatly-made, but formulaic little western with enough twists and turns as well as a surprise ending that it ranks a notch above the usual "Gunsmoke" clone that it clearly was. The point of view shots during the opening scene when our hero rides into town are excellent. Clint Walker could walk sleep walk through this role. He gives his usual strong performance and his David Harmon differs significantly from the aimlessly drifting hero in "Cheyenne." Unlike Cheyenne who wore his six-shooter on his right hip, Harmon wears his Colt's .45 with the plow-handle turned backwards in a holster wore for an across-the-waist draw. Not surprisingly, violence is held to a minimum, since it was made for television. Harmon guns down Sam King in the opening scene and later he takes out both Sanders and Nels Decker. Barry Sullivan is adequate as scheming cattle buyer Nels Decker who cares not a whit what happens to the reservation Indians that he is cheating. Morgan Woodward is good as the elder King who wants vengeance. Edgar Buchanan isas alwayssuperb. Meantime, John Kerr is shamefully squandered in an inconsequential role as a corrupt cavalry officer.