Yuma

"Yuma" was a pilot movie for a television series that never was made. Apparently, it failed to convince the right folks that they should make another western television show...which isn't surprising since westerns were already falling out of fashion.

When the film begins, two of the King brothers come into town causing trouble...and firing their guns indiscriminately. When Marshall Harmon (Clint Walker) tries to get them to surrender their guns and come along peacefully to jail, the dumber brother takes several shots at Harmon...and Harmon blows him in half with his shotgun.

Later, that night, two guys sneak into the jail and free the other King brother. Are they members of his gang or just doing a bit of charity work? Nah...one of them shoots King dead with the Marshall's shotgun...hoping to get the Marshall blamed for it. A young boy saw what happened and identified one of the men as a soldier. Harmon investigates and finds that the nearby natives are about to rise up because the peace treaty has been broken--they were supposed to receive cattle to help them survive. It seems that the same officer in charge of taking care of this might just be the guy in on the murder. And what of the third King brother? Surely he'll want to pay someone back for the murder. How is Harmon to prevent the town of Yuma from exploding?

Clint Walker was a good actor and was just fine as the Marshall....which is hardly surprising. As for the plot, it's pretty good as well. But I really think the reason this never became a series was that westerns were huge in the 50s and 60s...but the 70s were big for realistic modern programming and not this sort of thing. Good and watchable but nothing more. I did, however, like watching Harmon cross-examining a guy who has broken into the jail.

This was an obvious series pilot TV movie that wasn't picked up, most likely due to the fact that there were already Western series on TV and this one did not stand out as particularly unique in comparison. Plus TV westerns were on the way down, being replaced by cops and robbers action series, and such. As a TV movie, this is slightly above average than most, and entirely enjoyable and fairly fast-paced, especially if you like Clint Walker. The other actors are more than adequate for their parts, nothing awe-inspiring, and that's how it's supposed to be in these projects. Nobody shows up the lead. There is little on screen violence, as should be expected for a TV movie from 1971, and the "Indians" are once again pretty stereotypical, and reduced to welfare status as they wait for their dole of cattle from the Army. This part was probably pretty true. One thing that's nice is to see Edgar Buchanan as a weasel get taken down, like I wished he had been on the series Petticoat Junction, where he also played a weasel.

Yuma is directed by Ted Post and written by Charles Wallace. It stars Clint Walker, Barry Sullivan, Kathryn Hays, Edgar Buchanan, Morgan Woodward and John Kerr. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by John Stephens.

Walker stars as Marshal Dave Harmon, a no nonsense lawman sent into Yuma Territory to clean house. Straight away he is fronted up by the King brothers, something which puts him into conflict with the town bigwig, their father, Arch King (Woodward).

It's a familiar tale, certainly one that any Western fan would have seen numerous times. A TV movie and an intended pilot for a show, the budget is obviously not that high, but there's some good star appeal (Sullivan & Buchanan reassuring presences for Western lovers) and there's a lot crammed into the hour and fifteen minute running time.

Big Bad Clint Walker is a mighty presence, giving us a character that is easy to like and respect, he's not only tough and handsome, but he also turns into a Sherlock Holmes type as well! Into the basic town tamer plot also comes the issues of the Indian Beef treaty, or lack of in this instance, the crafty tactics of the Raiders and their crimes, while there's the cute/annoying kid and a gorgeous lady circling our hero.

It doesn't pull up any trees, but it's well performed, has nice location scenery (Old Tuscon), and the action is well staged (pic opens with a very nifty stagecoach stunt). While of course for Walker fans it's always going to have a watchability factor. 6/10

Yuma is passable enough entertainment but something directed by Ted Post (Hang 'Em High) and produced by Aaron Spelling (who made some of the best low budget TV movies of the seventies) should have been a bit better. This seems like a television pilot that never materialized into a series.

Clint Walker, the new Marshall of Yuma is forced to deal with the two brothers of a powerful cattleman, shooting one in self defense and jailing the other. Later, two mystery men break him out and shoot him in the back, framing Walker for the death and leading to a confrontation with the cattleman and the uncovering of a larger conspiracy.

Some familiar stars and a good bit of intrigue make this worth watching if not a must-see.

Ted Post directed this Charles A. Wallace story which was created most likely as a pilot for a T.V. Series. I suppose that's why Clint Walker was selected. He looks tall and Majestic in the saddle. The story as Wallace wrote it has Marshal Dave Harmona (Clint Walker) arriving in town and no sooner does he arrive, when a couple of rowdies challenge his authority. Unable to talk one cowboy out of his gun, the Marshal is force to kill the other which does not sit well with the older brother. (Morgan Woodward) In addition to taking charge of the law in town, Harmon is given a murder mystery to solve and some restless Indians who are threatening to go on the warpath to placate. Finally, there a hotel owner who is set on winning a place in the marshal's heart. All in all the series would have begun as part western, part who-done-it, had the option been picked up. As it is, the movie moves into the what-if category and Walker rides into the sunset. It would have been interesting to see the film pan out as several other notables were included in the cast. Such actors as Barry Sullivan, Edgar Buchanan and Peter Mark Richman as Major Lucas. Otherwise, it's a good movie which never ever matured. ****