A Time for Killing ** (1967, Glenn Ford, George Hamilton, Inger Stevens, Paul Petersen) – Classic Movie Review 9070

Directors Phil Karlson and Roger Corman’s 1967 Western A Time for Killing [The Long Ride Home] stars Glenn Ford as Union soldier Major Charles Wolcott, who chases escaped Confederate prisoners led by Captain Dorrit Bentley (George Hamilton), who has nabbed Ford’s fiancée, Emily Biddle (Inger Stevens) in this interesting if below-par American Civil War Western.

The wan star trio’s poor performances, some naff, out-of-place comedy, an apparently thoughtless screenplay by Halsted Welles, based on the novel The Southern Blade by Nelson Wolford and Shirley Wolford, and Phil Karlson and Roger Corman’s seemingly careless direction (no doubt the result of production problems) are the main demerits. For example, in the night-time escape scenes, the sky has blue and white clouds, so it was clearly shot in the day-time using dark filters.

But A Time for Killing is tough for its day, and this tone helps to keep it watchable, as do the noteworthy support performers, the superior production, the Utah and Arizona location shooting, and, above all, Kenneth Peach’s impressive Pathécolor and widescreen cinematography.

It is notable now for an early Harrison Ford appearance (his third film) as Lieutenant Shaffer. It is Ford’s credited film debut, after playing Bellhop Pager (uncredited) in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) and Irate Motorist (uncredited) in Luv (1967). He followed it with Journey to Shiloh (1968).

Roger Corman quit as co-producer several weeks into production and he was replaced as director by Phil Karlson. With the movie going over budget, producer Harry Joe Brown wrote a personal cheque to Columbia Pictures for $1,000,000 to cover the costs.

Alo in the cast are Max Baer Jr, Paul Petersen, Timothy Carey, Todd Armstrong, Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller, Harry Dean Stanton, Richard X Slattery, Kay E Kuter, Emile Meyer, Marshall Reed, Duke Hobbs, James Davidson, Charlie Briggs, Craig Curtis, Jay Ripley, Dean Goodhill and Eddie Smith.

A Time for Killing [The Long Ride Home] is directed by Phil Karlson and Roger Corman (uncredited), runs 89 minutes or 83 minutes, is made by Columbia Pictures, and Sage Western Pictures Inc, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Halsted Welles, is shot in Pathécolor and widescreen by Kenneth Peach, based on the novel The Southern Blade by Nelson Wolford and Shirley Wolford, is produced by Harry Joe Brown, is scored by Mundell Lowe and Van Alexander, and is designed by Daniel Haller.

Monte Hellman was replaced as editor and Stella Stevens turned down the Emily Biddle (Inger Stevens) role.

The long version runs 89 minutes and the short version, released in the UK as The Long Ride Home, runs 83 minutes.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9070

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