spoiler seethe with hatred and revenge half breed zach provo and james coburn and have spend the last 11 year on a chain gang plan his escape . what provo want more then freedom be to even the score with the man who capture him and in the process and during a wild shootout and kill his navajo wife represent the former pima county sheriff sam burgade and charlton heston . make his escape after kill two prison guard provo make his way towards yuma know that that not just where burgade life but where his his young daughter susan and barbara hershey and resides as well . use his fellow escape convict to lure burgade into the vast arizona desert and by promise them $ 30 and 000 . 00 in gold coin that he bury there and provo plan to exact his bloody vengeance on burgade . but only after have him witness his daughter be brutally rap by his fellow convict or be and in not be with a woman for year and as horny a a rabbit during mat season . brutal and very effective western that update the john wayne 1956 classic the searcher in a father search through dangerous indian territory for his kidnapped daughter . charlton heston a the guilt ridden sam burgade in his felling somehow responsible for kill provo wife and then have to face the fact that the same thing can very well happen to his daughter susan be perfect in the role of the aging and retire sheriff . charles coburn a the vengeful half breed zach provo be also at his best a the obsess with hatred and murder escape convict . the man who escape with provo be really not interest in his personal affair but have no choice and in that he know the territory like the back of his hand and but to go along with him . it only the thought of them have their way with susan and when provo give them the green light and as well a the buried $ 30 and 000 . 00 in gold coin that keep them from break up and go their own way . also go along with burgade be susan boyfriend hal brickman and chris mitchum and who prove in the end that he as good a burgade be and who felt that he just do not have it in him and in both track down the escaped criminal as well a use common sense and which in this case burgade lack and in do it . spoilers the unbelievably brutal and blood splatter showdown between burgade and provo be almost too much to sit through . provo who hatred of burgade border on out right insanity want him to suffer a slow and excruciate death . it be that hatred that bugrade take advantage of and and after take some half dozen bullet and thus end up put the craze and blood thirsty and as well a mindless and lunatic away for good .