Ride Clear of Diablo

Ride Clear of Diablo
Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Jesse Hibbs
Produced by	John W. Rogers
Written by	Ellis Marcus (story) George Zuckerman (screenplay)
Starring	Audie Murphy Dan Duryea Susan Cabot Russell Johnson
Cinematography	Irving Glassberg
Distributed by	Universal-International
Release dates	1954
Running time	80 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Ride Clear of Diablo is a 1954 Technicolor Western. It is the first collaboration between Audie Murphy and Jesse Hibbs, and the last film Susan Cabot made for Universal-International. She and Murphy had appeared in two films together previously.^[1]

Plot

Sheriff Fred (Paul Birch) and lawyer Tom (William Pullen) conspire to have dance hall girl Kate (Abbe Lane) entertain the hired hands of the O'Mara ranch whilst the Sheriff and the lawyer rustle the O'Mara's stock. Tom shoots both the father and teenage O'Mara son to leave no witnesses.

Surviving son Clay (Audie Murphy), a railroad surveyor in Denver, is informed of their deaths and comes back to his home where the identity of the murderers is unknown. Clay is talked out of revenge by the town Reverend (Denver Pyle) but Clay makes his own enquiries to the sheriff and Tom. When Clay asks the sheriff if he can become his deputy in order to make an investigation, the sheriff at first refuses. Tom advises the sheriff that it would be a good idea with Clay sent on a false trail to arrest notorious gunslinger Whitey Kinkaid (Dan Duryea) in the town of Diablo. Kinkaid has no connection with the murders, but the corrupt pair plan that Kinkaid will kill the pesky Clay. Ringer (Russell Johnson).

To everyone's surprise Clay outdraws Kinkaid, arrests him, thwart's Kinkaid's escape attempts and successfully fights off an ambush from three men. Kinkaid, who spends his life by hanging and idling about, is bemused by the unstoppable Clay and watches him go after the real killers; at first he does this for amusement, but gradually he realizes that the moral attitude of the much younger Clay is like a valuable lesson in living a worthwhile life. It is amusing to see how he accepts him finally as an exemplar. Kinkaid’s identification goes so far as to sacrifice himself to save the younger hero’s life in several gunfights, all in accordance with the fact, that he said that if ever he feels he's become “like a human being”, he will shoot (meaning here, sacrifice) himself.

Hence the moral lesson of the film is to show how right thinking and acting may sometimes turn the attitudes of depraved characters inside out; the audience are presented with a character in moral transformation, Western style. Murphy, as Clay, has top billing, showing successive bouts of corruption-busting action aided by his new friend, Kincaid, who ultimately demonstrates he'll make the ultimate sacrifice if needs be.

Cast

Cast in credits order, verified as complete

Audie Murphy as Clay O'Mara Susan Cabot as Laurie Kenyon Dan Duryea as Whitey Kincade Abbe Lane as Kate Russell Johnson as Jed Ringer

Paul Birch as Fred Kenyon William Pullen as Tom Meredith Jack Elam as Tim Lowerie Denver Pyle as Reverend Moorehead

(Rest of cast listed alphabetically – all uncredited)

Lee Aaker as a boy Ray Boyle as Clung Lane Bradford as Harry Lowerie Robert Bray as Jackson (ranch hand) Ewing Miles Brown as an outlaw Bob Burns as dancer at party Hamilton Camp as Andrew O'Mara Leo Curley as Doc Hiatt

Eddie Dew as Matt Grove Frank Ellis as a miner John Goddard as a cowboy Harold Goodwin as a bartender Tim Graham as Patrick O'Mara James Griffith as Henry (train conductor) Frank Hagney as a miner

External links

• Ride Clear of Diablo at Dan Duryea Central
• Ride Clear of Diablo at the Internet Movie Database
• Ride Clear of Diablo at TCMDB

References

1. Ride Clear of Diablo at Audie Murphy Memorial Site