"Ride Clear of the Diablo" was the first of six films director Jesse Hibbs helmed with Audie Murphy as star during the 1950s. The second film that the director and star collaborated on was Murphy's autobiographical exploits in World War II. The third outing, "World in My Corner," was a boxing movie. The fourth picture, "Walk the Proud Land," was an off-beat oater with Murphy cast as a sympathetic Indian agent looking after the welfare of Native Americans. "Joe Butterfly," a military service comedy set in occupied Tokyo after World War II, marked their fifth film together as director and star. The last of their six movies, "Ride the Crooked Trail," was another Universal Studios' western. A simple, but entertaining tale of treachery and revenge, "Ride Clear of Diablo" finds Audie searching for those responsible for the dastardly murders of his father Patrick O'Mara (Tim Graham of "High Noon") and brother Andrew O'Mara (Hamilton Camp of "Dick Tracy") and the theft of their cattle. Mind you, railway surveyor Clay O'Mara (Audie Murphy) was working in another state when he learned about the tragic news of his father and brother. Clay drops everything and heads back home to Santiago. The obstacle that the villains experience with Clay is that they consistently miscalculate what he can accomplish based on his deceptively slight stature and his young school boy looks. Santiago Sheriff Fred Kenyon (Paul Birch of "Gunman's Walk") and Attorney Tom Meredith (William Pullen of "The Lawless Breed") greet our hero when he arrives in Santiago. Meredith killed both father and brother with a Winchester from the back of his horse during a stampede. Another dirty, low-down sidewinder who rode when them on that fateful day, Jed Ringer (Russell Johnson of TV's "Gilligan's Island") is on hand during the mischief. He is a double-crossing skunk if there ever was one who has deceived a saloon singer Kate (Abby Lane of "Caesar Against the Pirates") into being his girlfriend. As it turns out, Abby is privy to all the bad things that go on in Santiago.
Predictably, Clay wants to know more about the desperadoes who rustled his father's cattle. Shrewdly, Kenyon and Meredith confide in Clay that the notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincade (Dan Duryea of "Six Black Horses") may have been responsible for the deaths of his father and brother. Whitey enjoys quite a reputation as a fast hand with a gun, and Meredith and Sheriff Kenyon believe Whitey will dispose of Clay with no problems. Meredith is one of those charming villains who steps forth to defend the very people that they want killed. Initially, Sheriff Kenyon is against deputizing Clay, but Meredith convinces him that Clay deserves to get answers to the questions involving his family. Neither think Clay will learn anything from Whitey. Moreover, they have no doubts Whitey will drop Clay in his tracks, and they will be relieved of any anxiety involving Clay's inquisitiveness.
Dan Duryea was a durable presence in the countless westerns that he made, and he enjoyed playing villains. His performance as Whitey Kincade overshadows everybody else in "Ride Clear of Diablo." Initially, when he meets Clay in a saloon at Diablo, Whitey thinks that he won't have any difficulty killing Clay. However, fast on the draw Clay surprises not only Whitey but also the spectators watching their showdown. Among those spectators is Tim Lowerie (Jack Elam of "Support Your Local Sheriff"), who is an outlaw. Imagine their surprise when Clay escorts Whitey back to Santiago. After Sheriff Kenyon locks Whitey up in his calaboose, Whitey informs the lawman that if his trial goes the wrong way, he will tell everybody about the corruption in Santiago. Kenyon confides in Meredith, and they convince Jed to take the stand as a defense witness on behalf of Whitey to clear him of any criminal wrongdoing. Jed is tired to playing second fiddle and demands more money from Meredith. Meredith reveals that Wells Fargo will be shipping a bundle in silver, and Kenyon and he want Jed to rob it. Little do they know that Jed plans to double-cross them. No sooner is Whitey turned loose than he tells Clay about the corrupt sheriff and duplicitous lawyer. Naturally, Clay is dubious about Whitey's information. Duryea plays the vainglorious Whitey with a maniacal laugh and grows to like Clay. In a sense, these two become friendly enemies. When Clay rides off to retrieve a stolen white horse that the Lowerie's have taken, Whitey shows up to help him. Clay takes the horse, but he has a rough time escaping the wrath of the Loweries who pursue him, slinging lead futilely from horseback as they chase him. Earlier, when the owner told Clay about the theft of his prized stallion, he assured our hero that his stolen horse could outrun anything in the territory. Clay has to abandon his own mount and ride the white stallion to escape from the trigger-happy Loweries.
Throughout "Ride Clear of Diablo," Sheriff Kenyon's daughter, Laurie Kenyon (Susan Cabot of "The Wasp Woman") hovers in the background and foreground. Initially, she is Meredith's girlfriend, even though she knows nothing about the criminal activities of both Meredith and her father. She takes a liking to Clay, and they become close friends. Meantime, Jet kills the three men riding guard on the Wells Fargo silver wagon, and he stashes the precious metal in an abandoned mine. Eventually, Clay tracks him down with the help of Whitey, and they kill Jed and find the loot. During the gunfight, Jed wounds Whitey, and Clay takes him back to Santiago. Back in town, Meredith and Kenyon are waiting in ambush for Clay, and Whitey helps him survive a shootout. While Whitey guns down Kenyon, Clay kills Lowerie. "Ride Clear of Diablo" qualifies as an above-average western, largely owing to Duryea's charismatic performance.
Predictably, Clay wants to know more about the desperadoes who rustled his father's cattle. Shrewdly, Kenyon and Meredith confide in Clay that the notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincade (Dan Duryea of "Six Black Horses") may have been responsible for the deaths of his father and brother. Whitey enjoys quite a reputation as a fast hand with a gun, and Meredith and Sheriff Kenyon believe Whitey will dispose of Clay with no problems. Meredith is one of those charming villains who steps forth to defend the very people that they want killed. Initially, Sheriff Kenyon is against deputizing Clay, but Meredith convinces him that Clay deserves to get answers to the questions involving his family. Neither think Clay will learn anything from Whitey. Moreover, they have no doubts Whitey will drop Clay in his tracks, and they will be relieved of any anxiety involving Clay's inquisitiveness.
Dan Duryea was a durable presence in the countless westerns that he made, and he enjoyed playing villains. His performance as Whitey Kincade overshadows everybody else in "Ride Clear of Diablo." Initially, when he meets Clay in a saloon at Diablo, Whitey thinks that he won't have any difficulty killing Clay. However, fast on the draw Clay surprises not only Whitey but also the spectators watching their showdown. Among those spectators is Tim Lowerie (Jack Elam of "Support Your Local Sheriff"), who is an outlaw. Imagine their surprise when Clay escorts Whitey back to Santiago. After Sheriff Kenyon locks Whitey up in his calaboose, Whitey informs the lawman that if his trial goes the wrong way, he will tell everybody about the corruption in Santiago. Kenyon confides in Meredith, and they convince Jed to take the stand as a defense witness on behalf of Whitey to clear him of any criminal wrongdoing. Jed is tired to playing second fiddle and demands more money from Meredith. Meredith reveals that Wells Fargo will be shipping a bundle in silver, and Kenyon and he want Jed to rob it. Little do they know that Jed plans to double-cross them. No sooner is Whitey turned loose than he tells Clay about the corrupt sheriff and duplicitous lawyer. Naturally, Clay is dubious about Whitey's information. Duryea plays the vainglorious Whitey with a maniacal laugh and grows to like Clay. In a sense, these two become friendly enemies. When Clay rides off to retrieve a stolen white horse that the Lowerie's have taken, Whitey shows up to help him. Clay takes the horse, but he has a rough time escaping the wrath of the Loweries who pursue him, slinging lead futilely from horseback as they chase him. Earlier, when the owner told Clay about the theft of his prized stallion, he assured our hero that his stolen horse could outrun anything in the territory. Clay has to abandon his own mount and ride the white stallion to escape from the trigger-happy Loweries.
Throughout "Ride Clear of Diablo," Sheriff Kenyon's daughter, Laurie Kenyon (Susan Cabot of "The Wasp Woman") hovers in the background and foreground. Initially, she is Meredith's girlfriend, even though she knows nothing about the criminal activities of both Meredith and her father. She takes a liking to Clay, and they become close friends. Meantime, Jet kills the three men riding guard on the Wells Fargo silver wagon, and he stashes the precious metal in an abandoned mine. Eventually, Clay tracks him down with the help of Whitey, and they kill Jed and find the loot. During the gunfight, Jed wounds Whitey, and Clay takes him back to Santiago. Back in town, Meredith and Kenyon are waiting in ambush for Clay, and Whitey helps him survive a shootout. While Whitey guns down Kenyon, Clay kills Lowerie. "Ride Clear of Diablo" qualifies as an above-average western, largely owing to Duryea's charismatic performance.