User reviews

Ride Clear of Diablo is directed by Jesse Hibbs and adapted to screenplay by George Zuckerman from a story by Ellis Marcus. It stars Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Susan Cabot, Abbe Lane and Russell Johnson. Irving Glassberg is the cinematographer with location filming in Technicolor at Lone Pine and Victorville in California. Plot sees Murphy as Clay O'Mara, a railroad surveyor forced to return to his home town after rustlers kill his father and brother. Getting the sheriff to make him a tin star wearing deputy, Murphy sets about finding out who was responsible for the murders. His first port of call is a meeting with notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincaid (Duryea)...

Lively and utterly enjoyable "B" Western in the cannon of Audie Murphy. Standard revenge formula of plotting is elevated to better heights by the central relationship between Murphy's honest do gooder and Duryea's rough and tumble bad dude. Director Hibbs smoothly directs and the story has one or two surprises to off set the expected lack of credibility in the story. Glassberg's photography is beautiful and there's good support to the leads from Jack Elam and Denver Pyle. The girls look sexy and are costumed in style, while the action sequences, notably a horse pursuit featuring a gorgeous white stallion, are good value for money. Everything, though, is in Duryea's shadow, stealing the movie, Duryea is having a great time as the cackling villain forming an uneasy friendship with Murphy. It's this coupling, and the turn of events in the finale, that most will fondly remember the film for.

Real solid stuff. 7/10

A strong supporting cast and good writing make this one of Audie's better efforts from this period before westerns devolved into parodies of themselves.

Dan Duryea and Russell Johnson (the professor from Gilligan) have surprisingly interesting roles. Duryea plays the bad guy with the good heart. Johnson plays an apparent weak drunkard who surprises.

Audie plays it straight as a naive young man, Clay Omara, seeking justice for the slayers of his brother and father but every once in a while shows he's tougher and smarter than the average bad guy.

Abbe Lane and Susan Cabot add a dash of spice. Lane is the saloon girl with the heart of gold. Cabot is the sheriff's niece engaged to the town lawyers who it is immediately apparent will fall for Clay.

Murf plays a man intent on revenging the murder of his kin. To give the appearance of helping him he is deputized by a renegade sheriff and sent off on a mission sure to cause his death at the hands of psychotic killer Whitey Kincaid. When things don't go as the lawman planned he and his henchmen must try other measures to get the pesky little rascal off their scent or be found out as the very ones Murf is seeking. Average western with Duryea giving quite a performance as the always jolly, backshooting scumbag Kincaid.

Someone guns down Audie Murphy's father and brother and steals their cattle, so Audie pins on a badge and goes hunting Dan Duryea. After he brings in his man, giggling madman Duryea is cleared in court by corrupt lawmen Paul Birch and Russell Johnson. Duryea takes a shine to Murphy's naive honesty.

It's a well written western, and if Duryea dominates the movie, it's all offered pretty much in the wheelhouse of the leads. It's another of Universal's "shaky A" westerns, focusing more on character and story than the declining B westerns of the era. Jesse Hibbs, in his second time wielding the megaphone, does a good job, and seems to have established enough of a rapport with Murphy to direct half a dozen of his movies over the next four years. He was born in 1906. By the time he was 30, he was an assistant director, and was that on more than fifty films. With the decline of lesser productions, he shifted to directing TV westerns and episodes of THE FBI. He died in 1985.

One on hand this is a pretty standard Audie Murphy movie and I enhoy watching him so no problems there!

On the other hand this is better than average due solely to the over the top performance of Dan Duryea who steals the show delivering some good laughs.

Good support cast and a simple plot with a short running time make this a very easy matinee watch.

Recommend for sure :)

This is probably one of my top 3-4 favorite Audie Murphy movies, and I've seen about 20 of them--or about 50% of what he made. Dan Duryea as Whitey Kinkaid is a very interesting and amusing character who plays nicely off Audie's very credible performance. Russell Johnson (later the Professor on Gilligan's Island) as Jed Ringer and the lawyer and sheriff have some great lines that offset the B picture sets. All in all, this is a highly watchable movie, along with another Murphy/Duryea team-up, "Six Black Horses." Duryea and Murphy appeared together again in Jimmy Stewart's "Night Passage," but I like Ride Clear of Diablo and Horses better. Would pay $500 to have Audie's full filmography on DVD.

"Ride Clear of Diablo" was another of the Audie Murphy series of "B-Plus" westerns released by Universal during the 50s and early 60s. Universal always populated the casts with their contract players and other familiar faces. They were well mounted little films usually running about 80 minutes and mostly shot in color.

The story in this film involves Clay O'Meara (Murphy) returning to town following the murder of his father and brother by unscrupulous lawyer Tom Meredith (William Pullen), crooked Sheriff Fred Kenyon (Paul Birch) and henchman Jed Ringer (Russell Johnson). To throw him off the trail, the unholy three blame the crime on known bad man Whitey Kincaid (Dan Duryea) and send O'Meara off to Diablo to bring him in knowing full well that he'll probably be killed by the gunman. Kincaid meanwhile takes a liking to O'Meara and against his better judgment, lends O'Meara a hand.

The sheriff's niece is engaged to Meredith but of course, falls in love with O'Meara. Ringer meantime, is planning a double-cross of the other two and then running off with saloon girl Kate (Abbe Lane).

Murphy essentially played the same one dimensional character in his series but was always aided by superior supporting casts. Duryea, playing his signature likeable villain role, is allowed to go way over the top by director Jesse Hibbs in this one (it's about that laugh). He was always better on the wrong side of the law and was always an asset to any movie that he appeared in. The beautiful Susan Cabot plays the standard helpless heroine role and Abbe Lane gets to sing a couple of forgettable songs.

Also in the cast are veteran western performers Jack Elam, Denver Pyle, Lane Bradford and Holly Bane.

Here's a little trivia with which to end my comments:

- Audie Murphy was the most decorated American soldier in WWII; - Susan Cabot died tragically at the hands of her son, actor Christopher Jones, in 1986; - Dan Duryea wound up on the TV soap "Peyton Place" just prior to his death in 1968; - Russell Johnson became famous as "The Professor" in TV's "Gilligan's Island"; - Abbe Lane was married to band leader Xavier Cugat at the time of this film.

Ride clear of Diablo is my favourite Audie Murphy western.Its exciting,suspenseful and the rapport between audie and Dan Duryea is great.This film is highly enjoyable with humour and a good twist in the end.This is a feel good western.

A pretty routine Audie Murphy vehicle made infinitely watchable by Dan Duryea's colorful and totally against type performance as the notorious black clad outlaw Whitey Kincaid. A gem for Duryea fans.

When his father and brother are killed , a railroad surveyor named Clay , Audie Murphy , seeks for vengeance , being helped by a prior outlaw called Kincade ,Dan Duryea,. Accompanied by the outlaw they set out in looking for the nasty rustlers who murdered his father. Along the way, Clay is appointed Deputy by the Sheriff Fred Kenyon , Paul Birch , and he falls in love for his niece Laurie , Susan Cabot. No one with a badge ever rides back from Diablo ¡. One was a deadly danger the other two! Adventure that explodes with violence and fury! He owed his life to his hired gun!

A decent Western with noisy action , go riding , pursuits and shootouts . This enjoyable picture results to be an ordinary oater but containing some novelties as the peculiar friendship between a fine surveyor seeking merciless vendetta and a laughing, fast-talking gunslinger, but it also has the usual elements as gundown, assaults, horse chases, and treason. Audie Murphy gives a nice acting in his usual style as a railway surveyor who takes his guns planning a relentless revenge and outwitting various attempts on his life. Audie was the most decorated soldier in WWII. Audie played a lot of Westerns, such as : The kid from Texas, Cimarron kid, Gunpoint, Night passage, The gunrunners , Gunfight at Comanche, Rifles Apaches , The unforgiven, 40 guns at Apache pass, Posse from hell, Red badge of courage, and 6 black horses also perfomed by Dan Duryea in a similar role to Ride clear of Devil. Here Dan Duryea steals the show as a sympathetic and laughing gunslinger who eventually helps Clay in his merciless vengeance .Both protagonists are well supported by a good support cast such as : the gorgeous Susan Cabot, charming Abbe Lane as a singer-dancer, Russell Johnson , Paul Birch as the marshall , William Pullen as an advocate at law , Denver Pyle as a reverend and the usual baddie Jack Elam .

It packs colorful cinematography by Irving Glassberg who provides a glimmer and brilliant ambiance. And thrilling and atmospheric soundtrack from uncredited Milton Rosen , Herman Stein , Universal's regular .The motion picture was professionally directed by Jesse Hibbs who made a great number of Westerns as Cinema as Television, such as : Rifleman, Laramie, The wild wild west, Rawhide, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Bronco, Wagon train, Wichita town, Walk the proud land. And he made various vehicles starred by Audie Murphy as To hell and back , World in my corner, Ride a crooked trail and Medal of honor. Rating 6/10. Acceptable and decent Audie Murphy movie that will appeal to Western aficionados.

Jesse Hibbs was for Audie Murphy at Universal Studios what Joseph Pevney was for Jeff Chandler. Both directors used their fetish actors in all kinds of films, except science fiction; all kinds: boxing, dramas, westerns.... This one is above the average though, because of Dan Duryea's presence and the big surprise is that he doesn't play the villain here, not the Audie Murphy's nemesis, I mean. A very ambivalent and interesting character indeed. Not a masterpiece, but a good western. I preferred the relation between Glenn Ford and Chad Everett in THE LAST CHALLENGE than the one between Murphy and Duryea, in more or less the same kind of relation between the lead and his "pal", "sidekick".... But both interesting however. I insist.

Dan Duryea proves once again that he was Audie's best co-star - even tho this one has striking Susan Cabot - B-movie queen with a tragic ending to her own life's story - as the love interest - - fiery Abbe Lane shows herself to good advantage in a small supporting role - and here's is a good chance to see the future Professor on Gilliigan's Island Russell Johnson before he turned smart - as well as western veterans Jack Elam and Paul Birch as their familiar selves - - in the end - it's all as familiar and predictable as the sun-drenched landscape - with nice visuals - and plenty of action - - just worth the price of admission.

This is a classic style western with Audie Murphy as the good guy seeking out the killers of his father and brother. Fortunately, he's got experience in the field of "troubleshooter", and can handle things better than the killers, the town's most respected men, think. They send him on suicide missions against the likes of wild cards Dan Duryea, the professor Russell Johnson, and Jack Elam, only to be stunned by Audie's survival against these odds.

In making this, you could see that all involved allowed Duryea's overwhelming persona to take control. And that was the key. A great work relies not only on the great persona, but also the others to be willing to work off of him. "Great actors are great reactors" is known well to the acting community. A pity that many of the plebes who post on IMDb will laud the wrong actor.

Anyone can play a sadist. The real actors are the ones who can react to the sadist, and let him come across with power. Anyone can shout "That ain't no country I ever heard of", but the real actor is the one who is willing to stutter "What?" over and over.

However, here, Duryea deserves his praise. He's not your cliché bad guy. He's Duryea, full of fun and laughter, and each film he manages to make the character a little different. Just saying that the others deserve respect, too, for their cooperation.

Full of thrills, the film seems to last only a few minutes. And that's the sign of a good director. You get your bang for the bullet here.

Plus the classic combo of Murphy and Duryea. The only thing more magical than that would be to add in Stewart with an accordion.

Director Jesse Hibbs does a sterling job with B material. He extracts one of Duryea's best performances as the backshooting killer who actually has some decency and gets to like Murphy for being so honest.

Murphy, a more limited actor than Duryea, also performs credibly throughout, and supporting actors like Paul Birch (Sheriff Kenyon) and William Pullen (Lawyer Meredith) only add to the film's overall quality, as the top heavies.

Even pretty Susan Cabot, a substandard actress at the best of times, does well.

Photography is typical B quality, and the script not bad at all, with Cabot asking Murphy if the tunnel is long enough. I can only wonder if Hitchcock saw this film and decided to use a similar, but subtler, line at the end of NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

You could do a lot worse than watch this likeable and unassuming Western.

Dan duryea plays his usual insidious laughing self as backshooting antagonist killer called whitey kincaid ... from there it could only get better ... not one of audie's best if you are a fan ... i think the studio made him do these westerns because he was making them money at the box office ... he was used up and burned out before he got old enough to know better.

I never get tired of watching Audie's movies. There are a lot of them so have fun getting your Western fill. You will always be entertained!

An Audie Murphy Western from 1954. A man & his son are shot down trying to prevent some cattle rustlers from stealing their herd. Murphy hears of the news & comes to town to get the culprits who murdered his kin even exhorting the sheriff to make him a deputy to give him some official authority to his vengeance but what he doesn't know is said peacemaker & a local banker were behind the whole thing. Murphy gets a lead to go to the town of Diablo, a notoriously evil burg, to nab a likely suspect named Whitey Kincaid, played by Dan Duryea who steals every scene he's in, who may shed light on the true reveal of the evildoers. Every time a new suspect or clue is presented to the novice deputy, he performs above & beyond his task garnering the respect of Duryea much to the consternation to everyone else out to foil his forward momentum. One of the better Murphy Westerns amiably supported by a fine rogue's gallery of western usuals like Jack Elam & Denver Pyle (Uncle Jessie from The Dukes of Hazzard) w/a fine turn by none other than Russell Johnson (the professor from Gilligan's Island) as a drunk being used by the evil powers that be.

Once Duryea Stops Laughing Like a Loon in the First Act, Things Settle Down into a Believable Pairing of a Good-Bad Guy Team-Up Fighting Corruption in the Old West.

The Underrated Audie Murphy Never Received the Attention or Accolades He Deserved, Serving Up a Variety of Watchable Fun Movies, Mostly Westerns, in the 50's and 60's.

Critics may have Ignored Murph and His Films but Audiences were More than Kind.

Most of His Movies Made Money and a Couple were Outright Blockbusters like "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951) and "To Hell and Back" (1955).

He Made a Great Western with Budd Botticher "The Cimarron Kid" (1952).

In this Technicolor Tale there are Galloping Horses Aplenty, some Good Fist Fights (Audie could sure throw a punch), Gun-Play (the finale), and a Duo of Beautiful Ladies (Susan Cabot and Abbe Lane) with one as Pretty as the Other.

The Humble Murph always let His Co-Stars Upstage Him in a Way, but Not Really, He was like a Rock Anchoring the Scenes that other Actors "Stole".

That was part of His Appeal. Steady, Solid, Understated, and Usually Underestimated.

He more than Holds His Own with the more Seasoned Thespian Dan Duryea and in "The End" it's an "Audie Murphy" Western.

When railroad surveyor Clay O'Mara (Audie Murphy) hears about the murder of his father and brother, he comes to Santiago looking for revenge. Protected by a deputy's badge he goes after notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincade - the man he believes to be responsible.

But the sheriff and the judge are the culprits, and they purposely tell Murphy that Whitey Kinkaid ( an over the top performance by Dan Duryea) knows who is behind the killings, and this where the fun starts.

The scene where Audie faces Duryea plays on the fact that Audie looks a pushover due to his baby face and short stature. This is one of the things I like about Audie - he's like an underdog, far different from John Wayne and Randolph Scott, who, typically look the part of a hero. Another good thing is the dynamics behind the friendship between Audie and Duryea, their vast differences in character and temperament makes for fun viewing. The plot is smooth, brisk, the action lively and Susan Cabot is ravishing. Definitely have a soft spot for this film which I first saw in 1989 on BBC2. It was part of a short season of his films, and after that a season of Randolph Scott westerns were shown.