| Ride Clear of Diablo | |
|---|---|
| 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 date(s) | 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 Pictures.
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.
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 is bemused by the unstoppable Clay and watches him go after the real killers for his own amusement.