Universal International Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Ride a Crooked Trail
Alone . . . he faced the deadly crossfire of a killer mob . . . and a fear-crazed town!
After robbing a bank Murphy assumes the identity of his pursuer, a famous US Marshal, when he stumbles into a town and is confronted by the local judge, Matthau. Murphy is forced to remain as the new Marshal; an old flame, Scala, nearly unmasks him by accident, only to be forced to assume the ruse of being Murphy's wife. The "couple" given a house and respectability, which neither has had before. They maintain the charade to avoid hurting a young orphan boy, Matthau's ward. Scala is torn by her loyalty to boyfriend planning to rob the bank and growing feelings for Murphy
- Original title
- Ride a Crooked Trail
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
CinemaSerf
Sep 4, 2023 · via TMDB
This is quite a good, light-hearted little western featuring Audie Murphy as an escaping bank robber who arrives in a town only to be mistaken by the local judge - a feisty Walter Matthau - for a likely candidate for sheriff. When Gia Scala - Murphy's old flame gets off the river boat she almost lands him it, so to avoid discovery he claims that they are married so as he can carry out his own nefarious plans. When her real beau and his gang arrive in town things all start to get a bit complicated... It's an entertaining hour and a half; with a good rapport between all three principals and Eddie Little as the young "Jimmy". It's got an half decent script and some good action thrown in too. The ending is a bit poor, but I suppose it was inevitable...
John Chard
May 30, 2014 · via TMDB
Middle of the Street. Ride a Crooked Trail is directed by Jesse Hibbs and adapted to screenplay by Borden Chase from a story written by George Bruce. It stars Audie Murphy, Walter Matthau, Gia Scala, Leo Gordon, Henry Silva and Eddie Little. A CinemaScope/Eastman Color production, music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Harold Lipstein. A blend of the breezy and the beefy here as Audie saddles up as Joe Maybe, a bank robber who after assuming the identity of the detective who was sent to capture him, winds up as the sheriff of a corrupt town. Ironically it’s the town he and his dastardly cohorts had planned for their next big robbery. But as Joe insinuates himself into the company of the town’s better citizens, he begins to doubt his dark side. It’s pretty routine as per the bad man trying to turn good axis of Western movie plotting, but there’s a good sense of fun running throughout. Murphy himself seems to really be enjoying himself in the role of Joe Maybe. Leading the front of frivolity is Matthau as the town judge, his capacity for alcohol is as legendary as his ability to find a quip or sarcasm in the most trying of situations. Many of the scenes shared between the two men are most funny, be it hangovers, court room shenanigans or generally sounding each other out, they make for a great pair of characters. Of course all this good fun has to ease off for the plot to take its darker turn. Which brings in the villains and the action scenes just as Joe’s conscience starts to gnaw away at him. Costuming is appealing, especially when modelled by Scala, Gershenson provides another one of his lively Western musical scores and Lipstein’s Scope photography makes good use of the gorgeous scenery. It’s a bit creaky in parts and Hibbs sometimes lets the pace sag, but this is good entertainment for Audie and Matthau fans. 6.5/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Audie Murphy
Joe Maybe
Gia Scala
Tessa Milotte
Walter Matthau
Judge Kyle
Henry Silva
Sam Teeler
Joanna Moore
Little Brandy
Leo Gordon
Sam Mason
Mort Mills
Pecos
Frank Chase
Ben
Bill Walker
Jackson
Ned Wever
Attorney Clark
Richard H. Cutting
Mr. Curtis
Rayford Barnes
Teeler Gang Member (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
Tom Wheelwright (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers
Railroad Worker (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Townsman (uncredited)
Philo McCullough
Man at Dedication (uncredited)
Paul Newlan
Riverboat Captain (uncredited)
Eddie Parker
Townsman Reporting Bank Robbery (uncredited)
Kenneth Patterson
Gambler (uncredited)
Cap Somers
Townsman (uncredited)
Ray Spiker
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Bob Steele
Jud Blunt (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Townsman (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent
Boat Steward (uncredited)
Henry Wills
Clovis (uncredited)
Morgan Woodward
Durgan (uncredited)
Bud Westmore
Makeup Artist
Frank Skinner
Additional Music
Henry Mancini
Additional Music
Harold Goodwin
Dialogue Coach
Bob Herron
Stunts
Eddie Parker
Stunts
Regis Parton
Stunts
Jesse Hibbs
Director
Borden Chase
Screenplay
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Nov 23, 1958
