RomanceWestern

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

Release Date : 1958-11-23

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal International Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Joe Maybe

Original Name : Audie Murphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tessa Milotte

Original Name : Gia Scala

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judge Kyle

Original Name : Walter Matthau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sam Teeler

Original Name : Henry Silva

Gender : Male

Character Name : Little Brandy

Original Name : Joanna Moore

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jimmy

Original Name : Eddie Little

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Curtis

Original Name : Mary Field

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sam Mason

Original Name : Leo Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pecos

Original Name : Mort Mills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ben

Original Name : Frank Chase

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jackson

Original Name : Bill Walker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Attorney Clark

Original Name : Ned Wever

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Curtis

Original Name : Richard H. Cutting

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

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

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-09-04

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...