Ride Clear of Diablo is a 1954 Western movie directed by Jesse Hibbs, starring Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Susan Cabot, and Abbe Lane.
After his father and brother are murdered by rustlers, mild-mannered railroad surveyor Clay O'Mara (Murphy) is deputized and investigates – helped and hindered in the process by the genial outlaw Whitey Kincade (Duryea).
Tropes present in Ride Clear of Diablo:
- Affably Evil: Whitey, clear through.
- Blasting It Out of Their Hands: to Whitey.
- Blunt "Yes":Sheriff: You don't think I'd shoot you in the back, do you?Whitey: [totally matter-of-fact] Yeah.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: it takes Clay a frustratingly long time to realize Laurie is hinting he needs to ask her for a dance.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Clay is a young, easy-going, straightforward guy who makes a living not as a gunman but as a railroad inspector...he's also mighty handy with a gun and just as handy with his fists.
- Friend to All Children: Clay gets along well with kids.
- Gilligan Cut: Whitey's horse is killed while Clay is escorting him in, leading Whitey to observe that one of them is going to walk the rest of the way. (In the next scene, both of them are seen walking into town.)Clay: Guess which one of us it's going to be.Whitey: From the way you do everything else, I figure it'll probably be you.
- Guns Akimbo: Clay does this briefly, albeit just to threaten.
- The Hyena: Whitey Kincade has a distinctive cackle, which he doesn't hesitate to use.
- Ideal Hero: Clay O'Mara isn't interested in revenge or murder; he wants to bring his family's killers to justice.
- Psycho Sidekick: Whitey takes up a liking to Clay...which is not the healthiest or safest thing ever to happen to Clay, given Whitey's sense of humor.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: partial example. Whitey is caught in the crossfire after having led Clay to the killer, and while encouraging them to shoot it out, rather than for the villain to surrender.
- Heroic Sacrifice:Whitey: I told you, if I ever felt like a human being again, I'd shoot myself.
- In the Back: Whitey is given a smuggled gun while in prison, but can't bring himself to use it while Clay's back is turned.
- The Ingenue: male example in Clay, who is naive and trusting, and doesn't quite figure out what's going on until the end of the movie.
- Pintsized Powerhouse: don't get into a fistfight with Clay.
- Uriah Gambit: Sending Clay after Whitey was supposed to be this.
- Woman Scorned: Saloon girl Kate to Whitey.
