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Ride a Crooked Trail

Name: Ride a Crooked Trail
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Released: 1958
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

0.6/10

Minimal

1958

Director

Jesse Hibbs

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Ride a Crooked Trail is a quintessential mid-century Western that adheres strictly to the social norms of 1950s studio filmmaking. The plot relies on traditional genre clichés, such as frontier justice and romantic tension, to advance the story. The film reinforces established social structures rather than challenging them. It lacks intentionality regarding perspectives that reflect multiple aspects of identity or the subversion of cultural norms. Ultimately, the film's value lies in its adherence to genre conventions. It maintains a standard mid-century equilibrium without introducing progressive representation or diverse character archetypes.

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Category Breakdown

Does Ride a Crooked Trail have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on traditional heterosexual romance. The main plot revolves around a forced domestic charade that serves as a traditional marriage setup rather than exploring LGBTQ+ identities.

How does Ride a Crooked Trail portray gender?

Limited

Gender roles remain traditional. Scala demonstrates some ability to act through her involvement in the deception, but her role is primarily defined by her romantic loyalties and her relationship to the male protagonist.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ride a Crooked Trail?

Minimal

The cast is predominantly white, featuring Anglo-Saxon archetypes typical of the 1958 Western genre. There are no significant non-white characters or racial blending.

How does Ride a Crooked Trail represent religion and culture?

Limited

The narrative upholds traditional Western institutions like law and order. It emphasizes the sanctity of the respectable family unit and the restoration of social order within the community.

Does Ride a Crooked Trail include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities that drive the narrative or provide character depth.

Present on Screen

The film effectively uses a classic 'ruse' plot to explore themes of identity and situational ethics.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks racial diversity, relying on homogeneous Anglo-Saxon archetypes.
Gender roles are conventional, with women's ability to drive the story secondary to male-driven conflict.
The film does not offer any LGBTQ+ representation or subversion of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

Official Synopsis

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

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