Audie Murphy plays Joe Maybe, an outlaw who is mistaken for U.S. Marshall Jim Noonan, when he assumes the man s identity after his death. Pretending to be Noonan, Maybe is appointed sheriff of Webb City, a rough river town, after local lawmaker Judge Kyle (Walter Matthau), takes a shine to him.

The only reason Maybe goes along with the ruse is to gain easy access to the town bank and plan a robbery. This scheme goes dangerously awry when Tessa (Gia Scala), a former flame from New Orleans, shows up in town and is persuaded to pose as his wife. The couple s masquerade is further complicated by the arrival of Sam Teeler (Henry Silva), Maybe s rival in crime, who plans to rob the bank with his own gang of outlaws.

A fast-paced action-adventure with a wealth of unexpected plot twists, Ride a Crooked Trail also displays a surprisingly light comic flair which is capped by Walter Matthau s delightful, rambunctious performance as the wily Judge Kyle.