IMDb RATING
5.7/10
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At the end of the Civil War, an embittered Southern belle joins forces with a Confederate guerrilla leader to raid Union towns.At the end of the Civil War, an embittered Southern belle joins forces with a Confederate guerrilla leader to raid Union towns.At the end of the Civil War, an embittered Southern belle joins forces with a Confederate guerrilla leader to raid Union towns.
Shepperd Strudwick
- Ed Shirley
- (as John Shepperd)
Paul E. Burns
- Sergeant
- (as Paul Burns)
Joe Sawyer
- John Cole
- (as Joseph Sawyer)
Joe Downing
- Jim Cole
- (as Joseph Downing)
Herbert Ashley
- Jailer
- (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley
- Carpetbagger
- (uncredited)
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard
- Young Jake
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlice Faye was the first choice to play the title role.
- GoofsSam Steele was not only never in the Confederate army, he was a Native American. In fact, the version presented in "Stories of the Century" was a lot closer to the mark than was Randolph Scott's version.
- Quotes
Maj. Thomas Grail: I'll hang him from the highest tree... and his friends with him.
Belle Shirley, later Belle Starr: Wouldn't that require a great deal of rope?
Maj. Thomas Grail: Fortunately, we have an ample supply.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994)
Featured review
Gene Tierney stars as Belle Shirley, the feisty daughter of a Missouri plantation owner during the Civil War era. Her father was killed by "Yankee devils", and when her brother Ed (Shepperd Strudwick) returns home to tell her that the South has surrendered, she's devastated. Things only get worse when Yankee carpetbaggers show up, stirring up the "colored folk" and causing misery to the good, Confederacy-supporting Missourians. When Belle learns of a Confederate outlaw named Sam Starr (Randolph Scott) who is causing no end of trouble for the Union army in the area, she joins up with him, and the two fall in love. Also featuring Dana Andrews as the local Union Army commander who also has eyes for Belle.
Those with any knowledge of the real Belle Starr story will know that about the only thing this movie has in common with the real person is that they were both white females. The real story of the much-married mother of two who was also a bandit across multiple states is instead swapped for a "South will rise again!" Civil War revenge fantasy that traffics in regrettable racial stereotypes and exaggerated distortions. While the moment Randolph Scott calls Louise Beavers an "Ethiopian elephant" is bad, the recurring motif of Strudwick trying to tell jokes, even on his death bed, is worse. The film is given the sort of lavish Technicolor treatment that helped make Jesse James a hit in 1939, but that film had a better script and a better director.
Those with any knowledge of the real Belle Starr story will know that about the only thing this movie has in common with the real person is that they were both white females. The real story of the much-married mother of two who was also a bandit across multiple states is instead swapped for a "South will rise again!" Civil War revenge fantasy that traffics in regrettable racial stereotypes and exaggerated distortions. While the moment Randolph Scott calls Louise Beavers an "Ethiopian elephant" is bad, the recurring motif of Strudwick trying to tell jokes, even on his death bed, is worse. The film is given the sort of lavish Technicolor treatment that helped make Jesse James a hit in 1939, but that film had a better script and a better director.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Belle Starr 'The Bandit Queen'
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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