Son of Belle Starr
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frank Mcdonald
Keith Larsen
Dona Drake
Peggie Castle
Regis Toomey
James Seay
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Warren Beacher, Hansen and Pinkly, the corrupt sheriffs of the mining town of Griswold, secretly meet with The Kid, the son of deceased outlaw Belle Starr. The Kid's outlaw reputation is based on his alleged robbery of the local mine, and the sheriffs now want him to steal the mine's next gold shipment. They propose a partnership in which they will transport the gold to a smelter designated by a secret fifth partner, then split the proceeds five ways. The Kid later returns home to nearby Flores Flats, where his friend, cantina owner Manuel, urges him not to seek revenge against the unknown enemies who framed him for the first mine robbery. The Kid is resolute, however, and on the day of the robbery, while the sheriffs pretend to guard the gold, The Kid knocks out the elderly driver Rocky, and escapes with the stagecoach. He then hides the gold in a deserted mine shaft in accordance with their plan. Pinkly and Beacher attempt to kill him by dynamiting the mine entrance, but The Kid defuses the explosives, then kills Beacher in self-defense. Pinkly escapes, however, and before leaving the mine, The Kid lays the fuse string from the mine's opening across to a cliff's edge, over which he throws two bags of gold. Hansen, meanwhile, forms a posse comprised of Rocky and the mine guards, but when they offer the Kid's girl friend, Dolores, a reward for information, she refuses to cooperate. The posse then returns to Griswold, where newspaper owner Tom Wren expresses his anger over Hansen losing the gold that supports the town's economy. While they are talking, the riderless stagecoach returns with Beacher's body inside. The next day, The Kid gives Tom's daughter Julie, who does charitable work in Flores Flats, a letter addressed to Hansen. The Kid then informs Manuel that he plans to use the gold to lure out Hansen's anonymous boss, whom he assumes is the fifth partner. Hansen reads the letter aloud in the newspaper office. It instructs The Kid's three remaining partners to meet the stagecoach at a location where he will split the money with them. When Hansen feigns ignorance about the partners, Tom, Julie's brother Bart and her fiancé, Griswold mine manager George Clark, volunteer to ride the stagecoach in an attempt to capture The Kid. However, The Kid only appears to identify the stagecoach's occupants, then leaves before the coach departs for its destination. Later that night, The Kid slips into the newspaper office and confronts Julie, who slaps him after he suggests that either her brother or her fiancé was involved in the robbery. The Kid responds by kissing her and then departs. Hansen, meanwhile, informs Clark that he plans to use Dolores to capture The Kid. One night, The Kid joins Dolores for a tryst in a vacant apartment but becomes suspicious when she asks him to close a broken windowshade. His suspicions are confirmed when a shot through the window narrowly misses him. Dolores admits to turning him in for the reward, and when Pinkly enters the room, The Kid forces him to reveal that Hansen ordered his murder. Pinkly attacks The Kid when Dolores attempts to escape, but is killed in the struggle. The Kid then removes the money from Pinkly's wallet and throws it at Dolores as he leaves. The next night, The Kid throws a note tied to a rock through the newspaper office window, challenging his two remaining partners to meet him at Manuel's cantina the day after. Before meeting with The Kid, Bart, Clark and Hansen try to locate the gold. Julie, however, has learned that The Kid is beloved in Flores Flats, and beseeches him to stop the bloodshed. The Kid still believes that either Bart or Clark are involved because both were connected with the mine during the time of the first robbery, but Julie denies his allegations. Hansen returns to the mine entrance alone and discovers the fuse leading to the gold sacks, which he recovers and stores inside the mine shaft. When The Kid finds Hansen in the mine, he forces him to reveal that Bart is his silent partner. The Kid allows Hansen to escape on foot, then sets the fuses to seal off the mine shaft. As The Kid leaves the mine, he is unexpectedly confronted by Bart, who vows he is innocent. When the mine explodes, sending a boulder crashing into Bart's leg, The Kid helps him get home, where Bart confirms The Kid's suspicions that Clark is the real fifth partner. Tom plans to expose Hansen's corruption in the newspaper, but when Clark enters the newspaper office and The Kid accuses him of being league with Hansen, Clark feigns innocence. The Kid forces him outside at gunpoint, intending to confront Hansen. The streets are deserted, however, as Hansen has formed a posse to capture The Kid. Clark, believing that the sheriff has double-crossed him, escapes and kills Hansen. The Kid then locates Clark in the livery stable and kills him in the ensuing struggle. Although Rocky shoots The Kid, the wounded outlaw manages to escape to to the newspaper office before the rest of the posse arrives. There, Tom has told Julie about Clark's death. Now accepting The Kid's innocence, Tom and Julie offer to help him, but when the posse forms outside and threatens to attack Flores Flats, The Kid surrenders. After revealing the location of the gold, The Kid dies in the street, surrounded by the posse.
Director
Frank Mcdonald
Cast
Keith Larsen
Dona Drake
Peggie Castle
Regis Toomey
James Seay
Myron Healey
Frank Puglia
Robert Keys
I. Stanford Jolley
Paul Mcguire
Lane Bradford
Mike Ragan
Joe Dominguez
Alex Montoya
Crew
D. D. Beauchamp
William Beaudine Jr.
Charles Cooper
Jack Dewitt
David Milton
Harry Neumann
William Raynor
Bruce Schoengarth
Peter Scully
Marlin Skiles
Ilona Vas
Allen K. Wood
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film opens with the following written foreword: "In the late 1880s, Belle Starr-the notorious woman outlaw of the American West, and her husband, a Cherokee Indian, died as they had lived-violently. But, from their unholy union a son had been born. His heritage was a defiant, turbulent nature; the stigma of a born criminal, and the contempt of his fellow men...." Although various sources list the character played by Peggie Castle as "Clara Wren," she is called "Julie Wren" in the film.
The CBCS and the production sheet in copyright records indicate that Sandy Sanders was initially cast as "Earl," but was later replaced by Mike Ragan. The plot synopsis in copyright records and the The Exhibitor review also indicate that the film initially ended with "The Kid" dying in "Julie's" arms. In the viewed print, however, the character dies in the street. For information on films about Belle Starr, consult the entry for Belle Starr in AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1941-50.