Renegade Girl
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
William Berke
Alan Curtis
Ann Savage
Edward Brophy
Russell Wade
Jack Holt
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In Missouri, in 1864, Jean Shelby encounters a Union cavalry unit. Together with her brother Bob, Jean is suspected of aiding the notorious Rebel guerrillas led by Bill Quantrill, and so the soldiers escort her to their headquarters. Before they arrive, Chief White Cloud tells Major Barker that a wounded Bob is hiding at his parents' home. Chief White Cloud has vowed to kill the entire Shelby family because he was banished by the Cherokees after he tried to kidnap Mrs. Shelby. At headquarters, Jean overhears the soldiers' plans to capture Bob and, through a ruse, escapes. Jean arrives home before the soldiers, and she and Bob head for Quantrill's hideout. Bob is too weak to complete the journey, however, and Jean leaves him behind while she goes for help. White Cloud finds Bob where he is resting and kills him. In the meantime, Jean has captured Captain Fred Raymond. Soon after Jean discovers Bob's body, Quantrill and his men arrive and vow to avenge Bob. They decide to hang Fred, but Jean, who has fallen in love with him, intervenes. After Quantrill's men leave, Fred insists on accompanying Jean when she brings Bob's body home. They arrive at the Shelby home in the midst of an attack by White Cloud. Jean is badly wounded and both of her parents are killed. Fred leaves Jean with the Manson family and departs on his army mission. Months later, Jean recovers and, disillusioned because Fred has not contacted her, goes after White Cloud. Learning that Quantrill is dead and that his men have become outlaws now that the war is over, Jean agrees to join them if they will help her kill White Cloud. Shortly after Jean leaves the Mansons', Fred arrives in search of her. Unaware of this, Jean, who is using the pseudonym Marie Carroll, promises to marry the man who helps her to avenge her brother. Her promise causes trouble among the men, especially Jerry Long, who thinks of Jean as his girl. Just as they get close to capturing White Cloud, a fight breaks out among the outlaws, and all the men except Jerry are killed. Soldiers find the distraught Jean and bring her to their headquarters, which are now administered by Fred. Not knowing of Jean's recent activities, Fred is overjoyed to see her and explains that he could not contact her because he had been captured by Quantrill's men. He adds that he gave Jerry several letters to smuggle to her. Fred asks Jean to marry him, but when she learns that he is looking for Marie Carroll, she pretends to be staying with friends and sneaks off to finish her mission to kill White Cloud. When Fred learns where Jean has gone from a captured Jerry, he hurries after her, but by the time he arrives, Jean has killed the Indian and has been severely wounded. After telling Fred that she loves him, Jean dies in his arms.
Director
William Berke
Cast
Alan Curtis
Ann Savage
Edward Brophy
Russell Wade
Jack Holt
Ray Corrigan
Claudia Drake
John King
Chief Thunder Cloud
Edmund Cobb
Richard Curtis
Nick Thompson
James Martin
Crew
William Berke
Arthur A. Brooks
James Brown Jr.
Darrell Calker
David Chudnow
Samuel K. Decker
Carl Hittleman
Max Hutchinson
Robert L. Lippert
Edwin V. Westrate
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film begins with the following written foreword: "Far from the main battle fronts in the latter days of the Civil War, Missouri was torn by violent partisan and guerrilla warfare. So vicious and widespread was this conflict that it paved the way directly for the wave of outlawry which scourged the Border Region throughout the Reconstruction Days and for years thereafter. And one of the most ominous in the changes of events which brought this about began when a lone rider appeared on this lonely road on a late summer afternoon in 1864." The character of "Bill Quantrill" was loosely based on William Clark Quantrill, who organized a band of guerrillas, which harried Union soldiers and anti-slavery civilians. Quantrill's Raiders were eventually made part of the regular Confederate army. Quantrill was fatally wounded in May 1965. Among the men who fought with Quantrill were the James brothers and the Youngers.
