JohnHowardReid Copyright 3 November 1948 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Globe: 8 January 1949. U.S. release: November 1948. U.K. release: 28 March 1949. Australian release: 2 June 1949. 7,760 feet. 86 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Colorful Western in which Belle Starr, a notorious Wild West bandit, is killed by Bob Yauntis, one of her own men, who lays the blame on a marshal. Belle's daughter, Rose, turns bandit in order to take vengeance on the marshal, until he proves his innocence. Rod Cameron gives an excellent performance as the bad man, with good work coming from George Montgomery and Ruth Roman.NOTES: A Fox release and follow-up to the highly successful BELLE STARR.COMMENT: A-grade western with an exciting script by W.R. Burnett (author of Little Caesar and The Asphalt Jungle) and direction by Lesley Selander that is far more slick and stylish than his usual standard. There's plenty of action and the pace is fast. Rod Cameron and Fred Libby contribute interesting character portrayals. Ruth Roman fills the title role quite agreeably, while George Montgomery lends some skilful horsemanship to the climactic chase. (A pity that his fist fight with Jack Lambert is so obviously staged with doubles). The supporting cast is strong and production values, including the atmospheric photography by William Sickner, excellent.

bkoganbing If George Montgomery has his way they'll be a person in the law enforcement community marrying into Belle Starr's family. Along during the action in Belle Starr's Daughter he takes a fancy to Ruth Roman. But Roman can't see him because she holds him responsible for the death of her mother played briefly by Isabell Jewell. There's a truce between the law and the outlaw. The former marshal of Antioch says if the outlaws stay clear of Antioch he'll not pursue them into their sanctuary. But one night one of those outlaws Rod Cameron murders the marshal. He then murders Jewell and her confidante Kenneth MacDonald. And then he tells Roman that it was Montgomery's posse that did the dirty deed. So Montgomery will certainly have a lot to overcome.Some good performances by players used to being home on the range compensate for a story that has quite a few holes in it. Of course this has nothing to do with the real Belle Starr any more than 20th Century Fox's big budget oater that starred Gene Tierney and Randolph Scott had to do with her. But imagine the outlaw queen having a law enforcement official as a son-in-law?

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Whoever lived through the old westerns will remember how we were always looking forwards to break the clichés, to see something different. The movies used to flirt with us specially in the trailers, by making the heroes seem to be bad. But there was always a catch, and at the end all would go back to the standard plot. Perhaps this explains why I felt thrilled seeing the pretty Ruth Roman being a bandit and at a certain point wearing the handkerchief mask. Whoever would not recognize her without the mask would have to be blind! But it was charming, and worth it. I am sure that was part of the trailer. And what about Rod Cameron as the bad guy? That was a great idea and he gives the best performance of all his films that I have seen. I have a certain difficulty to accept George Montgomery's hairstyle popular in the fifties, but awkward in our present days, but he was an OK actor and I always enjoyed his films, specially this one. Belle Starr's daughter is an amazingly well done unpretentious western directed by the efficient Lesley Selander

kidboots W.R. Burnett was responsible for writing some of the most memorable films in history - "Little Caesar" (1930), "Scarface" (1932), "The Beast of the City" (1932), "High Sierra" (1940) and "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950). He also wrote westerns, of which "Belle Starr's Daughter" is among them.The town of Antioch has made a truce with Belle Starr but a couple of her men have shot up the town and killed the Marshall. When she tries to go to Antioch to repair the damage, her renegade men kill her and also Jim Davis. Belle Starr's daughter, Cimmaron Rose, comes to stay in town and takes exception to the young sheriff (George Montgomery) who, she thinks, killed her mother. Finding a locket he realises that her mother was Belle Starr. Bob (the renegade man) comes back to Antioch and kills Bailey when he threatens to tell the truth about Belle Starr's death. He then convinces Rose that the young sheriff was responsible for her mother's death and she rides off with his gang. Bob shows his true colours when one of his gang is shot.Starring Ruth Roman and George Montgomery - certainly not stars of the first magnitude. The supporting cast are far more interesting. Isabel Jewel is Belle Starr. Her part is small but with all her performances, she packs it with intensity. I am a huge fan of Miss Jewels. Wallace Ford - who was the star of Burnett's "The Beast of the City" (1932) and became a great character actor plays the drunken foreman, Bailey. Kenneth MacDonald who was a fixture in westerns had the small role of Jim Davis. Lane Chandler, who in the 20s was destined for a big career in westerns - but along came Gary Cooper. He spent most of his career playing bit parts and in this film he had the small role of Marshall Evans.