La renegada

Okay, the plot needs a Rosetta Stone to unravel, while affections and alliances shift faster than wind-blown hay and are about that well-motivated. Top that with action that never leaves LA's San Fernando Valley, plus acting prowess that sort of comes and goes, and we're left with what amounts to a cinematic morass. And oh yes, shouldn't forget how everyone insists on marriage before playtime. Isn't that just what you'd expect from these hardened outlaw types, (thanks production code censors).

Still, I've got to say, for what it's worth, that the narrative often avoids cliché. That is, people die that you don't expect, a girl has the lead even if it is non-girlish Ann Savage, while neither the Yankees, Confederates, nor Quantrills, are romanticized. Thus, despite the many muddy moments, there are points of interest scattered throughout. So, it seems to me that with a stylish director, an unburdened screenwriter, a bigger budget, and at least a 90-minute runtime, there's a pretty good epic western lurking somewhere in the Lippert shambles.

(In passing—thanks johnboy1221, you confirmed my suspicions about the disappearing knife: what a tacky omission. Also, I may be seeing things, but those well-scrubbed close-ups of Savage at times resemble an unsmiling Marilyn Monroe, of all people. See what you think.)

Renegade Girl stars Ann Savage in this Lippert Production about a Belle Starr like outlaw who after some service with Quantrill's Raiders leads an outlaw band. The story is a rehashed version not of the real Belle Starr's story, but of the 20th Century Fox film that starred Gene Tierney and Randolph Scott. Elements of that plot are definitely present.

For the tough leader of an outlaw band this woman has a lot of issues. She has a mission that tops all, to get Chief Thundercloud who is another renegade leader who has a grudge against her family the Shelbys. What the grudge is we're not told, but he's wiped out her whole family except for her.

Ann's got Union Cavalry captain Alan Curtis and fellow outlaw Russell Wade panting after her, but her mission comes first.

Renegade Girl is a poorly plotted and shoddily directed affair. Only the most confirmed B western addicts should be looking at this one.

And among my favourite from director William Berke, mostly because the main character is a female, as in DALTON GIRLS, TWO GUN LADY, JESSE JAMES WOMEN and I don't even speak of BELLE STARR and CALAMITY JANE westerns. This story is bitter, a bit gloomy and poignant. For all those reasons, it doesn't look like other westerns of this period. It is still question of Quantrill, an overused character in many movies and this girl's role is quite interesting. Excellent conclusion for my taste. Good stuff, very professionally made, with no length, good pace, action packed. It is a must see in terms of B westerns. I highly recommand it.

Yeah. I know this sounds terribly sexist, but when it comes to Westerns - "The Law Of The West" should strictly forbid them from being reduced to a trifling, little "Chick Flick".

I'm a guy who likes my Westerns rugged, mean, and masculine, with very little interference from women in the story at all.

Sure Chick Flicks are fine when it comes to any other genre of film, but definitely not allowed in a Western.

Ann Savage unconvincingly plays Jean Shelby. This highly-jealous, easily brought to tears woman is (get this) the leader of a tough, all-male band of Confederate raiders. Being so emotionally unstable, Jean's reliability as a leader of these men is seriously brought into question when she secretly turns traitor and falls for a Union soldier, pretty-boy who's actually been stalking her.

Yep. Renegade Girl is a dud.

Like I said before - Westerns should be forbidden to be made into Chick Flicks!

A Western with a semi-historical Civil War setting, "Renegade Girl" gets off to a fast start and has a good ending, although in between it slows down quite a bit. It has an interesting story and leading character.

Ann Savage stars as Jean Shelby, a Confederate sympathizer in Missouri late in the Civil War. She and her family have been helping provide information to Quantrill's raiders, so the Union Army is trying to find the Shelbys, assisted by an outcast Indian who has his own grudge against the family. Things get complicated when Jean and Union Captain Fred Raymond fall in love with each other, raising difficult questions about their loyalties and futures.

The film gets off to a pretty good start, with a lot of action that is mostly plausible, especially given the complex historical situation. It slows down then for quite a while, and starts to drag a bit. But it picks up towards the end, and the final sequence is pretty good, and not predictable. Savage does rather well in the lead, making her character mostly believable. Most of the other characters are routine (especially the Indians, portrayed in a very unfavorable light), aside from Edward Brophy as a gregarious member of Quantrill's gang.

There's nothing spectacular here, but it's a decent film and should be worth watching either for fans of old Westerns or for those interested in movies about the Civil War era.