La Belle Aventurière

I have always been deeply in love with actress Yvonne De Carlo, she was so beautiful, magnificent, flaming, and what a shame, a disgrace, that the Academy Awards did not even noticed her death during the 2007 ceremony. But beware this is not a true authentic western, but rather a light hearted vaudeville adventure yarn taking place in the olfd west. Universal Studios used us to tougher, grittier than this one, that looks more like a Republic Pictures western, those taking mostly place in cabarets or gambling house. It is however agreeable, fun, not boring and Yvonne De Carlo justifies any plot, any script, the most important is that she was the most gorgeous woman on screen in the movies where she played. And director Frederic De Cordova was a comedy specialist, who was also able to deliver real westerns and adventures too. I prefered SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED, also starring the great De Carlo, and also a "false" western but totally crazy, incredible.

The film starts well as it is told in a Rashomon-style flashback, with three local old-timers in the town recounting slightly different versions of the events surrounding the female protagonist's [Lily's], arrival and her manipulation in the feud between two cousins, for her own gain.

De Carlo, Coburn. Brady, Bevans, Stevenson, Simpson, and, Litel are excellent actors. However, the film's theme ruins their performance as this is a feminist-based western which achieves its goal of emasculating the three male protagonists.

Conclusively, the film is a lightweight, campy Western comedy. The plot is not particularly deep or coherent. The resolution left too many plot holes. Don't waste your time on this one.

Wonderful Yvonne De Carlo! This story of two cousins,vying with each others for a valuable property ,waiting for the ancestor's death (but it seems he is not about to kick the bucket) is a comedy where nobody seems to take things seriously ;there's a very long fight between the two heirs towards the end and Yvonne's choice does not seem to be the wisest,if we consider the very last picture of the movie.

But it does not matter;the only thing that matters is miss De Carlo:when she appears ,we only have eyes for her;her two songs are a true delight (the second one is witty,funny and infectious);generally I do not go much for those saloon ballads but those are the highlights of the movie.

The story is told by three old "witnesses";thus the arrival of the lady is filmed three times,each one giving his own version of the facts.

The fun of this film is telling the story from three different viewpoints -- each version diametrically opposed to the others -- what is the truth? probably a mixture of all of them -- it's a fun film with DeCarlo in fine form and the feuding brothers fighting it out for her affections is half the fun.

Yvonne De Carlo (Lillian) rides into town and becomes the focus of attention for two cousins - Scott Brady (Lee) and John Russell (Grant) - who really don't like each other. They are both super powerful and run half of Arizona each. They are just waiting for old-timer Charles Coburn (General O'Hara) to pop his clogs and then they can battle it out to take complete control of the state.

The story is told in flashback as three old-timers relate their viewpoint of how De Carlo interacted with the two cousins and we learn what happened in the gaps between the stories. The film is basically about the rivalry between the two cousins with the added interest of who De Carlo will ultimately choose to procreate with. That's what we watch for - who will she choose?

The cast are pretty unpleasant - including De Carlo - apart from Coburn who is the funniest as is to be expected. He shines whilst the others don't in this completely unrealistic story. Throw in some terrible songs as well. Not a particularly good film.