La femme sans loi

Light western has New Orleans saloon queen Shelley Winters returning to her rustic hometown of Bottleneck to find the varmints who killed her father 15 years earlier--trouble is, she doesn't know who they are, and so opens a new saloon as a cover while she solves the mystery. Friendly enough, yet awfully silly second-feature with a plot that doesn't quite hang together. Still, Winters (with a devil in her eyes) fires off some fresh lines while utilizing her feminine wiles to charm the pants off the male residents. Joel McCrea is a bit sleepy as the story-tellin', wood-whittlin' sheriff, but the supporting cast is solid, particularly Elsa Lanchester as gal-pal the Countess. The Technicolor photography is bright and handsome, but the production (a jumbled mix of studio sets and location shots) is visually insecure. Nothing at all to take seriously, but enjoyable while it lasts. **1/2 from ****

Despite a few gritty story elements, "Frenchie" is clearly a western that never takes itself all too seriously. Because of this, although you may not love the film, it is enjoyable and fun.

Frenchie (Shelly Winters) is a professional gambler and has just moved into a sleepy western town. Soon after buying the dying local bar, she is able to make a huge success of it--turning it into a gambling parlor. This irks some of the locals who want to keep the town clean and trouble-free, though they don't realize that she has ulterior motives. It seems her father was murdered many years earlier and the trail has led to this and an adjacent town. In the meantime, inexplicably romance blossoms between her and the Sheriff--a guy who wants to shut down the gambling establishment. There's more to it than this (including a murder) but frankly none of it ever seemed very serious. It was like the actors did it all with a wink in their eyes and by the end the viewer is left somewhat satisfied but not bowled over.

Strengths of the film include some nice acting, a crazy girl-fight and an unusual plot. The biggest deficit is the homespun comments that come flying from Joel McCrea. If I never heard another "I knew a man once who...." comment from him, I'd be a happy man!

Shelly Winters, Joel McCrea and Elsa Lanchester make for a solid and entertaining trio in this slight yet fun western/romance. Some of the scenery is beautiful, Winters looks lovely and most of the various colorful supporting characters all contribute something towards making this a generally fun and easy film to view and enjoy. The pacing is good and quick there's not a dull moment to be found. Sure, the story is slight but continually moving and the cat fight between Winters and Windsor is a hoot. Joel McCrea gives his usual understated performance and in the end loves wins out for Shelly and Elsa and all is good with the west again.

"Frenchie" (1950) is based loosely on the western classic "Destry Rides Again" only this time featuring a woman as the heroine. In her prime the shapely and gorgeous Shelley Winters as Frenchie Fontaine returns to her town and opens a saloon ,as a front, to avenge her fathers murder. Besides the usual gun play there is an old fashioned saloon fight when Frenchie tangles with another woman which is a hoot. Rounding out the cast of this technicolor co-feature are Joel McCrea, John Russell, Paul Kelly, Elsa Lanchester, John Emery and the ever dependable Marie Windsor.

A wild girl named Frenchie Fontaine (Shelley Winters) comes to town and conducts gambling to the disenchantment of the townsfolk, Joel McCrea, Elsa Lanchester, and Marie Windsor. More melodrama than action--western. Shelley's gorgeous, especially when her dresses are off her smooth pretty shoulders.