''Belle Le Grand'' is a 1951 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...

and written by D.D. Beauchamp. The film stars

Vera Ralston Vera Ralston (born Věra Helena Hrubá; July 12, 1919 or 1920 or 1921 or 1923 February 9, 2003) was a Czech figure skater and actress. She later became a naturalized American citizen. She worked as an actress during the 1940s and 1950s. Ear ...

, John Carroll,

William Ching William Brooks Ching (October 2, 1913 – July 1, 1989) was an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and on television during the later 1940s and 1950s. Ching may be best known for his supporting role in Rudolph Maté's 1950 fi ...

, Hope Emerson,

Grant Withers Granville Gustavus Withers (January 17, 1905 – March 27, 1959) was an American film actor who acted under the screen name Grant Withers. With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into sound films, establishing himself with a lis ...

, Stephen Chase,

John Qualen John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was an American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Early years Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son ...

and

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

. The film was released on January 27, 1951, by

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City a ...

Plot

In 1850, in

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, ...

, Sally Sinclair (

) is sentenced to prison as an accessory to murder. Upon her release five years later, she vows to get the money to take care of her young sister, Nan, and by the 1860s, has used her skill at gambling to amass a fortune. Soon she is a successful casino owner in San Francisco and using the name Belle Le Grand. Belle becomes involved in a silver mine intrigue between rivals Lucky John Kilton (John Carroll) and Montgomery Crane (Stephen Chase), a longtime nemesis of Belle's. When Nan Henshaw (Muriel Lawrence), now a trained and talented opera singer thanks to lessons paid for by Belle, gives a concert in San Francisco, she catches the eye of Kilton, though it is apparent Belle is interested in him. The story takes the characters to

Virginia City, Nevada Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City developed as a boom ...

, where Belle must try to use her wits and wealth to help her sister even as she fights her feelings for Kilton and battles their mutual enemy, Crane.

Cast

as Sally Sinclair / Belle Le Grand * John Carroll as John Kilton *

as Bill Shanks * Hope Emerson as Emma McGee *

as Shannon *Stephen Chase as Montgomery Crane *

as Corky McGee *

as Abel Stone *Charles Cane as Cal *

Thurston Hall Ernest Thurston Hall (May 10, 1882 – February 20, 1958) was an American film, stage and television actor.Aylesworth, Thomas G. and Bowman, John S. (1987). ''The World Almanac Who's Who of Film''. World Almanac. . Pp. 186-187. Career Stag ...

as Parkington *

Marietta Canty Marietta Canty (September 30, 1905 – July 9, 1986) was an American actress, community activist and recipient of numerous humanist awards. Personal life and social engagement Marietta Canty was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of M ...

as Daisy *

Glen Vernon Glen Vernon (born Glenn Vernon; October 27, 1923 – October 27, 1999) was an American actor. Glenn Vernon hailed from Fall River, Massachusetts, and pursued a dramatic career upon graduation from high school. He used his given name of Glenn Ver ...

as Bellboy *Muriel Lawrence as Nan Henshaw *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...

as Marshal at Concert

References

External links

* 1951 films American Western (genre) films 1951 Western (genre) films Republic Pictures films Films directed by Allan Dwan American black-and-white films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-Western-film-stub