THE BELLE STARR STORY (1968) – (Original title Il Mio Corpo per un Poker) This movie was directed by Lina Wertmuller, making it the only Spaghetti Western directed by a woman. It has nothing to do with the real Belle Starr, but for name recognition you can’t beat that title!
In any event, our heroine Belle (Elsa Martinelli) faces the ugly issues a lot of women faced in the old west regarding predatory men but rises above it all to become a sharp-shooting, butt kicking, hard drinking ball of fire. She blazes a trail across the west, becoming one of the greatest outlaws of her time.
Early in the film, Belle is in a high stakes poker game at a saloon. The other players fall one by one until it’s just her and the handsome, devil-may-care bandit Larry Blackie (Larry Blackie?). Continue reading
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