Belle Le Grand ** (1951, Vera Ralston, John Carroll, William Ching, Hope Emerson, John Qualen, Stephen Chase, Harry Morgan, Muriel Lawrence) – Classic Movie Review 7634

Director Allan Dwan’s 1951 Republic Pictures black and white Western movie Belle Le Grand stars Vera Ralston, who plays New Orleans woman Daisy Henshaw, aka the titular Belle Le Grand, now a rich San Francisco gambling saloon owner.

Belle Le Grand romances Nevada mine owners but she is still hot and bothered about her one-time mining husband John Kilton (John Carroll), for whom she went to jail. She also watches over her younger sister Nan Henshaw (Muriel Lawrence) after she finds that she has been placed in an orphanage, backing her opera singing career.

Belle Le Grand is not a very grand musical Western, alas, thanks to the fairly tired screenplay by D D Beauchamp (based on a story by Peter B Kyne), Dwan’s rather slack handling and some quite weary performances. Ralston and Carroll are pleasant and welcome presences, the soprano Muriel Lawrence (in her film debut) trills some acceptable songs and the music by Victor Young helps a little, while the costumes by Adele Palmer and sets by James W Sullivan are bright and lively looking, but other ingredients are none too thrilling here.

Also in the cast are William Ching, Hope Emerson, Stephen Chase, John Qualen, Harry [Henry] Morgan, Muriel Lawrence, Grant Withers, Charles Cane, Thurston Hall, Marietta Canty and Glen Vernon, as well as Maude Eburne (Woman Companion at Stock Exchange) in her final film. James Arness appears uncredited as Belle Admirer Mine Guard at Fire.

Belle Le Grand is directed by Allan Dwan, runs 90 minutes, is made and released by Republic Pictures is written by D D Beauchamp, based on a story by Peter B Kyne, is shot in black and white by Reggie Lanning, is produced by Herbert J Yates, is scored by Victor Young and is designed by James W Sullivan.

Muriel Lawrence’s film career never really took off, and she made just three more films.