As the civil war rages, the beautiful Belle (Gene Tierney) is found to have helped a wounded Southerner. Union hothead Maj. Thomas Crail (Dana Andrews) attempts to put the moves on her, but she spurns his advances. This along with her Confederate sympathies is all the justification he needs to burn her family's enormous plantation mansion to the ground! Belle, who up to this point has led a charmed life of privilege, is now left with nothing - she vows to spill Yankee blood for the remainder of her life and sets out to do just that! Teaming up Confederate guerrilla leader, Sam Starr (Randolph Scott), they begin to raid Union towns. This of course draws out Maj. Crail who is keen to put an end to their exploits, This is the legend of outlaw Belle Starr and how she became the West's most wanted - and desired - woman!

This classy film concerns the real life well-known heroine and her romance with Confederate Sam Starr/Randolph Scott. This is a highly romanticized retelling with thrills, feats, shootouts, and little connection with history. The real life Belle Starr never lived in any sort of mansion, grand or otherwise, and was too busy stealing and low-living to have any truck with the South. She didn't even meet Sam Starr until long after the Civil War had ended. The actual Starr himself was a lowlife bandit, and when he was shot to death, Belle moved on and married Blue Duck. But don't let Hollywood's usual foray into fancy turn you off of this film - Gene Tierney is a vision so delightful, vivacious, and beautiful it's no wonder she was a top tier actress for the next ten years. This was only her third movie and her first starring vehicle, but her screen presence feels like she's a Hollywood veteran. Tierney is just fantastic as the vulnerable and embittered woman who has been on the receiving end of society's injustices. The starry trio are well accompanied by regular Western secondaries Chill Wills, Shepperd Strudwick as John Shepperd , Elizabeth Patterson and Louise Beavers. Being filmed in brilliant Technicolor in the "Jesse James" Country. The motion picture was well directed by Irving Cummings who was known for his musicals, but does an able job here putting on his boots & hat for a western.