Film Review: Hell’s Belles

One good rule of thumb for motorcycle movies of the type shown in 1960s drive-ins, is that the less that the poster has to do with the actual plot of the movie, the more entertaining the movie. Also, motorcycle movies need to have lots of motorcycle action in the great outdoors, bad rock and roll, and lots of fighting. Hell’s Belles was released towards the end of the motorcycle movie era, but doesn’t disappoint on any front.

The Promised Plot versus the Actual Plot

The posters and trailers would have us believe that this movie is about, “A mean set of wheels and a chick to match … the debutante in a leather skirt!”, and since the poster features the lovely Austrian—born Brit, Jocelyn Lane in a leather mini-skirt, who wouldn’t want to see this film?

But, the reality is a little more disappointing. Lane’s fellow Elvis-movie refugee, Jeremy Slate wins a motocross race. The prize is a brand new bike. He wants to sell the bike for a stake to buy some land. A fellow competitor really wants the bike, and after he is rebuffed by Slate, steals it. A motorcycle gang steals the bike from the guy who initially steals the bike from Slate. Slate acquires Lane in an arrangement with the motorcycle gang that kind of resembles human trafficking. This is not a very pro-feminist picture, as Slate and the other characters seem a lot more concerned about their bikes than any of the women in this picture, including Lane.

Slate and Lane spend the remainder of the picture picking off members of the motorcycle gang in the wilds of the Arizona desert. The movie meanders towards an ending which features a showdown, on bikes of course, between Slate and the gang leader played by drive-in movie vet, Adam Roarke.

This movie resembles a western in so many ways, down to Slate’s cowboy hat. Oh wait, it is. More specifically, it features generous portions of the 1934 serial, The Law of the Wild. Lane even stands by her, original man, Roarke and Slate rides into the sunset.

Availability of the Film

Fortunately there’s many ways to enjoy this flick today. The movie is on DVD and is regularly available. The relatively new, This TV network, available in some markets as a digital sub-channel for broadcast stations, has access to this movie via the MGM catalog. Once a movie gets into regular rotation on that network, it seldom leaves.

Unfortunately the soundtrack, by space-age-bachelor-pad-music composer, Les Baxter does not appear to be on CD. It is available from many vinyl shops that specialize in soundtracks. The American International Picture soundtracks really need to be more available.

So, saddle up, partners and take a ride into the Wild West on a bike for about ninety minutes of drive-in fun.