Five Bold Women (1960)

Jeff Morrow is Marshal Kirk Reed, assigned the duty of transporting five female prisoners to the penitentiary.

The task is complicated by Jim Downs, “The Mississippi Kid,” who is determined to free his wife Ellen (Merry Anders).

And by “Big Pearl” Jackson (Irish McCalla), who’s constantly looking for a way to escape herself, and isn’t above flaunting her body or flirting with her bodyguards to get that chance.

Add a few warring Indians to the mix, and Marshal Reed finds himself with quite a challenging mission.

Of course, most of the girls aren’t as bad as their criminal record might indicate. Ellen was convicted of a murder her husband committed. Kitty Brewster killed her lover when he tried to run off with her gambling winnings and another woman.

“Crazy” Hanna strangled her own child because she’s been haunted by dreams of Indian attacks ever since seeing her parents killed. And Maria “The Knife” Garcia killed the owner of the ranch where she worked for trying to molest her when she was just 16.

Review:

A low-budget quickie that relies on the presence of five pretty prison-bound ladies to pique viewers’ interest.

It’s not terrible, but you’re likely to chuckle at the climatic Indian attack. Just watch Kitty fire her rifle without even aiming and still hit her mark. And Big Pearl plug two Indians for shooting her black cowgirl hat off her head.

There’s also a theme song with lyrics that sound like they were written by a 10-year-old.
Irish McCall steals the show as wise-cracking Big Pearl. Also a model and artist, her claim to fame as an actress was playing the lead role in a one-season TV show, “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.”

As for the rest of the cast, Anders had roles in a number of low-budget Westerns; she played Belle Starr in Young Jesse James later the same year. This marked the final film role for Marlowe, who had uncredited parts in a number of 1950s Westerns.

Dee Carroll had a long career as a character actress, especially on TV. And this marked one of just two films for Lucita Blain.

Directed by:
Jorge Lopez Portillo

Cast:
Jeff Morrow … Marshal Kirk Reed
Merry Anders … Ellen Downs
Jim Ross … Jim Downs
Irish McCalla … “Big Pearl” Jackson
Kathy Marlow … “Faro” Kitty Brewster
Lucita Blain … Maria “The Knife” Garcia
Dee Carroll … “Crazy” Hanna Gates
Guinn Williams … Bigfoot
George Kramer … Deputy Tom Ames
Robert Caffey … Outlaw
George Kramer … Deputy Tom Ames

Runtime: 82 min.

Song: “Five Bold Women” by Dean West

Memorable lines:

Bigfoot: “Well, there you have your gals, marshal. Mighty pretty too, huh?”
Marshal Reed: “Yeah, so are coral snakes, but don’t let them bite you.”

Big Pearl Jackson: “Old flint face, he can be melted down.
Kitty Brewster: “Never saw a gent that couldn’t.”
Ellen Downs: “Not this marshal. Nothing can move him. He has no feelings.”
Kitty: “So he’s the lawman who fixed your wagon.”

Bigfoot: “My goodness, Mr. Horse, I’d sure commit a big crime, just to get put in that petticoat prison with them.”
Kitty: “Look at that old goat. You’re giving him a free show.”
Big Pearl: “Oh, let him drool. Good to know I still got what it takes.”

Big Pearl: “I heard you once strangled a bear with your bare hands.”
Bigfoot: “Slight exaggeration, ma’am. I had my gloves on.”
Big Pearl: “They say you can handle a whole passel of Indians just as easy.”
Bigfoot: “Just what are you after?”

Jim “Mississippi Kid” Downs, reappearing to free his wife, Ellen: “No, I’m not a ghost. I die hard.”

Kitty Brewster, expressing why she wishes she could turn the head of the marshal, even if he is a lawman: “That hotel they’re takin’ us to, we could ring and ring our heads off, and no bellboy will come runnin’.”