Hell's Belles

The late '60s were the era of biker movies. The "Citizen Kane" of this genre was obviously "Easy Rider", while "The Wild Angels" might get called the second-best.

Released on DVD with the latter was "Hell's Belles". The simple plot - a racer's motorcycle gets stolen, so he sets out to reclaim it - holds second place to the sight of Jocelyn Lane in a miniskirt. I guess that she got relegated to potboilers while other actresses of the era got the highbrow roles. Even so, she was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

So, it's nothing special. I understand that the director later directed episodes of "Little House on the Prairie" (which I've never seen). The main thing here is the chance to see Jocelyn Lane looking sexy.

Quasi-comedy biker flick with western-genre elements has motocross champ Jeremy Slate (as the one decent character, and convincingly so) plotting his vengeance on the Arizona biker gang who stole his prized cycle. He catches up to them but is beaten badly, and for compensation the scurrilous pack leaves him scowling chopper chick Jocelyn Lane (an attractive cross between Nancy Sinatra and a post-teenage Hayley Mills, but a bit too refined for this kind of movie). "Hell's Belles" isn't much, nor does it strive to be, but the desert locales are interesting, Les Baxter's score is campy, and the performances aren't bad. Adam Roarke, a fine actor who made more than his share of groaners, plays the leader with admirable finesse, and the growing relationship between Slate and Lane is intriguing. The final showdown is well done, as is the closing scene. American International Pictures, having had huge success with "The Wild Angels" in 1966, had a tough time getting out of the biker rut, and by 1970 it was all starting to look like rehashed goods, but this entry has some modest surprises up its sleeve, and leaves you with more than just a quick biker fix. ** from ****

Hell's Belles is nothing more than a story about one biker stealing a motorcycle from another, who in turn gets it stolen by a biker gang, who is turn is chased down by the biker who got his bike stolen in the first place! Sounds exciting right? Not really. grade-school fight scenes, a biker gang that doesn't smoke, drink, or even wear leather jackets! Biker-film pin-up boys Jeremy Slate and Adam Roarke are the leads, but their acting is cheesy and wooden. However, the bright spot of Hell's Belles is the beautiful Jocelyn Lane. Hubba! Hubba! Miss Lane runs, screams, cries, rides a motorcycle, falls off a motorcycle, wearing a mini-skirt and boots. Blonde, tan, and built! The biggest farce of this film is how both Slate and Roarke are more in love with a prize bike, then the shapely Lane. How unreal can you get. I'd rate this stinker a 2, but I'd rate Miss Lane a 10. Hell's Belles!

This is one hell of a fun movie, and probably the best motorcycle flick of the '60s after Easy Rider. The is actually an update of the old Jimmy Stewart movie Winchester '73, except a motorcycle is used in place of the rifle. Jeremy Slate, always great in these '60s flicks, is the lead and is supported by a wonderful exploitation movie cast. Les Baxter's score, next to that of Easy Rider is about the best heard in a biker flick, a perfect artifact of the period, and lots of fun.

If you're a guy, you watch this for Jocelyn Lane's "Cathy".

All of the biker guys treat her like garbage. They're too concerned with their dumb motorcycles. If just one of them showed some genuine kindness towards Cathy, she would've been been very affectionate & devoted to them.

How dumb do you have to be to care more for a machine than an insanely sexy woman?

Is it any wonder she has such an attitude towards the men?

The story & acting aren't that bad.

This could've been much better ...or worse. Depending upon your point of view.

The humor is okay at times.

Jocelyn Lane looks like she had the potential to be a huge star, if not for acting, then as a magazine cover girl.

Yes, she is THAT beautiful.