Tickle Me: Hell's Belles (1969)

U.S. One Sheet

Hell's Belles, originally to be called Girl in the Leather Skirt, is one of my favorite biker flicks (along with C.C. and Company). Produced and ably directed by Maury Dexter, Hell's Belles is the story of Dan (Jeremy Slate) and his effort to retake his stolen motorcycle. Dan won a motor cross race for which the prize was a shiny, new $2,000 motorcycle. Tony (Michael Walker) was competing against Dan in the race, and when he was not able to win it fair and square, he and his gang steal it from Dan. Unfortunately for Tony, however, he has it stolen from him by Tampa (Adam Roarke) and his gang.

Dan catches up to Tampa's gang, and he tries to take the bike back. When he fails, even though he convinces them that it really was his bike, Tampa "gives" Cathy (Jocelyn) to him as a trade. We learn that Cathy used to be Tampa's girl, but now she is just a "shared" girl in the gang. She didn't like the way that Tampa treated her, so she had tried to make him jealous by getting with another man. Tampa, in retaliation, "shared" her with the rest of the gang. Now, Cherry (Angelique Pettyjohn) is his main gal.

The rest of the film follows Dan as he unwillingly hauls Cathy around with him and works to get his bike back from Tampa. He uses his wiles to pick off Tampa's gang one or two at a time, until the odds are evened up. We see that Dan is a cowboy with a heart of gold. He wants the bike so bad, because the $2,000 from selling it would allow him to make a payment on his dream ranch. His view on Cathy starts to soften, and they seem to be falling for one another. The problem, though, is that she is a crazy chick that can't stop loving her man, Tampa, no matter how bad he treats her. Dan finally gets his bike back from Tampa in a sort of jousting with chains on motorcycles match.

There is a lot to like about Hell's Belles. The cinematography and location scenery are good; it's a good-looking picture with a decent storyline. The soundtrack by Les Baxter is good, and the overall acting is above-average for a biker flick. Slate does a good job, and William Lucking as Guppo, the big dunce in Tampa's gang, is a standout. The fire at the gas station scene is good, and there are plenty of good motorcycle riding shots. On the negative side, Roarke, although a decent actor, is probably not well-cast as Tampa. He just seems too short and comes across as more of a wannabe biker gang leader. Also, the dialogue is weak in places. There is some mild cursing, but then at times, there are lines such as Cathy saying "You dumb jerk!" which just seems completely out of place for a chick that is supposed to be as tough as her. I just don't get what the writers were doing with that, when some mild cursing would have been perfectly expected out of a character like Cathy in this movie.

Jocelyn does a good acting job, even though there is not a lot of range in this character. She talks tough, acts tough, and frowns and sulks a lot. That, however, seems to be what was intended for the character. I never noticed a single instance in which she let a hint of British accent creep into her delivery. From simply watching this movie, you would never guess that she had a British background. If there is an issue with her performance, it's that she is too beautiful! She is in a different league of looks compared to everyone else in the cast, which makes her really stick out. Also her leather skirt and colorful undergarments are much more sexy and attractive than what is worn by the other biker chicks. Slate and Roarke did not have typical leading man looks. They look more like character actors. Pettyjohn and the rest of the female cast just don't stack up in the looks department, either.

In conclusion, if you're a Jocelyn fan, don't miss this one. We even get a rare look at Jocelyn running in one scene.

Filming commenced in Arizona (in and around the Coronado National Forest) on December 2, 1968 and was completed by mid-February of 1969, when it was announced that the title had been changed from Girl in the Leather Skirt to Hell's Belles.

Hell's Belles was released in the U.S. in April 1969. I'm not sure how it performed at the box office. Variety reviewed the film positively in its April 8, 1969 edition, based on a viewing at Aikoff's screening room, with a running time of 95 minutes:

"This surprisingly literate, generally well-acted bike-o-rama jumps to life under the persuasive direction of Maury Dexter, through the color lens of Ken Peach, and by some crisp dialog by James Gordon White and R. G. McMullen. More, the film, which may be relegated to lesser viewing areas because of bike typing, contains a moral.
...
Jeremy Slate, rough-hewn and stoic, offers a solid performance. Adam Roarke plays his villain with restraint, and Jocelyn Lane does a good job of being sullen between motorbike hops. Angelique Pettyjohn continues to prove her value as a performer, and the State of Arizona presents a necessarily drab, dry background.

Name-calling in the film is earthy, and violence may distress some. Still 'Hell's Belles' is a traditional hero-outwitting-villains offering, with Right Making Might."

It was released on VHS video in the U.S. in 1994. Interestingly, the box says that it is 100 minutes with a 1971 copyright, instead of 96 minutes with a 1969 copyright.