The quote in my title, uttered by one of Quantrill's anarchic paramilitary raiders, refers to the mega-catfight between 'bad girl' Audrey Totter(as Kate Quantrill) and 'good girl' Joan Leslie(as Sally Maris). I'll have to admit that it's the most entertaining cat fight I've seen on film, and the most memorable scene in this memorable western, which is cast near the end of the Civil War, in and around Border City, on the border between Arkansas(Confederate) and Missouri(Union). The town is run with an iron first by a stout, middle-aged, woman: Mrs. Courtney, who owns the important nearby lead mines, and claims she was appointed as mayor, with the authority to determine the outcome of all civil and criminal cases, and the sentence. She's known as a 'hanging judge' and we see an example soon into the film. Some of the townfolk look upon them as lynchings, rather than legal hangings. The mayor has declared the town neutral in the war, and doesn't allow troops of either side within 5 miles of the town. Anybody she considers a troublemaker she kicks out of town or, if serious enough, hangs them(since there is no jail nor sheriff).
Into this town, Michigan-bred prim young Sally Maris arrives by stage, incongruously accompanied by Quantrill's gang, which includes young Jesse James, his brother, and Cole Younger. The gang had shot to pieces the Union cavalry that had been accompanying the stage, presumably in a robbery, causing the stage to fall on it's side and be dragged a ways by the horses. Some rescued Sally, unhurt, from the stage, and she gets her first look at tomboyish, but good-looking, brassy Kate Quantrill, who sizes her up as a bookish greenhorn, to be sneered at. Kate used to be the singer for the main saloon/hotel in town, owned and operated by Sally's brother Bill, which is the reason Sally ventured to this town. In fact, Kate was slated to become Bill's wife when she was kidnapped by Quantrill(Brian Donlevy), who made her one of the gang and his wife. As a result, Bill became a drunkard and amassed huge gambling debts.
Soon after Kate enters Bill's saloon with the gang, she begins to taunt Bill by singing a song: presumably one she used to sing there. While singing, she goes around flirting with various men, ending with Bill, whom she spends the most time circling around. Bill becomes enraged and soon announces that she deserves to be shot. He draws his pistol, but an arm knocks it away. He aims again, but before he can shoot, he is shot dead by the mayor's lead mine manager: Lance Horton(John Lund). Sally descends from her room and finds out that Lance shot her brother, in defense of Kate. She's very angry with both. Sally's animosity toward these 2 will persist for some time. But, gradually, her hate will turn to pity or love and, in the end, Kate literally saves the necks of Sally and Lance, before fleeing a Union cavalry to the safety of a Confederate camp, in a complicated, but ultimately satisfying finale. According to Sally, Kate fled to her hometown of New Orleans, where she was achieving her dream of again becoming a saloon singer.
I should mention that , after the murder of Bill, Sally reluctantly took over management of his saloon/hotel, transforming her external personality from schoolmarmish to that of a 'honky tonk queen' greeter, eventually paying off all of Bill's gambling debts, so that she could sell the business and accompany Lance to somewhere in the South, as implied at the end.
I should also point out that, in addition to the mega-catfight, Sally and Kate engaged in probably the first stereotypical street showdown gun duel between 2 women, in a western. The very next year, this would be repeated in the much better remembered western "Johnny Guitar", which I have yet to see. After I see it, I will make comparisons.
In conclusion, despite some minuses, this is a western worth seeing for it's complicated plot, and for its lead women, as well as 3 saloon girls I didn't mention. A very blurry copy is available at You Tube. I chose to buy a very good copy by Olive Films. It's a B&W film from budget films Republic Studios, originally slated to be shot in Trucolor. Too bad this was cancelled. Republic also sponsored "Johnny Guitar", shot in color, almost like the present film was a warmup for that film.
Into this town, Michigan-bred prim young Sally Maris arrives by stage, incongruously accompanied by Quantrill's gang, which includes young Jesse James, his brother, and Cole Younger. The gang had shot to pieces the Union cavalry that had been accompanying the stage, presumably in a robbery, causing the stage to fall on it's side and be dragged a ways by the horses. Some rescued Sally, unhurt, from the stage, and she gets her first look at tomboyish, but good-looking, brassy Kate Quantrill, who sizes her up as a bookish greenhorn, to be sneered at. Kate used to be the singer for the main saloon/hotel in town, owned and operated by Sally's brother Bill, which is the reason Sally ventured to this town. In fact, Kate was slated to become Bill's wife when she was kidnapped by Quantrill(Brian Donlevy), who made her one of the gang and his wife. As a result, Bill became a drunkard and amassed huge gambling debts.
Soon after Kate enters Bill's saloon with the gang, she begins to taunt Bill by singing a song: presumably one she used to sing there. While singing, she goes around flirting with various men, ending with Bill, whom she spends the most time circling around. Bill becomes enraged and soon announces that she deserves to be shot. He draws his pistol, but an arm knocks it away. He aims again, but before he can shoot, he is shot dead by the mayor's lead mine manager: Lance Horton(John Lund). Sally descends from her room and finds out that Lance shot her brother, in defense of Kate. She's very angry with both. Sally's animosity toward these 2 will persist for some time. But, gradually, her hate will turn to pity or love and, in the end, Kate literally saves the necks of Sally and Lance, before fleeing a Union cavalry to the safety of a Confederate camp, in a complicated, but ultimately satisfying finale. According to Sally, Kate fled to her hometown of New Orleans, where she was achieving her dream of again becoming a saloon singer.
I should mention that , after the murder of Bill, Sally reluctantly took over management of his saloon/hotel, transforming her external personality from schoolmarmish to that of a 'honky tonk queen' greeter, eventually paying off all of Bill's gambling debts, so that she could sell the business and accompany Lance to somewhere in the South, as implied at the end.
I should also point out that, in addition to the mega-catfight, Sally and Kate engaged in probably the first stereotypical street showdown gun duel between 2 women, in a western. The very next year, this would be repeated in the much better remembered western "Johnny Guitar", which I have yet to see. After I see it, I will make comparisons.
In conclusion, despite some minuses, this is a western worth seeing for it's complicated plot, and for its lead women, as well as 3 saloon girls I didn't mention. A very blurry copy is available at You Tube. I chose to buy a very good copy by Olive Films. It's a B&W film from budget films Republic Studios, originally slated to be shot in Trucolor. Too bad this was cancelled. Republic also sponsored "Johnny Guitar", shot in color, almost like the present film was a warmup for that film.