The Film Co-Operative

Bang! A volley of bullets pierce a canvas tent. Inside, U.S.Marshall KATE COOPER scrambles–up boots on – a firm grip her Winchester rifle. It’s a cold Montana morning, Kate’s a twenty-something loner, femme fatale and the first female U.S. Marshal. Outside the tent her Winchester bags two gunslingers. Her killers have come from hernemesis, high strung BELLE STARR, the notorious “Bandit Queen”. The twin brothers fancy-cock MITCHUM HARDIN and fun-loving ROBERT HARDIN are on Kate’s trail. Belle ditches off her Black Stallion in anger, it once was Kate’s.

Belle’s act on Kate continues until notorious thirty-year-old heartthrob, COLE YOUNGER puts a halt to it. Cole’s a former member of Jesse James’ crew. Now he avoids gunplay, has turned over a new leaf, and his focus is on a high-stakes-heist.

Dodging bullets – Kate catches one in her-side, realizes she cannot always work alone; she prays for help. Her hunters have ridden off. A Black stallion appears to take Kate to Helena. This puts a stop to Kate’s fishing/hunting trip in Montana. After the attack, a telegram assigns her to stop a Gold Heist, it ain’t easy.

Belle has intercepted the telegram from the US Marshal’s office in Texas, ordering Kate to Helena to protect the Iron Rock Armory. MONTANA is bleeding GOLD. The famous Gold Rush is in full flush, and as quickly as fortunes are made, the government trades them US paper money, another swindle.

Cole Younger rides to Missoula to telegram for a locksmith, architect, and engineer for the Heist out of Iron Rock Armory. As a distraction Belle leads the Gunslingers by shooting up the town. Cole fools everyone, even Belle!

Cole’s target for this one last great heist is: The Armory in Helena. Of course, things would be a lot simpler if Cole and Kate were strangers. Unfortunately, they have an enduring “first love” romantic history from their teens that precedes the wide fork in the road of their respective careers. It clouds their hearts and annoys the hell out of Belle who won’t play second fiddle; she wants Kate dead and forgotten, and Cole all for herself.

In Helena, Kate makes a dramatic entrance in the Chinatown district, tumbling unconscious from her horse. Kate’s good fortune by prayer is scooped up by thoughtful, educated, alert Chinese couple, London-born gunsmith SIDNEY LAU and his clever resourceful wife DR.VERA LAU, an expert herbalist, and State Legislator. The couple are staunch allies of Montana’s bid for statehood, wary of Cole’s dangerous greed and increasingly protective of Kate.

Texas Ranger COLORADO SMITH, good lookin’, rides tall-in-the- saddle tracks is on the outskirts of Helena at Gooseberry Ranch, gold camp. Colorado  brushes  into  CALAMITY  JANE,  longtime  friend  of  WILD BILL  HICKOCK,  frontiers  woman,  drinker;  accurate  shooter  and raconteur. The  encounter  causes  a  spirit change;  she  stops  drinking and living as a $5   whore. 

Colorado gets a telegram; ‘detachment is massacred, no troops available’. As  the lone ranger he prays for assistance. Colorado rides   his horse showboating around Helena. He sees Kate, and  flirts. She considers him a showoff. We’ll see if two  hopeful US  Officers, relying  on  faith, can  get  the  job done?

Sufficiently recovered, Kate’s  leaving  the  telegraph  office  in Helena when romantically challenged Colorado rides up serenading her unaware of her identity. Bandits eager to extinguish lawmen aim a rifle   at distracted Colorado’s back. Sharp-eyed Kate saves his life but loses respect for the ranger’s awkward  response to her     heroism.

Later, they are forced to work together; it does not go well. The Armory will be plucked clean of weaponry on Colorado’s watch. The  unlucky  Texas  Ranger  carries  a  clueless  torch  for  Kate  until HARLEY HART extinguishes it with patient  affection  and  her  facility  with firearms. Colorado finds consolation and a sharpshooter in Harley; she  has Colorado’s back when the chips are  down.

ANNIE OAKLEY (best shot in America), MANY HORSES (daughter of Sitting  Bull);  heed  the  call.  They  ride  from  the  Buffalo  Cody  Wild West Show to Helena. In the Silver Dollar Annie Oakley and Many Horses pull  Colorado’s  heart-strings  over  bar-talk.  He  keeps  his  eye  on Kate’s and  Calamity’s poker game  with five gunslingers. Annie  points  out that Kate has  her  eyes  set  on  a  poker  player  Robert  Hardin (Mitchum’s twin). Frustrated,  Colorado  drinks.  Suddenly  Kate  stands, face scrunched, the disguise dress drops to the  floor, her  two  pearl handled Colts come out blazing, and  she kills all five. Calamity and  Kate storm out to Iron Rock Armory, Colorado, Annie and Many Horses follow. Silver Dollar singer Harley (Two-gun)  Hart  and  Texas  Jack (Cleaned up  Dodge  City with Wyatt  Earp) heed  the call to join  Kate.

 As the heist draws near, Kate and Cole renew their romance while swimming  in  a  creek.  Later,  Kate  sneaks  up  on  Cole  in  his  hotel  room to seize a bittersweet last-minute rendezvous before all hell breaks loose. It’s obvious that the two  share a  taste for danger  and  love on  the edge. They know that one of them  will lose in this heist. The  vicious gang led by Belle are bent on the Armory’s treasure. At the threat of the greed-driven, destiny-altering robbery, something flips. Smoke signals send warnings and attract  assistance.

Sidney Lau is the conduit for a miraculous assemblage of seven gunwomen to STOP the Gold HEIST. A prayer from Colorado resurrects  a  legendary  gunfighter,  Lance   Fabian   who   charges the Five gunslingers, like  a  man  ready  to  die  with  a  COLT  in each hand.

Kate,   Chey,   Annie   Oakley,   Stagecoach   Mary,   Calamity   Jane, Harley, and Many Horses are in  a  gunfire  battle  to  stop  Belle Starr  with  her  eighteen  gunmen  attack  on  the town.

 Meanwhile unbeknownst to anyone, Cole’s Underground Heist commences.  Finally, Kate and Lance make  the discovery, and it’s  a Mexican Stand-off.

 Will  Love  or  Bullets prevail?

.Based on an UNTOLD STORY.