Jesse James (1939)

Director:

Henry King

Writer:

Nunnally Johnson (original screenplay)

Release Date:

27 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

The Epic Story of the most Colourful Outlaw who ever lived

Plot:

After railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Railroad | Bank | Train | Reward | Farmer

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Jesse Woodson James
Henry Fonda	...	Frank James
Nancy Kelly	...	Zerelda 'Zee' Cobb
Randolph Scott	...	Marshall Will Wright
Henry Hull	...	Major Rufus Cobb
Slim Summerville	...	Jailer
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Mr. Runyan
Brian Donlevy	...	Barshee
John Carradine	...	Bob Ford
Donald Meek	...	Mc Coy
Johnny Russell	...	Jesse James Jr. (as John Russell)
Jane Darwell	...	Mrs. Samuels - Jesse's mother
Charles Tannen	...	Charles Ford
Claire Du Brey	...	Mrs. Bob Ford
Willard Robertson	...	Clarke

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Norway:16 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #4590) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Lake Ozark, Missouri, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

While shooting his role in the Ozarks, Lon Chaney Jr. fell off his horse during a chase and was trampled by the horse behind him. He was not injured badly - he managed to finish his scenes that day. But director Henry King, blaming Chaney's nightly drinking for the mishap, fired him, and he was dropped by his studio (20th Century Fox.)

Goofs:

Factual errors: The movie shows a bomb killing Frank and Jesse's mother. In reality, the "bomb" thrown through the window by the Pinkertons killed their little brother and seriously wounded their mother. She survived, however, although she lost an arm in the attack.

Quotes:

Major Rufus Cobb: [standing over Mrs. Samuel's body] There's no use. She's dead. This is bad! Mighty bad! I'm sure sorry!
Barshee: Well, I'm sorry too!
Major Rufus Cobb: Oh, I wasn't talking about her. She's gone. It's you I'm sorry fer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Hobbies (1939)

Soundtrack:

Oh Susanna

Special cast, special movie, just don't expect a history lesson.

We are at the time of the Iron Horse birth, the railroads are buying out the farm land at ridiculously low prices, even resorting to bully tactics to get the signature rights. When one particularly nasty railroad agent tries his strong arm tactics on the mother of the James brothers, he gets more than he bargained for. In an act of almost vengeful negligence, the agent causes the death of Mrs James and thus sets the wheels in motion for what was to become folklore notoriety, Jesse James, his brother Frank, and a gang of seemingly loyal thieves, went on to etch their names in outlaw history.

There is no getting away from the fact that history tells us that this is a highly fictionalised account of Jesse James and his exploits. What we are given here by director Henry King and his screenwriter Nunally Johnson, is a more romanticised look at the legend of the man himself, and it sure as heck fire is one dandy and enjoyable watch. The cast is one to savour, Tyrone Power {Jesse James}, Henry Fonda {Frank James}, Randolph Scott {Will Wright}, Brian Donlevy {Barshee} and John Carradine {Bob Ford} all line up to entertain the masses with fine results, with Fonda possibly owing his subsequent career to his appearance here, returning a year later in the successful sequel The Return Of Frank James, he would go on to greater and more rewarding projects. Power of course would go on and pick up the trusty blade and start swishing away, a career beckoned for this matinée idol for sure, but it's nice to revisit this particular picture to see that Power could indeed be an actor of note, and that's for sure.

One of the films main strengths is the pairing of Power and Fonda, very believable as a kinship united in ideals, both are expertly handled by director Henry King. The Technicolor from Howard Greene and George Barnes is wonderfully put to good use here, splendidly capturing the essence of the time with eye catching results. With the film itself, well it has a fine action quota, gun play and galloping horses all feature throughout, and the characterisations of the main players are hugely enjoyable. To leave us with what?, a highly accomplished Western picture that ends in the way that history has showed it should, whilst the rest of the film may be flimsy history at best?, but ultimately it really doesn't matter because that's entertainment, and for sure this picture entertains. 8/10