The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (TV 1986)

This movie looks at the last years (not days, as implied in the title) of famous outlaws, Frank and Jesse James. The film opens in 1877 with the brothers trying to settle down after 15 ... See full summary »

Director:

William A. Graham

Writer:

William Stratton

Stars:

Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Marcia Cross

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Cash	...	Frank James
Kris Kristofferson	...	Jesse James
Marcia Cross	...	Sarah Hite
Gail Youngs	...	Anna
David Allan Coe	...	Whiskeyhead
Andy Stahl	...	Liddil
June Carter Cash	...	Mother James
Ed Bruce	...	Maj. Edwards
Darrell Wilks	...	Bob Ford
Meg Gibson	...	Zee (as Margaret Gibson)
James Sinclair
Cherie Elledge-Grapes	...	Martha Bolton
Peter Bradshaw
Earl Poole Ball	...	Squire Earthman
Jack Barlow	...	Uncle George Hite

Storyline

This movie looks at the last years (not days, as implied in the title) of famous outlaws, Frank and Jesse James. The film opens in 1877 with the brothers trying to settle down after 15 years of thievery. Frank is shown to be a book-loving and family-oriented man, while brother Jesse is a money-hungry womanizer. The movie follows their lives through Jesse's death at the hands of the "rotten little coward" Bob Ford and Frank's death in 1892.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw | opening action scene | bank robbery | trial | nonlinear timeline | 

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die letzten Tage von Frank und Jesse James

Filming Locations:

Tennessee Valley Railroad, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph Cates Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the film, June Carter Cash plays the mother of Frank and Jesse James, played by Johnny Cash and 'Kris Kristofferson' respectively. In real life, Johnny Cash and June Carter were husband and wife.

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Goofs

Most of the Colt Single Action Army revolvers in the movie have bright brass trigger guards and grip frames. On real SAAs, these parts were made of steel or iron, then finished in a deep blue that matched the barrel and cylinder.

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Quotes

Frank James: Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it.

User Reviews

GREATEST Jesse James Movie Ever Made!

This is, undoubtedly, the Greatest Jesse James movie ever made by Hollywood. By that I am referring to historical accuracy and not necessarily anything else. I was amazed at how they continued to stick to the historical data with only a few, and very few, changes for the purpose of "drama." Also, Cash and Kris made a great two-some of the James brothers. I've seen Cash in some other movies he made but this was his best ever. He had me believing he really was Frank James. And Kris is almost always good in his movies. And he made a fantastic Jesse James.

The movie plot deals with the final days--1877 to 1892--of the James brothers and the events that shaped and molded their lives. It goes an extra ten years after Jesse was murdered by the slime bucket coward "whose name does not deserve to even appear here!" And shows clear up to the day when the back-shootin' little gutter snipe was blown into hell by an American hero named Ed Kelly in Crede, Colorado. Certainly it could not have happened to a better piece of white trash.

We are all waiting to see what Brad Pitt can do. Now I am convinced he will really have to be FABULOUS to beat these two actors and, although I think he is a wonderful actor, I'm not sure he can even come close to The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James.