Days of Jesse James (1939)

Bank robbery pulled off by the bank officials, not the usual James gang.

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Earle Snell (screen play), Jack Natteford (original story)

Stars:

Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Don 'Red' Barry

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roy Rogers	...	Roy Rogers
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Gabby Whittaker
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Jesse James (as Donald Barry)
Pauline Moore	...	Mary Whittaker
Harry Woods	...	Captain Worthington
Arthur Loft	...	Sam Wyatt
Wade Boteler	...	Dr. R.S. Samuels
Ethel Wales	...	Mrs. Martha Samuels
Scotty Beckett	...	Buster Samuels
Harry Worth	...	Frank James (as Michael Worth)
Glenn Strange	...	Cole Younger
Olin Howland	...	Muncie Undersheriff
Monte Blue	...	Train Passenger
Jack Rockwell	...	Thompson McDaniels
Fred Burns	...	Muncie Sheriff

Storyline

Roy Rogers has been sent to bring in Jesse James. After Wyatt's bank is robbed and Jesse is blamed, Roy is able to work himself into Jesse's gang. Learning that Jesse does not have the banks money, Roy realizes Wyatt robbed his own bank posing as Jesse. Roy now sets a trap for Wyatt that he hopes will recover the money.

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Taglines:

The James Brothers? Or crafty thieves trading on their name? Roy solves the amazing mystery in a roaring six-gun adventure! (print ad - Lubbock Morning Avalanche - Lyric Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - Dec. 29, 1939)

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Quotes

Gabby Whittaker: Let me tell you something, young fella. Never have nothing to do with no banks. If you got any money to protect, get yourself a good dog... like Whiskers here. It'd be a whole lot safer with him.

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Soundtracks

Echo Mountain
(1939) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Peter Tinturin
Sung by Roy Rogers

User Reviews

Joining the James' Gang

Days of Jesse James (1939)

*** (out of 4)

A bank is robbed and Jesse James and his gang are accused of pulling off the heist. Special agent Roy Rogers thinks that James' bad reputation is getting him blamed for crimes that he didn't do so he joins the gang to try and find out what really happened. Of course, the real villain is the bank owner did the crime knowing he wouldn't be a suspect. DAYS OF JESSE JAMES was just one of many "historical" films that Rogers made during this period but if you're expecting some sort of documentary on the real history of James then you're going to be disappointed. All of these films obviously just used these historical names for marquee value so one should just expect entertainment and nothing else. This here is a pretty good one thanks in large part to the terrific cast. As you'd expect, Rogers is very good in the role of the good guy but then again I don't think he could be bad at pretty much playing himself. We have George 'Gabby' Hayes playing his sidekick so obviously you're in for a lot of good comic relief. Pauline Moore, one of my favorite love interests for Rogers, is also very good in her part as she has a lot of nice chemistry with the star. Don Barry does a nice job as well as Jesse James. Fans of Universal horror films will enjoy seeing Glenn Strange in a small role. With a short running time, fast action and a nice story, this here certainly won't be mistaken for a masterpiece or some sort of classic but fans of Rogers and "B" Westerns should at least be entertained by this.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Days of Jesse James

Filming Locations:

Mentryville, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min (original) 54 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA "High Fidelity" Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1