The James Brothers of Missouri (1949)

The James Brothers go undercover to help a former member of their gang, who is now running a respectable freight business but is is being attacked by a rival who is trying to drive him out ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred C. Brannon

Writers:

Royal K. Cole (as Royal Cole), William Lively

Stars:

Keith Richards, Robert Bice, Noel Neill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keith Richards	...	Jesse James
Robert Bice	...	Frank James
Noel Neill	...	Peg Royer
Roy Barcroft	...	Ace Marlin
Patricia Knox	...	Belle Calhoun
Lane Bradford	...	Monk Tucker
Gene Roth	...	Rand [Chs. 10-12] (as Eugene Roth)
John Hamilton	...	Lon Royer [Ch.1]
Edmund Cobb	...	Sheriff [Chs. 6-8]
Hank Patterson	...	Duffy [Ch. 4] / Duffy [11]
Dale Van Sickel	...	Harry Sharkey / Henry Simpson (Chapters 3-4)
Tom Steele	...	Slim, Lanky Royer Employee [Ch.1] / Drake, Lanky Henchman Guarding Simpson [Ch.4] / Henchman Guarding Wagon [Ch.11]
Lee Roberts	...	'Brandy' Jones [Chs. 6-7]
Frank O'Connor	...	Citizen
Marshall Reed	...	Dutch

Storyline

The James Brothers go undercover to help a former member of their gang, who is now running a respectable freight business but is is being attacked by a rival who is trying to drive him out of business. When their former colleague is murdered, the brothers stick around to help his daughter, who is now in charge of the business, and stop the attacks.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw brothers | state in title | stock footage | cliffhanger | chapter play | 

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Taglines:

BRANDED FUGITIVES...but they fought on for justice! (original print ad)

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. Frontier Revenge 2. Racing Peril 3. Danger Road 4. Murder at Midnight 5. Road to Oblivion 6. Missouri Manhunt 7. Hangman's Noose 8. Coffin on Wheels 9. Dead Man's Return 10.Galloping Gunslingers 11.The Haunting Past 12.Fugitive's Code

User Reviews

Entertaining Serial From Republic!

"The James Brothers of Missouri" was the third of three serials based on the Jesse James character, produced by Republic Pictures in the late 40s.

In this one, the roles of Jesse and Frank are taken over by Keith Richards and Robert Bice. Noel Neill returns as the helpless heroine and Roy Barcroft, who had appeared as the villain in "Jesse James Rides Again" (1947) is again the chief heavy.

The story has the James Brothers posing as John Howard and Bob Carroll coming to the aid of a former member of their gang (John Hamilton) who is running a freight line in competition with Barcroft who is trying to drive them out of business. After he is murdered the boys stay on to help out daughter Neill. The "brains" of Barcroft's operation is "respectable" storekeeper Belle (Patricia Knox). There are the usual cliffhangers expertly handled by the Republic special effects unit and stunt people. It's amazing how many times that one or both of the heroes are knocked out by the bad guys at the end of a chapter, only to recover in the nick of time with no visible effects and escape certain death. Let's face it, the slightly built Richards would be no match for the burly Barcroft.

Lane Bradford, who was beginning to come into his own as a villain, plays Barcroft's chief henchman. Also, rising "B" western movie favorite Marshall Reed has a small role as one of Barcroft's gang. Veterans Edmund Cobb as the sheriff and Gene Roth (aka Studdenroth) as the Marshal round out the cast. Stunt men Dale Van Sickel, Tom Steele and David Sharpe also appear in a variety of bits as henchmen. And watch for upcoming villain Bob Wilke in a small role as a vocal townsman at the attempted hanging of Jesse.

Richards and Bice make the most of their one opportunity to play the lead characters and how can you not watch a serial where the bad guys are Roy Barcroft and Lane Bradford.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adelfoi ekdikitai tou thanatou

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$164,757 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1