The True Story of Jesse James (1957)

A timemachine to the 1950's, not the time of Jesse James

Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner, together in one movie. That's enough to send me running out of the room all by itself. The 1950's were an interesting time for Westerns, and we saw some good ones and some stinkers, too. Hunter and Wagner combined together in one movie would overpower any good that could possibly come out of it.

And this movie looks like the 50's, sounds like the 50's, was costumed like the 50's, was casted from what was available during the 50's, and takes horrific liberties with the facts, as many Westerns made during the 50's did. Does all this make this movie a "stinker". Well, I gave it two stars, and that was about right. I mean, moviemakers in the 50's didn't realize how stereotypical and shallow their movies were, so, in a sense, these movies weren't even Westerns -- they were 1950's renditions of Westerns. If you understand the enormous difference, you'll understand immediately that I'm certainly glad movies aren't made that way any more.

See the Pitt/Affleck version of the Jesse James story (or at least, the end of the man's life) if you want to see a thoughtful, realistic, artful rendition of the time, and the men who were part of the real story. April 15, 2008

NICHOLAS RAY, OPUS 14

**** 1957. Directed by Nicholas Ray. After the failed bank heist of Northfield, Minn., Jesse and Frank James try to come back home. Flashbacks show us the important moments of Jesse's life. Even if the 20th Century Fox producers carved up the movie, Nicholas Ray's hand is still visible in numerous scenes of THE TRUE STORY OF JESSE JAMES: the hero's longing for a quiet anonymous life as he understands that his legend is a decoy, the gang's heists which are shot in a so anti-heroic manner that the film radiates a melancholic mood. The flashbacks, imposed by the producers and introduced by ridiculous floating clouds fortunately don't spoil the power of such a sublime scene as the murder of Jesse that the director patently delays as if he wanted to struggle with the Legend. Highly recommended. April 1, 2008

True Story of Jesse James

In the movie "The true Story of Jesse James, the plot is certainly following the traditions of Jesse and Frank being Robin Hoods, when in effect they may have just been Hoods Robbin for Frank and Jesse and no one else. Still it is a good movie for the time and tells much of the story about the ill fated attempt to rob the bank at Northfield Minnesota. They should have never gone into that area in the first place as it took them totally out of their land of sympathizers and into the jowls of Northern veterans and citizens, Be that as it may, I have for years tried to find out who the blind balladeer who sings at the last. The choreagraphy of that final scene with the balladeer and his aid is very story telling and a fitting end to this episode. I wish i could find this song by him in its entirety. You cannot take anything from this movie but good thoughts about all the direction and acting that went ito it. Definitely a classic and worth the money. February 24, 2008

Poor Jesse

Fox's "The True Story Of Jesse James" (1957) is a remarkably poor Widescreen remake of their prestigious 1939 Tyrone Power/Henry Fonda classic "Jesse James". I'm not sure where the fault lies but the casting in this version of the two central characters, the uneven direction by Nicholas Ray and the hamfisted screenplay must surely have something to do with it.

In the late thirties and forties Tyrone Power was Fox's top leading man but in the fifties his star began to wane and studio head Darryl Zanuck started to groom newcomer Robert Wagner to take his place. This was a major error on Zanuck's part as Wagner proved to be a
less than suitable replacemant. With the possible exceptions of "Broken Lance"(1954) and "Between Heaven & Hell" ('56) it is hard to think of Wagner distinguishing himself in anything!

Also, Jeffrey Hunter was nothing more than a Fox contract player before being assigned to play Frank James to Wagner's Jesse in "The True Story Of Jesse James". Borrowed from the studio the year before, this actor's one distinguishing mark was his excellent and revealing performance in John Ford's classic "The Searchers". But Hunter's and Wagner's playing here as the James brothers is nothing short of boring. They bring no personality or colour to their respective roles. They totally miss the mark, lacking the charisma and appeal so vividly displayed by Power and Fonda in the original. The movie is also marred by too many flashbacks. And with the all over the place screenplay Wagner - as the Robin Hood of the American West - comes across as a charmless introverted twit that you can feel no empathy
for whatsoever. The supporting cast are hardly worth talking about but it is a shame to see such a great actress as Agnes Moorhead barely getting a look in as mother James!

Best about this uninvolving so so western is the wonderful Cinemascope/
Colour cinematography by the great Joe McDonald and the excellent music by
the underrated and little known composer Leigh Harline.
March 23, 2007

Not very compelling

Although this version of the Jesse James story is more factual than most, it's at the expense of entertainment. Robert Wagner simply does not have the charisma that the character needs for us to believe that so many men, older than he was, were willing to follow him. Nor are any of the characters particularly well drawn, which doesn't give the actors much to do. The story is told in flashback form, starting with Northfield, but this does not seem to be to the film's advantage. The first 10 or more minutes are spent with the Northfield posse trying to track and find the gang, and because there are no characters to be invested in, it's rather dull. Later, when the flashbacks catch up to the present, we see some of the same material again. Interestingly, the screenplay credit says it's based on Nunnally Johnson's screenplay for the 1939 version with Tyrone Power. That version took a lot of liberties with the history, but is far more entertaining.

Technically, the DVD looks fine. It's a clean print, nice transfer with decent color. A trailer and a newsreel clip comprise the extras. March 20, 2007

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