Jesse James **** (1939, Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Brian Donlevy) – Classic Movie Review 1063

Director Henry King’s 1939 Western is marvellous vintage action entertainment with a provocative central idea of the outlaws being dubiously reinvented as heroes, just like in Robin Hood or Bonnie and Clyde. That’s how the public regard them – infamous but beloved criminals – in these subversive films.

It is notorious for its historical inaccuracy. Although thoroughly informed with the facts, it deliberately plays fast and loose with historical accuracy to tell a great story.

Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda star as farmers-turned-outlaws Jesse and Frank James, who take up robbing trains and banks after their family has trouble with the greedy railroad bosses forcing farmers off their land and their mother is killed by a vicious railroad agent named Barshee (Brian Donlevy). Eventually, Jesse decides to call it a day and retires from outlawry.

Nunnally Johnson’s action-packed original screenplay is a witty, meaty one, trying valiantly to explain the motives and backgrounds of the characters and the post-Civil War period. A lot of thought and intelligence has gone into the writing, which is based on research by Rosalind Schaffer and Jo Frances James.

The moustachioed Power and Fonda give highly charismatic performances in complexly and sympathetically written roles. And there’s a stupendous supporting cast, led by John Carradine’s superb portrait of the villainous back-stabbing fellow bandit and erstwhile friend Bob Ford.

Jane Darwell is also outstanding as the brothers’ mother. Also in the cast are Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Donald Meek, Slim Summerville, J Edward Bromberg, John Russell, Charles Middleton, George Breakston and Lon Chaney Jr.

The other triumphs here are W Howard Greene and George Barnes’s thrilling Technicolor Missouri cinematography and King’s commanding, dynamic, pacey direction.

A big hit, it was the fourth largest-grossing film of 1939, behind Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and The Hunchback of Notre Dame but ahead of Mr Smith Goes to Washington.

The American Humane Association began to oversee film-making after this when a horse was driven off a cliff on set and fells to its death down a rocky slope toward the end of the film. Allegedly, though, a short distance down the cliff, on a conveniently broad platform, a soft landing was arranged for the horses and none was injured.

Fonda reprised his role in the Fritz Lang sequel, The Return of Frank James (1940).

A remake was directed by Nicholas Ray in 1957, The True Story of Jesse James.

Brad Pitt plays Jesse James in the 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

http://derekwinnert.com/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford-2007-brad-pitt-casey-affleck-sam-shepard-sam-rockwell/

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1063

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com