Customer Reviews

The True Story of Jesse James

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1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

There's more than a passing resemblance between this version of the life of America's most famous outlaw and that given almost 20 years earlier in Tyrone Power's Jesse James; in fact this screenplay is said to be "from [one] by Nunnally Johnson," who was responsible for the Power incarnation. Robert Wagner and Jeffrey Hunter, who had teamed two years earlier for White Feather, join forces again to play Jesse and Frank, who as in most retellings of the story are more sinned against than sinning, though certainly not without stain. Walter Newman's script mends some of the earlier version's omissions (the Jameses' service with Quantrill is included, as is the existence of their stepfather, Dr. Samuel (Barney Phillips), the death of Jesse's half-brother Archie in a Pinkerton raid on the James/Samuel farmhouse late in the gang's career and the loss of their mother's (Agnes Moorehead) arm (not her life) therein, and the important role of Zerelda Sims (Hope Lange), Jesse's cousin and later wife, in restoring his health after he was seriously wounded in the latest days of the war), and also includes a lively recreation of the great Northfield, Minn., bank robbery which did indeed result in the capture of the Younger brothers and the virtual destruction of the original gang (although it's placed in 1878, not 1876 as was really the case). But it also perpetuates some of the first movie's errors, most notably by giving the impression that Jesse's death followed closely on the Northfield raid (it was really almost six years later) and that he was planning to give up outlawry at the time, as well as by locating his marriage at an earlier date than was the case. Wagner, too, is a bit pretty for the role, though he does manage to make his Jesse sympathetic--almost more so than Power did. Alan Hale, Jr., has a small but important and nicely done part as Cole Younger.

Well I finally got to see this on DVD the other day, after waiting years to see it. The True Story of Jesse James is a great psychological western. You could tell that the budget wasn't very high, but this was compensated for by some wonderful character moments.

Unlike what had been listed on this site for months before its release, this DVD is in widescreen. I'm glad that the earlier info on here was a misprint (listing it as full screen), because there is some really great widescreen composition in this film. Check this DVD out if you're a fan of psychological westerns or the work of director Nicholas Ray. Kudos to Fox for releasing this film, and I hope that eventually they release Nicholas Ray's best directed Fox film, Bigger Than Life.

**** 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.

Essentially a remake of the film "Jesse James", this version has a fine cast. Robert Wagner and Jeffrey Hunter portray Jesse and Frank. In comparision, it is hard to fill the shoes of Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda, but the leads do well. Supporting cast Includes Hope Lang , Agnes Moorehead and Alan Hale. Look for John Carradine who was in the original. A good turn by Nicholas Ray make this a good bet to see.

"The True Story of Jesse James" is a 1957 western film directed by Nicholas Ray and stars Robert Wagner (Jesse) and Jeffrey Hunter (Frank) with Agnes Morehead, John Doucette, and Alan Hale Jr.

Robert Wagner has built a career around good looks and a suave manner. He's best known for the TV series "Hart to Hart" for which he received several Golden Globe nominations, and he earned an Emmy nomination for "It Takes a Thief" (1968). Younger viewers know him as "Number 2" from the "Austin Powers" films. Wagner plays Jesse, but he looks more like James Dean (who was supposed to play the part, but he died) than the famous outlaw.

Handsome Jeffrey Hunter is best known for his role as Jesus in "King of Kings" (1961) but I think his best performance was opposite John Wayne in "The Searchers" (1956). Hunter plays Frank James, Jesse's older brother.

Agnes Morehead earned 4 Academy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actress ("Magnificent Ambersons", "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte", "Johnny Belinda", "Mrs. Parkington"), along with 6 Emmy nominations for her role in "Bewitched" and a win for a role in "Wild Wild West" (1965). She won two Golden Globes. She appeared with Orson Welles in her film debut in "Citizen Kane" (1941), and then in "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942), and "Jane Eyre" (1944). She plays Jesse's mother and her acting in this film is probably one of the worst performances she ever gave.

John Doucette's chubby face and heavy set frame are familiar to everyone from his 200+ films, usually as a heavy. He was distinguished by his husky voice and being the fastest draw in Hollywood. He was equally at home in film and on TV and was comfortable in Westerns as well as biblical epics. He plays the Sheriff - uncharacteristically he isn't one of the bad guys in this film.

Alan Hale Jr. is known to everyone as "the skipper" from "Gilligans Island". Like his dad, he was in more than 100 films, appearing on screen almost from the time he was born (1921) until his death (1990). Hale plays Cole Younger.

The great impersonator Frank Gorshin appears as Charley Ford.

Jesse James has been played by just about everyone, including Tyrone Power (1939), Roy Rogers (1941), Clayton Moore (1947), Audie Murphy ( 1950 and 1969), Macdonald Carey (1951), Lee van Cleef (1954), Wendell Corey (1959), Robert Duvall (1972), James Keach (1980), Kris Kristofferson (1986), Rob Lowe (1994), J.D. Souther (1999), Colin Farrell (2001), and Brad Pitt (2007). My personal preference was Tyronne Power.

The film is directed by Nicholas Ray. Ray is best known as the director of "Rebel Without a Cause" (1956) for which he received an Oscar nomination (winner Delbert Mann for "Marty"). He also received a Cannes Film Festival nomination for "The Savage Innocents" (1960) and Venice Film Festival nominations for "Bitter Victory" (1957) and "Bigger than Life" (1956). My absolute favorite Ray film is the western "Johnny Guitar" (1954). Unfortunately, none of Ray's considerable skills are on exhibit in this film. Indeed, "The True Story of Jesse James" marked the start of the decline of Ray's career, and the 10 films he made after this are all unremarkable from a directorial POV.

The great Nunnaly Johnson wrote the screenplay. Johnson was nominated twice for an Oscar ("Holy Matrimony", "The Grapes of Wrath") and won at the Cannes Film festival for "Man in the Grey Flannel Suit" (1956). His notable films include "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), "Three Faces of Eve" (1957), "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953), and "The Desert Fox" (1951). One is tempted to wonder how much better the film might have been, given the same script, with better acting (Dean instead of Wagner, Anybody instead of Morehead), but alas, we can only wonder.

All things considered this is a rather ordinary western, adequate acting in most cases, and adequate photography. Nothing stands out. This is a shame, because the writer and director were at the peak of their powers, as were many of the actors. Moreover, the idea that this film is any more "true" than other films about Jesse James is debatable - there are many errors in the film (e.g., calling the Pinkerton agency the Remington agency, blaming the failure of the Northfield robbery on a failure to cut a telegraph line, etc.).

According to IMDB Technical Specifications, this film was shot at aspect ratio 2.35:1 which is widescreen - if IMDB is correct, why is 20th Century Fox Pan&Scanning it into FULL SCREEN academy aspect ratio 1.33:1?
Maybe the FULL SCREEN description is incorrect but I think I'll wait to see what other reviewers say before I purchase.
I, too, am a Nicholas Ray fan.

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.