Classic Movies - Fabulous Films of 1939: Jesse James

Today, let’s talk Classic 1939 Western-Jesse James! In this 20th Century-Fox production, handsome Tyrone Power stars in the title role of the real-life outlaw. One of the first Westerns filmed in Technicolor, Jesse James gave the popular matinee-idol a chance to demonstrate his true acting ability. Equally compelling is Henry Fonda’s stoic performance as Jesse’s older brother, Frank. A remarkable supporting cast includes Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine, Jane Darwell, and gravel-voiced Henry Hull as the irascible Major Rufus Cobb.

In order to present acceptable entertainment, Jesse James exemplifies Hollywood’s “glossing over” of a not-so-glorious past. So winningly was history distorted by Nunnally Johnson’s screenplay that the film was a huge success at the box office. The cold, hard facts about the “James Gang” are not completely omitted from the film, but pretty close to it. Yes, Frank and Jesse are presented as murdering outlaws and yes, Jesse does finally get shot in the back by a cowardly gang member, but there the similarity between fact and fiction ends. Under Henry King’s direction, folk heroes are made of the notorious bank/train robbers. As products of their time, the James boys are even given a legitimate reason for their lawlessness. Following the Civil War, poor farmers (themselves included) barely got by, while huge fortunes were made by those in the railroad and banking businesses. The suffering and oppressed desperately needed someone to champion their cause. Enter the James brothers, dedicated to helping the poor as “Robin Hoods” of the Old West. Whether a grain of truth lies in this reasoning is debatable, but somewhere along the line, Frank and Jesse (mostly Jesse according to this film) got carried away and started to enjoy “outlaw life” a little too much.

Audiences certainly didn’t seem to mind the historical inaccuracies of the film or to see the notorious James Gang so “glorified” in glorious Technicolor. The tender scenes between Jesse and his beloved wife, Zee (Nancy Kelly), definitely played upon public sympathies while many cheered as Frank made his daring escape during the infamous Northfield, Minnesota bank hold-up. Perhaps a Depression-weary America of 1939 could fully understand the James Gang’s rage against “big business” and banks. Given the recent bail-out debacle, today’s audiences might also sympathize with their intense dislike of banks and those who run them.

Despite the inaccuracies, Jesse James is an outstanding motion picture in the classic Western tradition. We find it thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable to watch. We understand that the despicable crimes committed by the real James Gang are not fully exposed, but the film itself is still a great one and remains an enduring favorite. It’s just not a very truthful accounting of the outlaw brothers. See it soon and judge for yourselves.

Check out our next post for another Fabulous Film of 1939! Our blog, Let’s Talk Classic Movies, appears every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

**Trivia Question for Today: What was the name of the sequel to Jesse James?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Fred Astaire was first offered the role of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy, but turned it down.

Bonus Trivia Answer: James Cagney reprised his role as George M. Cohan in 1955’s The Seven Little Foys, starring Bob Hope.