The True Story of Jesse James
The True Story of Jesse James | |
---|---|
Directed by | Nicholas Ray |
Written by | Screenplay: Walter Newman Earlier Screenplay: Nunnally Johnson |
Produced by | Herbert B. Swope, Jr. |
Starring | Robert Wagner Jeffrey Hunter Hope Lange Agnes Moorehead Alan Hale Jr. |
Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
Edited by | Robert L. Simpson |
Music by | Leigh Harline |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | February 22, 1957 |
Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,585,000[1] |
Box office | $1,500,000 (US rentals)[2] |
The True Story of Jesse James is a 1957 American Western drama film adapted from Henry King's 1939 film Jesse James, which was only loosely based on James' life.[3] It was directed by Nicholas Ray, with Robert Wagner portraying Jesse James and Jeffrey Hunter starring as Frank James. Filming took place during 1955.[4] Originally titled The James Brothers in the United Kingdom, the film focused on the relationship between the two James brothers during the last 18 years of Jesse James' life.[4]
Plot
Jesse (Robert Wagner) and Frank James (Jeffrey Hunter) ride with their gang into Northfield, Minnesota for a raid. While robbing a bank, gun fighting breaks out and two of the gang are killed. The James brothers and another gang member head out of town and hide out while investigators from the Remington Detective Agency search for James to receive a $30,000 reward. While the three are hiding, the film tells the story of how the James brothers came to be criminals in flashback.
Cast
- Robert Wagner as Jesse James
- Jeffrey Hunter as Frank James
- Hope Lange as Zerelda "Zee" James, wife of Jesse
- Agnes Moorehead as Zerelda Cole James, mother of the James brothers
- Alan Hale, Jr. as Cole Younger
- John Carradine as Rev. Jethro Bailey
- Biff Elliot as Jim Younger
- Frank Gorshin as Charley Ford
- Carl Thayler as Robby Ford
- Adam Marshall as Dick Liddell
- Anthony Ray as Bob Younger
- Louis Zito as Clell Miller
- Paul Wexler as Jayhawker
- Clegg Hoyt as Tucker (uncredited)
- Frank Overton as Maj. Rufus Cobb
Production
Shortly after his success with 1955's Rebel Without a Cause, Ray was hired to direct this movie based on Jesse James' later life. He had only one movie left under his contract with 20th Century Fox, before he would depart for Europe and film Bitter Victory. The studio suggested a remake of King's 1939 biography of Jesse James.[5]
It is speculated that had James Dean not died in a car crash before production began, he would have starred in this film as Jesse James.[6][7] In place of Dean, director Ray hoped to cast Elvis Presley, who had successfully completed his first film, Love Me Tender.[8] Ray's son Tony also was cast in the film as Bob Younger, the first time he appeared in one of his father's films.[8]
Hope Lange, a contract player for 20th Century Fox, was hired for the role of Jesse's wife after her Academy Award-nominated success with Peyton Place. John Carradine had appeared in the first Jesse James film as Bob Ford and appears in the 1957 version as Rev. Jethro Bailey.[3]
Ray shot the film using CinemaScope, a new technology at that time.[3] The movie was shot in 1956. Stock footage that had previously been used on the earlier James film which inspired this one was re-used and reconfigured for CinemaScope.[3]
Characterizations
In the film, Jesse James is portrayed as a "Nicholas Ray hero"—a consistent type of character seen throughout Ray's films and thought to be based on Ray himself.[5] Ray's similar characters include Jim Stark (James Dean) in Rebel Without a Cause and Jesus Christ in King of Kings.[5]
Comic book adaption
- Dell Four Color #757 (March 1957)[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p251
- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p227
- ^ a b c d Hal Erickson (2008). "The True Story of Jesse James (1957)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ a b "The True Story of Jesse James (1955)". Cinemagora.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ a b c "THE TRUE STORY OF JESSE JAMES". Electric Sheep Magazine. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ "Wanted: Jesse James". New York Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ French, Philip (2007-12-02). "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". The Observer. London. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ a b Live Fast, Die Young. Simon & Schuster. 4 October 2005. ISBN 9780743291187. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
- ^ "Dell Four Color #757". Grand Comics Database.
- ^ Dell Four Color #757 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
External links
- 1957 films
- 1950s Western (genre) drama films
- 1950s biographical drama films
- American films
- American Western (genre) drama films
- American biographical drama films
- American film remakes
- English-language films
- Biographical films about Jesse James
- Films directed by Nicholas Ray
- Films set in Minnesota
- Films adapted into comics
- Films about bank robbery
- Films with screenplays by Walter Newman (screenwriter)
- Films scored by Leigh Harline
- 20th Century Fox films
- 1957 drama films