The True Story of Jesse James

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]

The True Story of Jesse James
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNicholas Ray
Screenplay byWalter Newman
Based ona screenplay by
Nunnally Johnson
Produced byHerbert B. Swope, Jr.
StarringRobert Wagner
Jeffrey Hunter
Hope Lange
Agnes Moorehead
Alan Hale Jr.
CinematographyJoseph MacDonald
Edited byRobert L. Simpson
Music byLeigh Harline
Color processColor by DeLuxe
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • March 22, 1957 (1957-03-22)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,585,000[1]
Box office$1,500,000 (US rentals)[2]

Plot

Jesse and Frank James 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

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, also a contract player for 20th Century Fox, as were Robert Wagner and Jeffrey Hunter, was hired for the role of Jesse's wife after her Academy Award-nominated success with Peyton Place. John Carradine had appeared in Fox's first Jesse James film as Bob Ford and appears in the 1957 version as Rev. Jethro Bailey.[3]

Ray shot the film using CinemaScope[3] 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 adaptation

See also

References
  1. Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p251
  2. Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p227
  3. Hal Erickson (2008). "The True Story of Jesse James (1957)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  4. "The True Story of Jesse James (1955)". Cinemagora.co.uk. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  5. "THE TRUE STORY OF JESSE JAMES". Electric Sheep Magazine. October 4, 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  6. "Wanted: Jesse James". New York Sun. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  7. French, Philip (December 2, 2007). "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". The Observer. London. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  8. Live Fast, Die Young. Simon & Schuster. October 4, 2005. ISBN 9780743291187. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  9. "Dell Four Color #757". Grand Comics Database.
  10. Dell Four Color #757 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
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