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I had the greatest trouble believing this film came out in 1939, I would have believed 1959 if not for the principals. Writing, cinematography and acting are far superior to what the average 1930's, or even 1940's film had to offer. Story wise, I found the treatment of the Jesse James legacy to be somewhat sympathetic, even though his ruthlessness and manner grew more extreme as the picture progressed. Perhaps even handed might be the best way to describe it, without knowing all the historical facts behind the James Gang.
Tyrone Power offers a compelling portrait of the man and the outlaw, nicely complemented by Henry Fonda as brother Frank James. Randolph Scott is perfectly understated as Marshal Will Wright, who treads the line between keeping the peace and offering Jesse a fair shake because of the damage caused his family by agents of the St. Louis Midland Rail Road. His presence as a romantic foil for the hand of Zee Cobb (Nancy Kelly) could have been overplayed, but director Henry King managed to keep that relationship one of admiration and respect. The one performance I think everyone can agree on as being suitably bombastic was that of Henry Hull as newspaper editor Rufus Cobb. By the time his third or fourth editorial came around, any viewer would have been able to write it.
I caught the film on Encore Westerns today, but if I had a copy of the picture, the scene I would be replaying time after time would be that tumble over the cliff on horseback that the James Brothers made while being chased by the railroad posse. Fonda's horse went over in a virtual somersault and it made me jump in my seat. I know the PETA folks would have a problem with it, but that might be the best aerial horse maneuver I've ever seen, and I've seen a few, especially in the 'B' oaters of the 1930's and '40's. John Wayne's Lone Star Westerns also featured some insane horse spills, which I've come to learn were achieved by the use of trip wires. I guess that's why you don't see any of those declarations about not harming animals prior to about the 1960's.
Anyway, "Jesse James" succeeds on a number of levels, even if historical accuracy is compromised. The one thing I think most viewers could agree on would be Major Rufus' eulogy - "There ain't no question about it, Jesse was an outlaw..."
score 5/10
classicsoncall 13 August 2007
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1711671/ |
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31-3-2021 00:06:13