Jesse James
Starring: Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Slim Summerville, J. Edward Bromberg, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine, Donald Meek, Johnny Russell, Jane Darwell, Charles Tannen, Claire Du Brey, Willard Robertson, Harold Goodwin, Ernest Whitman, Eddy Waller, Paul E. Burns, Spencer ChartersDirector: Henry King, Irving Cummings
Studio: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Release: March 6th 2007
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DVD Review
No studio was better than Darryl Zanuck's 20th Century-Fox at dishing out lovingly textured Americana, of which this movie is a prime example. The outlaw gets canonized as an American Robin Hood, an honest farmer who, with post-Civil War Missouri overrun by corrupt agents of the Railroad, had no choice but to start robbing banks and trains to achieve a measure of social justice the System wouldn't provide. Tyrone Power as Jesse is quietly out-acted by Fox's emerging star Henry Fonda as brother Frank. The supporting cast is solid--Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine (as Bob Ford), Jane Darwell, Donald Meek--but the liveliest thing in the movie is Henry Hull, playing a newspaperman whose editorials invariably prescribe that whomever he's denouncing be "taken out and shot like dawgs." Fonda, Hull, and Carradine re-created their roles the following year in The Return of Frank James. --Richard T. Jameson
User Reviews
Unlawful Color Transfer - Rating: 2/5
Knowing that 20th Century Fox IS capable of quality restoration, as proven in their 30+ Studio Classics Series, I was let down by the amature color reproduction of what should be the magic that film's shot in technicolor produce. Of the two films from 20th Century, "Jesse James" and "The Return of Frank James", "Jesse James" is so poorly transferred to DVD that I had to remove all color from my television calibration panel and then adjust the picture for the best quality b&w that my Sony is capable of.
It is truly a shame when a company seems to arbitrarily decide to reproduce some classic films to their glorious original condition and then simply ignore others. In 1939 Tyrone Power was Hollywoods leading man. In The Mask of Zorro (Another 20th Century Fox film) the DVD transfer and restoration by 20th Century Fox was excellent. This is a sham and an insult to technicolor's genius. Those who enjoy film do not simply consider the plot to be the only critiera by which a film is enjoyed or judged. All elements of making a film from lighting, to composition, to color, sound, etc.. all play a part in a film's drama.
BUT NOT IN THIS PATHETIC LONG AWAITED TECHNICOLOR CLASSIC. I would not have purchased this film if I had known that it would look as if it had been stored in a cardboard box along with all the color family photos that now have a pale cyan/magenta cast, no detail in the shadows and an overall reproduction that makes most of the photos and film look as if it were shot at night. "The Return of Frank James" is still presented in rather good Technicolor (not its best either). The stories, no matter how historically fictional they may be, are sheer Western fun.
But that fun is diminished when the visual presentation of the stories are so poorly presented that one has to wonder if consistency of quality is a commitment by 20th Century Fox. You may want to think about buying "Jesse James" if you are a true film buff but if you still want another Tyrone Power classic for your DVD collection, remember you will probably have to remove ALL color and enjoy it in b&w.
A Big Technicolor Letdown - No Restoration - Rating: 2/5
I was expecting rich, vibrant Fox Technicolor, on a par with "Drums Along the Mohawk", and I could have dealt with some flicker and with modest print damage, but right from the opening scene, it was clear that this film had not been restored, that the Technicolor strips were damaged, and that the colors were off (and almost non-existent at times). As a result, I found it difficult to concentrate on the film; I kept thinking of how bad it looked and how much better it might have looked had the money been put into some sort of restoration. I've grown to have so much confidence in these Fox classics, and this is my first major letdown, so I'm hoping "The Return of Frank James" will turn out alright (though I was so disappointed with "Jesse" that I've toyed with the idea of returning "Frank").
Anyhow, sadly, I have to advise against getting this unless you don't care about the picture quality --- if PQ matters to you, you are bound to be disappointed.
Poor color dvd transfer - Rating: 3/5
I really like this film and it's sequel "The Return Of Frank James". I decided to upgrade from vhs to dvd for both titles. I was very disappointed to find that the dvd edition has very poor color. There's an overall dark tone and bluish cast to "Jesse James". On the other hand, "The Return Of Frank James" has great color. I tried these dvd's on 3 players just to be sure that my player or tv weren't out-of-balance. If you love the wonderful Technicolor films of this period, stick to the vhs edition of "Jesse James" or be prepared to turn your color button up as high as it will go to enjoy the dvd version. One would expect more from a major studio like Fox.
Jesse James rides again - Rating: 5/5
A fun movie to watch that added to the legend of Jesse James. Was he the Robin Hood of the west as the movie protrays? Who cares, this is just classic old time western fun. A great cast that Includes Tyrone Powers Jr., Henry Fonda and Randolph Scott!! That is three aces right there.Follow the adventures of the James boys as they are almost forced to attack the evil railroads and the robber barons that ran them. Doesn't that sound familar in this age where many people distrust the big corporations of today? Really though, do not get to philosophical over this. It is a western, and a good one at that.
Awful, just awful - Rating: 1/5
Whatever significance this film has, it derives from the stellar cast. Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda do a credible job portraying Jesse and Frank James despite a screenplay that takes criminal liberties with the historical record. You may find it entertaining, but don't come away from it thinking you've learned anything useful about the James boys. The distortions become all the more shocking when you realize that there were still people alive in western Missouri who remembered the original people and events when this silly thing was released.
