1972 / Glendale Train / New Riders of the Purple Sage
Jesse James (1939)
Jesse James was a smash hit and the fourth largest-grossing film of 1939, behind Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and in front of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
That’s a hell of a year for Movies – those are 4 Classics.
A sequel, The Return of Frank James, directed by Fritz Lang and with Henry Fonda reprising his role as Frank James along with a variety of other actors playing the same characters as they had in Jesse James,
was released in 1940.
It seems almost daily that somebody finds another photo
of Jesse James or Billy the Kid.
A lot are fakes or false of course, but even some that
are authentic are so bizarre that you have shake your head.
Like this one with Robert Ford (Jesse assassin)
and Jesse himself seated together.
It’s rather amazing.
And is that a top knot on Jesse’s head?
Seem so.
I wanted to post an authentic Jesse James “Wanted Poster” here,
but I couldn’t identify even one that I can confidence in.
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The original Ford and James boys weren’t bad looking either. Not as handsome as Fonda and Power. but not bad.
Yeah … maybe that’s part of their appeal? Jesse – to me – always had those eyes though – transfixed or traumatized – or both. It’s not known how many people he must have killed, but it was surely a considerable number.
Much of that was done under the banner (excuse) of war, of course. But it’s well known that he had a massive hate inside him and he is fingered for taking part in outright massacres.