This film's beauty is that it is so simple. This is by far the best version of the Jesse James story - there is not a sign of formalism as is regularly seen in later westerns, especially modern ones. When you are able to tell a story the way Henry King does, simply and clearly, then you begin to discover many other stories inside the main one. And then you know you have the original, the prototype.

Tyrone Power is the outlaw Jesse James brought to life in director Henry King's 1939 treatment of the story. This holds nothing back and packs a wallop from beginning to end. We begin with Brian Donlevy going from house to house swindling people out of their property and paying little to no money for it. Apparently, he's a representative of the railroad company, whose new tracks have to go through their property. When they get to Jesse James' mother, played by Jane Darwell, to sign the deed, she shows some sense and flat out won't sign it. A ruckus is started when sons Jesse and Frank order them off their property with a gun and a fistfight. When Brian Donlevy goes to the law and asks to be deputized to arrest Jesse James, they go back after them. But someone has already told them to 'git,' so they ran. It's easy to say these things, I know, but that was their first mistake. From there on, one sees the path that Jesse James and brother Frank get on. Through a series of bad decisions and poor judgment, they rationalize what they do against the railroad company that did wrong by so many of their neighbors, by robbing trains of the passengers' money and encouraging them to sue the company for compensation, because the railroad company is liable for it. They segue to banks and continue their criminal activities. The movie also stars Henry Fonda, as brother Frank James, Randolph Scott as the law, Donald Meek as the railroad president, John Carradine as "the coward" Robert Ford, and Slim Summerville, as a jailer who has a plum role as a jailer who says "them James boys keep their word. When they say they's going to do something, they do it." He was quite good. But despite the whole production and treatment of the story, Henry Hull practically stole the show as the crankiest, sermonizing, over-the-top, over-acting, hammiest newspaperman ever, who's all the time dictating another editorial on lawyers (liars), governors, or you name it. "If we are ever to have law and order in this here area, we have to take out all the (fill in the blank) and shoot 'em down like a dog." Also, Nancy Kelly is memorable and touching as "Zee," who devotedly and almost stubbornly loves Jesse, no matter what. I still can see her in bed distraught over Jesse and having just had a baby. If you want a non-stop, emotional film about the story behind Jesse James, which has no music score throughout the film (I was very impressed by that,) then this is for you. But having said all that, I was a little miffed about the ending speech given by Henry Hull, who says they're not ashamed of Jesse James, because he represented the fighting spirit and gumption of the human race needed in order to overcome wrongs done to you. He did interject they don't have much to say to the fact that Jesse James ultimately became an outlaw. What can family say or do, when a loved one goes down the wrong path, but stay on their side and love them and pray for their salvation? The movie shows what Jesse's original motivations were and also when and where he started to be out of control. And while I know they tried to be fair to Jesse James and to its subject matter and to show him as human, I still feel it glamorizes the outlaw lifestyle, as the film Bonnie and Clyde does. But, I do recommend this film, because it is an example of movie-making at its best. If Henry Hull's speech was made at the end to leave you thinking about who we see as our role models and to question the real credibility of the choice of Jesse James as one, then that's good. His life is here to scrutinize. Decide for yourself.

*Great technicolor print. Enjoyable thruout.*James is treated as a Robin Hood, he was anything but-he was Civil War guerilla fighter in some of the nastier borderlands action around. But Hollywood couldn't Say that back when. The lead Cannot be 'bad'. So...*Powers and Fonda are very good as the James Brothers. Didn't show enough of Fonda to be honest.*The Northfield Raid was handled well.*Henry Hull as the cranky editor was a riot.*Interesting to see both Brian Donlevy and Brian Donlevy given such small roles.*Didn't see Cheney Jr. in there.*The horse off the cliff stunt was eye-catching.*You'll enjoy it though you know you are watching Hollywood hokum.*** outta ****

I have been watching this movie since I was in the fourth grade. Its one of the best westerns i have ever seen. It does a real good job on showing the true story of Jesse James about how he was a hero. And considering people over the last 140 years have considered him to be Americas Robin Hood. They do good at that to. You can learn a lot from this movie about Jesse James but not just him also Frank James and Bob Ford and how the railroad at this time was taking everybody land. And how Jesse and Frank just said to everybody "We are not going to stand for this we are going to fight the railroad." I like what it says at the beginning about the railroad and the west. The music goes good with this movie. Especially at the end and thats real sad but Major Cobb does say a lot of good comments about Jesse.