Jesse James (1939)

Director:

Henry King
(more)

Writer:

Nunnally Johnson (original screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

27 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

The Epic Story of the most Colourful Outlaw who ever lived

Plot:

After railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Railroad | Bank | Train | Reward | Farmer

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Jesse Woodson James
Henry Fonda	...	Frank James
Nancy Kelly	...	Zerelda 'Zee' Cobb
Randolph Scott	...	Marshall Will Wright
Henry Hull	...	Major Rufus Cobb
Slim Summerville	...	Jailer
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Mr. Runyan
Brian Donlevy	...	Barshee
John Carradine	...	Bob Ford
Donald Meek	...	Mc Coy
Johnny Russell	...	Jesse James Jr. (as John Russell)
Jane Darwell	...	Mrs. Samuels - Jesse's mother
Charles Tannen	...	Charles Ford
Claire Du Brey	...	Mrs. Bob Ford
Willard Robertson	...	Clarke
Harold Goodwin	...	Bill
Ernest Whitman	...	Pinkie
Eddy Waller	...	Deputy
Paul E. Burns	...	Hank (as Paul Burns)
Spencer Charters	...	Minister
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Tom Colson
Charles Middleton	...	Doctor
Charles Halton	...	Heywood (Credits) / Layworth
George Chandler	...	Roy
Harry Tyler	...	Farmer
Virginia Brissac	...	Boy's Mother
Edward LeSaint	...	Judge Rankin (as Ed Le Saint)
John Elliott	...	Judge Mathews
Erville Alderson	...	Old Marshal
George P. Breakston	...	Farmer Boy (as George Breakston)
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	One of James Gang
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Beck	...	Turnkey (scenes deleted)
Victor Kilian	...	Preacher (scenes deleted)
Morgan Brown	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Donald Douglas	...	Infantry Captain (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
Sam Garrett	...	Rider / Roper (uncredited)
Wylie Grant	...	Barshee's Henchman (uncredited)
Harry Holman	...	Engineer (uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Union Soldier (uncredited)
Leonard Kibrick	...	Boy (uncredited)
Sidney Kibrick	...	Boy (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Barshee's Henchman (uncredited)
Tom London	...	Soldier (uncredited)
George O'Hara	...	Teller (uncredited)
Paul Sutton	...	Lynch (Barshee's Henchman) (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry King
Irving Cummings		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Nunnally Johnson		(original screenplay)
Hal Long		(story contributor) uncredited
Gene Fowler		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Curtis Kenyon		(contributing writer) uncredited

Produced by
Nunnally Johnson	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer
Ben Silvey	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Barnes		(photographed by)
W. Howard Greene		(photographed by) (as W.H. Greene)

Film Editing by
Barbara McLean

Art Direction by
William S. Darling		(as William Darling)
George Dudley

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Royer

Makeup Department
Robert Cowan	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Buddy King	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Ray Lopez	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Webster Philips	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Doris Rowland	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Dot Snyder	....	body makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Sid Bowen	....	unit manager (uncredited)
William Koenig	....	production manager (uncredited)
V.L. McFadden	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otto Brower	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Hal Herman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Robert D. Webb	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Henry Weinberger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Joe Behm	....	props (uncredited)
G.L. Cooper	....	painter (uncredited)
Charles Fremdling	....	props (uncredited)
Tom Gillette	....	carpenter (uncredited)
L. Paul Haines	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Frank E. Hughes	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Frank Patterson	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Jack Stubbs	....	props (uncredited)
Al Withers	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
Arthur von Kirbach	....	sound
Hal Lombard	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jack Miller	....	cable person (uncredited)
Roy Potts	....	boom operator (uncredited)
W.R. Snyder	....	assistant sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
William F. Mittlestedt	....	photographic effects (uncredited)
Ben Southland	....	photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Cliff Lyons	....	stunt double: Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Bohny	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
A.C. Bumpus	....	additional grip (uncredited)
James Cairns	....	electrician (uncredited)
Robert Campbell	....	electrician (uncredited)
R.M. Harmon	....	additional grip (uncredited)
J. James	....	electrician (uncredited)
Wendell Jones	....	additional grip (uncredited)
W. Harry Jones	....	additional grip (uncredited)
Phil Mandella	....	additional grip (uncredited)
W. Nugent	....	electrician (uncredited)
Hugh C. Peck	....	additional grip (uncredited)
Jack Percy	....	head grip (uncredited)
Bobby Petzoldt	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Edward Petzoldt	....	gaffer (uncredited)
R. Pipes	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Frank Powolny	....	still photographer (uncredited)
C.E. Richardson	....	second grip (uncredited)
Irving Rosenberg	....	camera operator (uncredited)
William Russell	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Gordon Sandsberry	....	electrician (uncredited)
Sheridan Smith	....	generator operator (uncredited)
W. Stewart	....	electrician (uncredited)
Paul Uhl	....	film loader: Technicolor (uncredited)
S. Warn	....	electrician (uncredited)
Paul Woods	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eddie Armand	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Steve Brandt	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Ollie Hughes	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Josephine Perrin	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Richard Billings	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)
Robert Fritch	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Silvers	....	musical director
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Alfred Newman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Louis Silvers	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jo Frances James	....	assembler of historical data
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Rosalind Schaeffer	....	assembler of historical data
Teresa Brachetto	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Duke Callaghan	....	assistant: Technicolor (uncredited)
Edwin H. Curtis	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Paul Hill	....	assistant: Technicolor (uncredited)
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color director (uncredited)
Max Larey	....	script clerk (uncredited)
R.C. Moore	....	location manager (uncredited)
Joe Noecker	....	technician: Technicolor (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant: Technicolor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Centfox (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2005) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Norway:16 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #4590) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Lake Ozark, Missouri, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The film shows both Jesse and Frank going off the cliff on horseback. In reality the stunt was performed once and shot with two cameras.

Goofs:

Continuity: Frank comes to rescue Jesse from the jail at midnight. When they get outside, it's broad daylight.

Quotes:

Bob Ford: [masked and holding a gun on train passengers] If you don't know what this is, folks, it's a hold-up!
[a woman screams]
Bob Ford: Stay in your seats, keep your hands in sight, and the gent who just threwed his pocketbook in the spittoon will kindly take it out and wipe it clean before we get to him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fonda on Fonda (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Battle Cry of Freedom

Colorful Western

The life of times of the James brothers gets the big-budget treatment. The facts are twisted, portraying Jesse as a good kid who is pushed into a life of crime through circumstances. Power is well cast in the title role, displaying some acting chops and proving that he is more than a pretty face. Fonda is also effective, although his role here is limited; Frank James would be the focus of the sequel. Kelly plays the comely love interest while Scott makes a valiant Marshall. The supporting cast features such familiar faces as Hull, Donlevy, Carradine, Meek, and Darwell. It is filmed in gorgeous Technicolor. The action scenes are quite exciting.