description Jesse James Overview
Jesse James (1939) portrays the life of the American outlaw Jesse James through a star-studded biographical drama. Directed by Henry King and featuring Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda, the film explores his rise to infamy and involvement in bank robberies and train heists during the late 1860s and early 1870s. It’s notable for its cinematic scope and depiction of a pivotal figure in American Western history, appealing to audiences interested in historical fiction and action-oriented narratives.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info Jesse James Specifications
| Country | United States |
| Year | 1939 |
help Jesse James FAQ
Who plays Jesse and Frank James in the 1939 film Jesse James?
Tyrone Power stars as Jesse James and Henry Fonda plays his brother Frank, under director Henry King. The two would work together again the following year on King's The Return of Frank James (1940).
Was Jesse James (1939) filmed in color?
Yes — it was shot in three-strip Technicolor, making it one of the earliest big-budget Westerns in full color. The vivid cinematography was a major selling point at the time.
Is the 1939 Jesse James historically accurate?
It's heavily romanticized: the script casts the railroads as villains driving the James brothers to crime and ends with Jesse's assassination by Bob Ford, as history records, but invents or softens much in between. It's best enjoyed as Hollywood myth-making rather than biography.
What notorious on-set accident happened during the filming of Jesse James?
During a staged cliff-jump stunt, at least one horse was killed, and the public outcry helped push the American Humane Association into actively overseeing animal safety on film sets. That movement is the origin of the now-familiar 'No Animals Were Harmed' oversight credited on movies today.
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