Jesse James and the Movies

This illustrated filmography analyzes the plots and players of the more than forty motion pictures about the legendary Missouri outlaw Jesse James (1847–1882), from the silent era to the 21st century. Among the films and actors covered are Jesse James (1939) with Tyrone Power, Kansas Raiders (1950) with Audie Murphy, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972) with Robert Duvall, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) with Brad Pitt. Each evaluation compares Hollywood’s version of history to the hard facts.
A brief biography of the outlaw provides an overview of his life and career. Also examined are European films, made-for-television movies and continuing TV series that have featured episodes involving Jesse James.

Johnny D. Boggs, former newspaper writer, is an award-winning author of Western fact and fiction. He has contributed to such magazines as True West and Boys’ Life. A past president of the Western Writers of America, he is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Johnny D. Boggs
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 279
Bibliographic Info: 78 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4788-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8496-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix

Introduction      1

One: Jesse James, 1847–1882      7

Two: Jesse James in Pop Culture, 1875–1903      19

Three: The Silent Era, 1908–1927      23

Four: A-List Jesse, 1939–1940      45

Five: Jesse in the B’s, 1939–1949      63

Six: The Proliferation of Jesse James, 1950–1960      112

Seven: Oddball Jesse (1965–1969)      181

Eight: Revisionist Jesse, 1972–2010      195

Nine: Euro Westerns, 1964–2009      227

Ten: Made-for-Television Movies, 1970–1999      230

Eleven: Television Series Appearances, 1953–2001      238

Chapter Notes      245

Bibliography      259

Index      265

“a marvelous idea for a book…superbly evaluating more than 40 movies. Boggs writing and analysis of each film is excellent and revealing. A definite bookshelf keeper”—Western Clippings; “Johnny D. Boggs, best known for his award winning novels, proves that he is no slouch at writing nonfiction, and that his film knowledge rivals other aficionados. For movie buffs, or those interested in Jesse James, this volume is a must”—The Fence Post; “the author provides fascinating observations…Boggs has succeeded splendidly in both informing and entertaining the reader”—Wild West History Journal; “comprehensive, rip-snorting roundup…testament to the enduring popularity of the outlaw…edifies and entertains in equal measures”—Big Sky Journal.