With the Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck film (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) still in limited release at present, this picture managed to temporarily satisfy my curiosity about the death of Jesse James and see it from a 1950's perspective. Since the title of the picture doesn't hint at the story line, I was surprised to hear the names James and Ford used early in the picture. Putting two and two together came pretty easily at that point, and even better, the story managed to rise above the level of a lot of the Western genre output of the period.
Oddly, the lead character in the film is neither James OR Ford, but an unknown member of the James Gang going by Victor Rodell (Stephen McNally). Rodell resumes a romantic involvement with Bob Ford's (Robert Vaughn) sister following a botched bank hold-up in Muncie, and the story continues to follow events that lead to the governor of Missouri offering clemency to Ford if he agrees to turn in Jesse. The climactic scene is similar to the finale of 1939's "Jesse James", with a Christmas tree scenario replacing that of Jesse hanging a picture on the wall.
There's an interesting scene near the end of the movie when Frank James (Douglas Kennedy) and Cole Younger (Myron Healey) come gunning for Rodell. Bob Ford's father (Harry Shannon), expecting his son to help Rodell escape, frustratedly remarks when it looks like Bob won't interfere - "Why you coward, you dirty little coward". Fifty years later, the coward tag comes full circle to describe the man who killed the most famous and notorious Western outlaw.
In addition to the players already mentioned, it was cool to see Barton MacLane on hand as a Pinkerton agent, and Peggie Castle in the role of Paula Collins, the sister of Bob Ford. A couple of years later, Castle appeared as a regular on the classic TV Western series "Lawman", as saloon owner Lily Merrill.
It's always a treat to come across a movie I'd never heard of before, and even better when it exceeds expectations. Though I presume a lot of the film to be fictional, it's still an engrossing story and worthy of a recommendation.
Oddly, the lead character in the film is neither James OR Ford, but an unknown member of the James Gang going by Victor Rodell (Stephen McNally). Rodell resumes a romantic involvement with Bob Ford's (Robert Vaughn) sister following a botched bank hold-up in Muncie, and the story continues to follow events that lead to the governor of Missouri offering clemency to Ford if he agrees to turn in Jesse. The climactic scene is similar to the finale of 1939's "Jesse James", with a Christmas tree scenario replacing that of Jesse hanging a picture on the wall.
There's an interesting scene near the end of the movie when Frank James (Douglas Kennedy) and Cole Younger (Myron Healey) come gunning for Rodell. Bob Ford's father (Harry Shannon), expecting his son to help Rodell escape, frustratedly remarks when it looks like Bob won't interfere - "Why you coward, you dirty little coward". Fifty years later, the coward tag comes full circle to describe the man who killed the most famous and notorious Western outlaw.
In addition to the players already mentioned, it was cool to see Barton MacLane on hand as a Pinkerton agent, and Peggie Castle in the role of Paula Collins, the sister of Bob Ford. A couple of years later, Castle appeared as a regular on the classic TV Western series "Lawman", as saloon owner Lily Merrill.
It's always a treat to come across a movie I'd never heard of before, and even better when it exceeds expectations. Though I presume a lot of the film to be fictional, it's still an engrossing story and worthy of a recommendation.