one topic. five videos.
(
0 votes)
The Return of Jesse James
Born 160 years ago today, September 5, 1847, and dead by the age of
35, legendary gunslinger Jesse James has long gripped the American public imagination. And what with "Deadwood," "3:10 to Yuma" and a new Jesse James movie on
the horizon, the young pistol fighter hasn't gone out of style. From that famous
Brady Bunch episode where Bobby upsets his parents by idolizing Jesse James to
any number of songs and movies, the Missouri-born outlaw continues to be a wellspring of American storytelling. Check out the clips below and see how the myth of the Western frontier is as much with us today as it was decades ago.
|
1
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
In this latest incarnation of the the story of Frank and Jesse James, Brad Pitt plays the famous anti-hero. And judging from the advanced word of mouth from film festivals, this latest telling is an innovative 70s-style throwback, as much western as reinvention of the genre. |
|
2
3:10 to Yuma
Okay, so it's not Jesse James, per se, but "3:10 to Yuma" -- opening Friday -- does suggest the Western's fond return to the silver screen after years of ups and downs. Already adapted a couple times before, the story concerns an infamous outlaw (Russell Crowe) who is captured and delivered to trial by a Civil War veteran (Christian Bale). |
|
3
American Outlaws
Back in 2001, a young Colin Ferrel starred in this forgettable retelling of the James gang with the yucky tagline "Bad is Good Again." And some intrepid web outlaw has posted the entire movie in 10-minute installments on YouTube. |
|
4
The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James
In this little-known 1986 TV version of the outlaw brothers's story, Jesse was played by Kris Kristofferson; Frank was portrayed by Johnny Cash, the Man-in-Black himself. Unfortunately this clip doesn't feature the musical legend, but it does show Kristofferson as that sexy, grizzled cowboy he was born to play. |
|
5
Adventures of Frank & Jessie James
Just to get a taste of America's enduring fascination with the outlaw, here is a nearly 60-year-old trailer from Republic Pictures' 1948 serial "Adventures of Frank & Jesse," starring Clayton Moore (known later as TV's "The Lone Ranger") as the infamous gunslinger. Promising "Fast-Paced Action" and "Exciting Danger," not a lot has changed in Hollywood. |
