Young Jesse James (1959)

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Few outlaws can equal Jesse James for name recognition, or for the number of Hollywood films on their exploits. This standard western biopic by director William F. Claxton stars Ray Stricklyn as Jesse during his formative years, the only years handled here. He and brother Frank (Robert Dix) somehow… More Few outlaws can equal Jesse James for name recognition, or for the number of Hollywood films on their exploits. This standard western biopic by director William F. Claxton stars Ray Stricklyn as Jesse during his formative years, the only years handled here. He and brother Frank (Robert Dix) somehow survive the Civil War and then join Quantrill's Raiders as they begin their career on the wrong side of the law. All the familiar characters are there, with Frank and Jesse, Belle Starr (Merry Anders), Cole Younger (Willard Parker) and the other Youngers (Bob and Jim), as well as a few invented hoodlums. Aside from depicting Jesse as particularly brutal, this imaginary look at the outlaw shows him as a budding mystic, at least for awhile. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi