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The True Story of Jesse James

Name: The True Story of Jesse James
Genre: Western
Released: 1957-03-22
Cast: Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Hope Lange, Agnes Moorehead, Alan Hale Jr.

1957 | 92 min | Western

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for most people.
The mood: Easygoing.
The pace: Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 32 min.
What might put you off: Made in 1957: an older pace and style.

Having fought with the Confederacy during the Civil War, Jesse James and his brother Frank dream of a farm life in Missouri. Harassed by Union sympathizers, they assemble a gang of outlaws, robbing trains and becoming folk heroes in the process. Jesse marries his sweetheart, Zee, and maintains an aura of domesticity, but after a group of lawmen launch an attack on his mother's house, Jesse plans one more great raid -- on a Minnesota bank.

How it earned its rating

CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 12K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Nicholas Ray

Robert WagnerJesse James
Jeffrey HunterFrank James
Hope LangeZee James
Agnes MooreheadMrs. Samuel
Alan Hale Jr.Cole Younger
Alan BaxterBarney Remington
John CarradineRev. Jethro Bailey
Rachel StephensAnne James
Barney PhillipsDr. Samuel
Biff ElliotJim Younger