The Return of Jesse James

Ireland is the Jesse James look-alike that tries to out-do the famed gangster. Hadley is Frank James, determined to preserve his dead brothers reputation. This is a tight little western that moves at a nice pace, featuring fine action from a notable supporting cast. Although not as dark and moody as "I Shot Jesse James"(1949), with Ireland back in the lead, this makes a nice companion piece from Lippert Pictures.

When you get the chance, view this compact little western with an ear tuned to the music score. It was written by Ferde Grofe, one of America's best known 20th century composers. Written in the same year as his score for ROCKETSHIP XM, this score is not nearly so well-known, but it has merit on its own. Each character has a musical theme, and Sue Younger's melody (Ann Dvorak) couldn't be nicer and more appropriate.

Exceptional acting highlights this sometimes dark, grim, western. John Ireland is at his best and carries the transformation from cowboy to criminal in an impressive manner. The characters are notably well developed for such a short running time. You may also take note of a fine, penetrating performance by Henry Hull and the death scene of a young Hugh O'Brien. If you remember the mood of "The Little Big Horn" and want it created in a different setting then this movie is a must for any collector.

When you think of a possible plot for the film The Return of Jesse James, your mind probably takes you in two different directions: either Jesse comes back to life, or his son follows in his father's footsteps. If you rent this 1950 western, you won't see either. Instead, John Ireland stars as a random outlaw who gets taken in by the Younger gang and taught to use Jesse's tricks to fool stupid people into thinking he's come back to life twenty years later without having aged a day.

This really isn't that great, unless you're a John Ireland fan or you want to see Ann Dvorak still cranking out the movies 18 years after Scarface. It's fun to see Henry Hull in his third Jesse James movie, though. In the first two, he played the newspaper man who famously declares everyone should be taken out into the street and shot like dogs, and in this one he gets a promotion (with much more screen time). He's the head of the Younger gang, who recruits John Ireland to pose as Jesse James and join their group. In one hilarious line of dialogue (that I'm convinced was put in just for him) he does get to warn John that the posse will be after them, to "kill us like dogs". I'm surprised he was able to say the line with a straight face, but he's a pro.

Interesting idea of a Jesse James lookalike trying to resurrect his identity to pull jobs. Reed Hadley is sufficiently stoic as Frank James, hunting down the bogus Jesse to preserve the real Jesse's reputation. Ireland gives his generally professional performance, hinting broadly at his character's complexity. But in the second half, this fine premise degenerates quickly into a run-of-the mill oater. 5/10.