JohnHowardReid
Leonard Slye (Roy Rogers), George "Gabby" Hayes (Whittaker), Donald Barry (Jesse James), Pauline Moore (Mary Whittaker), Harry Woods (Captain Worthington), Arthur Loft (Banker Wyatt), Wade Boteler (Dr R. S. Samuels), Ethel Wales (Mrs James/Samuels), Scotty Beckett (Buster Samuels), Glenn Strange (Cole Younger), Olin Howland (sheriff's minder), Michael Worth (Frank James), Jack Rockwell (McDaniels, an outlaw), Fred Burns (sheriff), Eddie Acuff (newspaper seller on train), Monte Blue (Fields), Jack Ingram (Worthington's deputy), Bud Osborne (deputy), Fred "Snowflake" Toones (bank janitor), Carl Sepulveda (Jim Younger), Forrest Dillon (Bob Younger), Hansel Warner, Lynton Brent, Pasquel Perry.Director: Joseph KANE. Screenplay: Earle Snell. Story: Jack Natteford. Photography: Reggie Lanning. Film editor: Tony Martinelli. Music director: Cy Feuer. Songs: "I'm a Son of a Cowboy", "Saddle Your Dreams", "Echo Mountain" by Peter Tinturin. Production manager: Al Wilson. RCA Sound System. Associate producer: Joseph Kane. Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates.Copyright 20 December 1939 by Republic Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 20 December 1939. No Australian theatrical release. 7 reels. 63 minutes.SYNOPSIS: The Bankers' Association details Roy Rogers to track down the James gang. However, on meeting up with Jesse, Roy decides to forget about the James gang entirely. Instead, Rogers decides to recover the loot stolen by an embezzling BANKER!VIEWERS' GUIDE: Strictly adults only. Children under the age of 18 should not be permitted to watch this film under any circumstances — even under parental supervision.COMMENT: One of the most obscene films Hollywood ever produced, this is indeed a remarkable entry in the Rogers' saga. The obscenities are deliberate. It's no excuse to say they were forced upon the film wholly by budgetary considerations. It's true, yes, that the movie was made on the cheap. The aim was obviously to save money by dispensing with the climax. But Rogers does nothing to bring the villains to justice. Absolutely nothing. He could at least have arrested the killer and his accomplice, or shot them down or winged them or telegraphed ahead. Instead, he adopts a ruse to recover the stolen money. The money, that's all he's after! He lets the killer and his henchman escape free. Then Rogers makes a big play about returning the money. You see the money belonged to white folks. The man who was killed, who was shot down in a chillingly casual and callous fashion, he was just an honest, hard-working janitor. A black man. In Rogers' philosophy, black men don't count. Shoot him down, is Rogers' implied attitude. This is the worst, but it's not the only act of gross immorality committed by the Rogers character in "Days of Jesse James". When Rogers catches up with the James Brothers, he and Gabby allow the two outlaws to get the drop on them. So then what do Roy and Gabby do? Why, they just turn tail and walk quietly and submissively away. That's what they do. Hardly the stuff "B" western heroes are made of. But that's what they do. Walk away and never come back. Do they send in the posse? Not them. You see in this movie the train robbers and the bank bandits are the good guys. It's the pursuing posse that's in the wrong. Why, in one scene, the posse accidentally burn down the James house. So the script keeps whipping up this conflict and potential showdown between milksop Rogers and the rough-armed posse who want to stop the James and Younger boys robbing and killing. Yes, killing! There's actually a scene in the movie where the bandits open fire on the surrounding townsmen during an attempted bank hold- up. So the script works up conflict between lily-livered Rogers and the rough-and-ready Captain Worthington. You see, the Captain is after the outlaws chiefly for the reward. Rogers, on the other hand, is just a natural-born do-gooder who hasn't the heart to arrest killers but just wants to give back the money they stole.Anyhow, what happens to this great conflict? You guessed it — nothing. Totally nothing. After a lot of hard riding, there's a bit of quick talking in which the sheriff convinces the posse that Rogers gets his vote for Mr. Good Guy. And so the film ends with Rogers singing a reprise of "Echo Mountain" on an appropriate organ.The fact that all these moral transgressions were the result of simple carelessness induced by the over-riding imperative to save money, doesn't excuse them. Of course, from an entertainment point- of- view, the movie's budgetary constraints are a liability too.For die-hard Slye fans, the hero acts and sings pleasantly enough. The pace is reasonably fast, the few action spots are efficiently staged, a large number of support players help out; but photography is flat and direction steadfastly routine.
Michael_Elliott
Days of Jesse James (1939) *** (out of 4)A bank is robbed and Jesse James and his gang are accused of pulling off the heist. Special agent Roy Rogers thinks that James' bad reputation is getting him blamed for crimes that he didn't do so he joins the gang to try and find out what really happened. Of course, the real villain is the bank owner did the crime knowing he wouldn't be a suspect. DAYS OF JESSE JAMES was just one of many "historical" films that Rogers made during this period but if you're expecting some sort of documentary on the real history of James then you're going to be disappointed. All of these films obviously just used these historical names for marquee value so one should just expect entertainment and nothing else. This here is a pretty good one thanks in large part to the terrific cast. As you'd expect, Rogers is very good in the role of the good guy but then again I don't think he could be bad at pretty much playing himself. We have George 'Gabby' Hayes playing his sidekick so obviously you're in for a lot of good comic relief. Pauline Moore, one of my favorite love interests for Rogers, is also very good in her part as she has a lot of nice chemistry with the star. Don Barry does a nice job as well as Jesse James. Fans of Universal horror films will enjoy seeing Glenn Strange in a small role. With a short running time, fast action and a nice story, this here certainly won't be mistaken for a masterpiece or some sort of classic but fans of Rogers and "B" Westerns should at least be entertained by this.
classicsoncall
Roy Rogers portrayed a number of historical figures in a few of his late Thirties Westerns. Among the titles were "Young Buffalo Bill", "Young Bill Hickok", and "Jesse James at Bay" in which he had a dual role as Jesse James and an impersonator who committed crimes in Jesse's name. In this film, Roy plays a character going by his own name, a peace officer hired by the Bankers Association to track down the James Gang. Only problem is, Roy suspects someone else behind the robbery of a local bank, and is determined to bring the outlaws to justice.The story tentatively follows a sketchy outline of the real life James and Younger gangs, but not by much. In an effort to track down Jesse (Don Barry) and Frank (Harry Worth), railroad detective Worthington (Harry Woods) inadvertently burns down the home of a Doctor Samuels who's wife is injured. In real life, Pinkerton agents raided the James family farm, using an incendiary device that killed Jesse's younger half-brother and blew off his mother's arm.Roy's perennial sidekick Gabby Hayes is on hand here, unknown to each other at the start of the picture, but teaming up to track down the bank robbers. Gabby has a personal score to settle, as he's just deposited over forty thousand dollars in the Wyatt Bank after selling the rights to his gold strike back in California. Pauline Moore is Gabby's daughter Mary Whittaker, providing the romantic interest for Roy.You know, I thought I recognized that young boy Buster Samuels; it turns out that was Scotty Beckett who I remembered from his Our Gang Days, teaming up with Spanky McFarland in the mid-Thirties for a handful of shorts. He was the one with the over-sized cap and turtleneck sweater, and might have been the best looking kid in the bunch.There's not much in the way of songs here as was typical for a Roy Rogers vehicle. Something I haven't seen before in nearly fifty of Roy's flicks - he sits down to play an organ while serenading Miss Whittaker with a rendition of 'Echo Mountain'. I couldn't tell you if he was actually playing it or not, but if so, you can chalk up another talent to the King of the Cowboys.
wes-connors
Roy Rogers (as Roy Rogers) is out to get Red Barry (as Jesse James), whom he believes has robbed a bank - now, who'd believe Jesse James has robbed a bank? George "Gabby" Hayes (as Gabby) is along for the ride as Mr. Rogers' loyal sidekick. To set things right, Rogers becomes a temporary member of the "James Gang".The film raises interesting questions about heroes and villains, but none of it is particularly unique. Rogers saving Scotty Beckett (as Buster) from a burning building, and a fast-moving posse, are the excitement highlights. Among the songs, Rogers' "Echo Mountain" is terrific; it's played a couple of times, and would have made a good title song (for a different film). With all that, "Days of Jesse James" is a fairly routine Rogers western. **** Days of Jesse James (12/20/39) Joseph Kane ~ Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Don 'Red' Barry
