The Return of Jesse James (1950)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Arthur Hilton

Writers:

Carl K. Hittleman (story)
Jack Natteford (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 September 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

NEW UNTOLD ADVENTURES! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Johnny looks so much like the real Jesse, he is mistaken for him by a grizzled old member of the now deceased James gang...

Plot Keywords:

Look Alike | Charlie Ford | Frank James | Saloon Owner | Bank Robbery

Cast

John Ireland	...	Johnny Callum
Ann Dvorak	...	Susan (Sue) Ellen Younger
Henry Hull	...	Hank Younger
Reed Hadley	...	Frank James, alias Ben Woodson
Hugh O'Brian	...	Lem Younger
Clifton Young	...	Bob Ford
Tommy Noonan	...	Charlie Ford (as Tom Noonan)
Victor Kilian	...	Westfield Sheriff Rigby
Margia Dean	...	Marge, Saloon Singer
Sid Melton	...	Saloon Waiter-Piano Player
Byron Foulger	...	Rufe Dakin
Paul Maxey	...	Joseph 'Elmer' Galway
Peter Marshall	...	George, Slugged by Johnny
Norman Leavitt	...	Dr. Hallstrom
Barbara Woodell	...	Ann Woodson
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Commissioner Morton
Robin Short	...	Gang Member
Jay Barney	...	'Cap't' Andy Milburn
Hank Patterson	...	Clay Country Marshal
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor Adamson	...	Clay Country Townsman (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Clay Country Townsman (uncredited)
Rube Dalroy	...	Clay Country Townsman (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	The Jeweller (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Ford Saloon Barfly (uncredited)
Ray Henderson	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Frank James' Neighbor (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Mason County Sheriff (uncredited)
Lew Morphy	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	1st Doctor (uncredited)
George Plues	...	Gang Member (uncredited)
Tom Smith	...	Clay Country Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Ford Saloon Barfly (uncredited)
Henry Wills	...	Gang Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Hilton		(as Arthur David Hilton)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Carl K. Hittleman		story
Jack Natteford		screenplay

Produced by
Carl K. Hittleman	....	producer

Original Music by
Ferde Grofé Sr.		(as Ferde Grofe)

Cinematography by
Karl Struss		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harry Coswick

Casting by
Yolanda Molinari

Art Direction by
Frank Paul Sylos		(as F. Paul Sylos)

Set Decoration by
Vin Taylor		(as Vincent Taylor)

Makeup Department
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist
Loretta Bickel	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eddie Davis	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John R. Carter	....	sound engineer (as John Carter)

Special Effects by
Ray Mercer	....	special effects

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunt double: Hugh O'Brian (uncredited)
Carol Henry	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Walter Dalton	....	grip (uncredited)
James Knott	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Tommy Lee	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Buddy Longworth	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alfred Berke	....	wardrobe supervisor
Kitty Major	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Albert Glasser	....	musical director

Other crew
Dorothy B. Cormack	....	script supervisor
E.R. Hickson	....	technical advisor
Robert L. Lippert	....	presenter
William Magginetti	....	unit business manager
Les Mitchel	....	executive assistant (as Les Mitchell)
Wandra Ramsey	....	script supervisor (as Wanda Ramsey)

Production Companies

• Lippert Pictures

Distributors

• Lippert Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:(Banned) (1954) (uncut) | Finland:K-12 (1959) (heavily cut) | Sweden:(Banned)

Company:

Lippert Pictures

Trivia:

There were no Younger brothers named Hank or Lem, as there are in this film.

Better Than Average Western With Good Cast!

"The Return of Jesse James" was another of Lippert Pictures ventures into the legend of the James Brothers. Directed by first time director Arthur Hilton, whose forte was editing, it is an interesting western and contains a cast of recognizable performers, some on the way up and others on the way down. In any event the combination works.

Drifter Johnny Callum (John Ireland) rides into the town where Bob (Clifton Young) and Charley Ford (Tommy Noonan) run a saloon and where Bob proudly displays the gun with which he killed legendary outlaw Jesse James. Callum is befriended by saloon girl Sue Ellen Younger (Ann Dvorak) who takes a shine to him. Her father Hank (Henry Hull) and brother Lem (Hugh O'Brian) who rode with the James boys look on and Hank sees a resemblance between Johnny and Jesse James. Hank proposes that Johnny impersonate Jesse and revive the gang.

The gang led by Johnny with encouragement from Sue Ellen duplicate Jesse's pattern of robberies from years before. Before long, Frank James (Reed Hadley) learns of this and rides to Hank's ranch to elicit a promise from him that the use of the James name will stop. Hank agrees but Johnny prodded by the gold digging Sue Ellen continues the robberies.

Frank decides to put a stop to the robberies by warning the town of Westfield of an impending robbery. He and the town sheriff (Victor Kilian) set a trap for the gang and.............................

For John Ireland, this was his first starring role. He had gained fame with roles in "Red River" (1948) and in "All The King's Men" (1949) for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. He would go on to alternate between supporting roles in "A" features and starring roles in "B" pictures, mostly westerns.

Ann Dvorak and Henry Hull's careers went all the way back to the teens. Dvorak first appeared in films in 1916 at the age of four and is remembered for her role in the gangster classic "Scarface" (1932). Hull similarly saw his career in films begin in 1917 and is best remembered for the title role in "Werewolf of London" (1935).

Others in the cast include Margia Dean as a saloon singer, Sid Melton as the piano player, Byron Foulger as a politician, Peter Marshall (of Hollywood Squares fame) as one of the boys and Hank Patterson and Earle Hodgins as various lawmen.

Peter Marshall and Tommy Noonan were a comedy team at one time during the 1950s. Noonan can also be seen as Marilyn Monroe's suitor in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953). Hugh O'Brian went on to a so-so career at Universal before hitting it big in TV's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-61). Sid Melton appeared on "The Danny Thomas Show" on TV.