Frank and Jesse

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Frank and Jesse
Frank and Jesse (1995) Theatrical Poster.jpg
Original Theatrical Poster
Directed by Robert Boris
Written byRobert Boris
Produced by Cassian Elwes
Elliott Kastner
Starring Rob Lowe
Bill Paxton
Randy Travis
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Luke Askew
Alexis Arquette
William Atherton
CinematographyWalt Lloyd
Music by Mark McKenzie
Distributed by Trimark
Release date
  • October 28, 1994 (1994-10-28)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$ 50,004

Frank and Jesse (also known as Frank & Jesse) is a 1994 American biographical Western film written and directed by Robert Boris and starring Rob Lowe as Jesse James and Bill Paxton as Frank James. Based on the story of Jesse James, the film focuses more on myths of The James Brothers than the real history. It originally aired on HBO.

Contents

Synopsis

Following the American Civil War, the two James brothers, along with the Younger brothers - Cole Younger and Bob Younger, Bob Ford and Charles Ford, Clell Miller, and Arch Clements, begin to feel oppressed by the Chicago railroad investors. They set off on a trail of bank robberies, train heists, and stage holdups while evading the dogged pursuit of Allan Pinkerton and his detective agency.

Cast

Soundtrack

Frank and Jesse
Soundtrack album by
Released1995
Recorded1995
Genre Soundtrack
Label Intrada Records

The music score was composed by Mark McKenzie and released by Intrada Records. [2]

Production

The film is the second collaboration of director/writer Robert Boris with Rob Lowe after Oxford Blues in 1984. [3]

Reception

A negative review in the French magazine Impact magazine wrote, "Made worse by appallingly banal images, mediocre acting and a “vast” soundtrack heard a thousand times before, Robert Boris's film sinks further, vacillating between an epic depiction of the James brothers' legend and a more down-to-earth vision. Between the two, between the celebration of high ideals and sordid violence, it sinks. It sometimes sinks into the ridiculous when the desрегаdоѕ, whose faces the whole Far West knows, authorities included, persist in wearing bags over their heads: were Rob Lowe and Bill Paxton no longer available when the director realized his film was missing a few sequences? Probably. He therefore substituted a few random strangers who call each other by the characters' first names." [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank James</span> American outlaw, Confederate guerrilla, and train robber

Alexander Franklin James was a Confederate soldier and guerrilla; in the post-Civil War period, he was an outlaw. The older brother of outlaw Jesse James, Frank was also part of the James–Younger Gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James–Younger Gang</span> Criminal organization

The James–Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of American outlaws that revolved around Jesse James and his brother Frank James. The gang was based in the state of Missouri, the home of most of the members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Younger</span> American Guerilla turned Outlaw (1844–1916)

Thomas Coleman Younger was an American Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War and later an outlaw leader with the James–Younger Gang. He was the elder brother of Jim, John and Bob Younger, who were also members of the gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Younger</span> American outlaw

Robert Ewing Younger was an American criminal and outlaw, the younger brother of Cole, Jim and John Younger. He was a member of the James–Younger Gang. He stood six feet, two inches tall and had deep blue eyes, muscular arms, and a thick neck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Younger</span> American outlaw

James Hardin Younger was an American outlaw and member of the James–Younger Gang. He was the brother of Cole, John and Bob Younger.

<i>The Return of Frank James</i> 1940 film

The Return of Frank James is a 1940 Western film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. It is a sequel to Henry King's 1939 film Jesse James. Written by Sam Hellman, the film loosely follows the life of Frank James following the death of his outlaw brother, Jesse James, at the hands of the Ford brothers. The film is universally considered historically inaccurate, but was a commercial success. It was the first motion picture for the actress Gene Tierney, who plays a reporter for the newspaper The Denver Star.

<i>The Long Riders</i> 1980 film by Walter Hill

The Long Riders is a 1980 American Biographical- Western film directed by Walter Hill. It was produced by James Keach, Stacy Keach and Tim Zinnemann and featured an original soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Cooder won the Best Music award in 1980 from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for this soundtrack. The film was entered into the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Ford (outlaw)</span> Man who killed Jesse James (1862–1892)

Robert Newton Ford was an American outlaw who killed fellow outlaw Jesse James on April 3, 1882. He and his brother Charley, both members of the James–Younger Gang under James's leadership, went on to perform paid re-enactments of the killing at publicity events. Ford would spend his later years operating multiple saloons and dance halls in the West.

<i>American Outlaws</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Les Mayfield

American Outlaws is a 2001 American Western action film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, and Ali Larter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zerelda James</span> Mother of outlaw Jesse James (1825–1911)

Zerelda Elizabeth Cole James Simms Samuel was the mother of famous outlaws Frank James and Jesse James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward T. Miller (outlaw)</span> American criminal

Edward T. Miller was a Missouri-born outlaw.

<i>I Shot Jesse James</i> 1949 film by Samuel Fuller

I Shot Jesse James is a 1949 American Western film starring Reed Hadley as Jesse James and John Ireland as Bob Ford. Directed by Samuel Fuller in his debut behind the camera, it portrays the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual killer Edward O’Kelley over a woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clell Miller</span> American outlaw

Clell Miller was an outlaw with the James-Younger Gang who was killed during the gang's robbery at Northfield, Minnesota.

<i>The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid</i> 1972 film

The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. The film purports to recreate the James-Younger Gang's most infamous escapade, the September 7, 1876, robbery of "the biggest bank west of the Mississippi", in Northfield, Minnesota.

<i>The True Story of Jesse James</i> 1957 film by Nicholas Ray

The True Story of Jesse James is a 1957 American Western drama film adapted from Henry King's 1939 film Jesse James, which was only loosely based on James' life. It was directed by Nicholas Ray, with Robert Wagner portraying Jesse James and Jeffrey Hunter starring as Frank James. Filming took place during 1955. Originally titled The James Brothers in the United Kingdom, the film focused on the relationship between the two James brothers during the last 18 years of Jesse James' life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James</span> American outlaw (1847–1882)

Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. He and his brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. As followers of William Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson, they were accused of committing atrocities against Union soldiers and civilian abolitionists, including the Centralia Massacre in 1864.

<i>The Great Missouri Raid</i> 1951 film by Gordon Douglas

The Great Missouri Raid is a 1951 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Frank Gruber. The film stars Wendell Corey, Macdonald Carey, Ellen Drew, Ward Bond, Bruce Bennett, Bill Williams and Anne Revere. The film was released on February 15, 1951, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Hells Crossroads</i> 1957 film by Franklin Adreon

Hell's Crossroads is a 1957 American Western film directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Stephen McNally, Peggie Castle, and Robert Vaughn. The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Arrigo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Jesse James</span> Jesse James as depicted in media

Cultural depictions of Jesse James appear in various types of media, including literature, video games, comics, music, stage productions, films, television, and radio. James is variously described as an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James–Younger Gang. After the American civil war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, Jesse and Frank James robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwest, gaining national fame and even sympathy despite their crimes. James became an iconic figure from the era, and his life has been dramatized and memorialized numerous times.

The Gads Hill Train Robbery was a crime committed by the James–Younger Gang in Gads Hill, Missouri. In January 1874, five members of the James–Younger gang robbed a train and stole $12,000 in cash. All five escaped.

References

  1. Frank and Jesse, 1995, Cast and Crew, Internet Movie Database [accessed] April 30, 2011.
  2. Frank & Jesse, 1995, Music Score, IMDB [accessed] April 30, 2011.
  3. Barnes, Guy (February 25, 1994). "James Gang spotted in Arkansas". Variety. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. impact magazine (July 30, 2024). Impact 067.