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.

MartinHafer Let's set the record straight. Jesse James was a slime-ball. He, his brother and their gang were thieves and murderers--there's simply no doubt about it. However, inexplicably, these folks (particularly Jesse) have been portrayed a bazillion times in movies as nice guys. Well, I have news for the filmmakers--nice folks don't murder people and steal! So, when I see films like "Days of Jesse James", the history teacher in me (yes, I taught US History) cringes. That reason alone is why I wouldn't recommend the film. However, there is one other reason--it's a pretty dull movie as well.Jesse James is played by Red Barry of the Red Ryder series fame and while he's not as important a character in the story, Cole Youngeris played by Glenn Strange who later played Frankenstein in several Universal films (such as "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein"). This is pretty interesting, though Strange did appear in lots of westerns.The film begins with Gabby and his daughter heading to the city to put his fortune in the bank and settle down to a life of retirement. However, soon after, the bank is robbed and his money is stolen. At the same time, Roy Rogers (once again playing himself, of sorts) arrives in town to investigate some robberies attributed to James. Rogers thinks James isn't that bad a guy and isn't sure whether many of the crimes were really perpetrated by James or his friends. And, to find this out, he and Gabby infiltrate the gang.The plot is pretty predictable--even for a Roy Rogers film. It lacks any sort of twist and the film is certainly not among his best. Oddly, Rogers also made a film that involved Billy the Kid--and it wasn't so inaccurate and was quite entertaining. This one, however, just seems pretty ordinary--at best. Even the songs are pretty flat.

dbborroughs Jesse James is robbing banks and trains all over the west. When he seems to be repeatedly hitting one town in particular Roy Rogers is sent to investigate at the same time that a hot shot railroad cop is dispatched to get to the bottom of it all. Really good western adventure film hits all the right notes. The singing and musical interludes are kept to a minimum and seem to be logically placed. I liked that the film allowed for several plot lines to be developing together with the Rogers, the railroad cop, villain and Jesse James threads all moving about on their own, yet clearly all moving toward a singular outcome. One of the better Roy Rogers westerns I've seen because its not just the same old straight forward plot. If there is any flaw its that Rogers looks a bit too slight and youthful to a rough and tumble western cop, especially compared to some of the others in the mix. Worth a look.

dwpollar 1st watched 8/21/2002 - 5 out of 10(Dir-Joseph Kane): Typical good-ole guy routine from Roy Rogers where he figures out everything to solve the mystery of who robbed a bank in the good ole west. Pretty much what I expected, although there are some twists and turns in this one and the methods Rogers and his sidekick use to find out whodunit is fairly ingenious, but does this make it a good movie. Well, not really, it just makes it ok to watch. I think these films have their place and I'm glad to see them restored onto DVD but the plot is much too simple and the villains a little to nice for us veteran-film viewing folk. Bye for now pardners!!