United States
1949
81 minutes
Color
1.33:1
English
Watch Film for $5After years of crime reporting, screenwriting, and authoring pulp novels, Samuel Fuller made his directorial debut with the lonesome ballad of Robert Ford (played by Red River’s John Ireland), who fatally betrayed his friend, the notorious Jesse James. At once modest and intense, I Shot Jesse James is an engrossing pocket portrait of guilt and psychological torment, and an auspicious beginning for the maverick filmmaker.
| John Kelley | Preston Foster |
| Cynthy Waters | Barbara Britton |
| Robert Ford | John Ireland |
| Jesse James | Reed Hadley |
| Kane | J. Edward Bromberg |
| Soapy | Victor Kilian |
| Frank James | Tom Tyler |
| Bartender | Eddie Dunn |
| Saloon singer | Margia Dean |
| Troubadour | Robin Short |
| Room clerk | Byron Foulger |
| Charles Ford | Tom Noonan |
| Director | Samuel Fuller |
| Screenplay | Samuel Fuller |
| Executive producer | Robert L. Lippert |
| Producer | Carl K. Hittleman |
| Cinematography | Ernest Miller |
| Special effects | Ray Mercer |
| Art direction | Frank Hotalins |
| Music | Albert Glasser |
| Lyrics | Katharine Glasser |
| Editing | Paul Landres |
It is a good time to belong to the cult of Fuller. Those of us who consider ourselves members never forget our moment of induction. Some enlisted when his films first hit the screen—lucky enough to catch The Steel Helmet in a shabby downtown theater, or Forty Guns at . . .
Instead of calling “Action!” Samuel Fuller discharged a Colt .45 in the air. It was the first scene he had ever directed, on the set of I Shot Jesse James (1949), and he knew the importance of a good opening—“If a story doesn’t give you a hard-on in the first couple of scenes, throw it . . .
Displaying 0 discussion topics.
