The Return of Frank James

directed by Fritz Lang
Category: "Western"
Year of Release:1940
Date Added:03/02/2016
Date Watched:03/02/2016
Description:After Robert Ford (John Carradine) kills his brother Jesse, Frank James (Henry Fonda) sets out to kill him. A teenage boy, Clem (Jackie Cooper), son of one of Frank's friends, rides along. They meet Eleanor (Gene Tierney) who is trying to become a reporter. In need of money, Frank and Clem rob the office of the railroad man who paid Ford for killing Jesse. When the office is surrounded, a bullet from outside kills the watchman. Frank and Clem escape, but return and give themselves up to save an innocent man who has been accused of their crime. Frank is tried and acquitted for murdering the watchman. Ford shows up at the trial for some reason and is shot and killed by Clem who is killed in return.
My Rating:5

Reviews for The Return of Frank James

Review - Return of Frank James, The

A really weird movie that could decide what it wanted to be. There was a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor and some outright laughs thrown into the middle of a story of murder and revenge. Henry Fonda exhibited his usual skill of acting like a department store mannequin. The only high point was the very lovely 20-year-old Gene Tierney in her movie debut. But even this was odd because she was obviously there to be a love interest for Fonda's character, but the movie only hinted at this because the producers were afraid of being sued by Frank James' widow.

Reviewed by Roger on 2016-03-02 17:39:38

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