The True Story of Jesse James

The True Story of Jesse James
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nicholas Ray
Written by	Screenplay: Walter Newman Earlier Screenplay: Nunnally Johnson
Starring	Robert Wagner Jeffrey Hunter Hope Lange Agnes Moorehead Alan Hale Jr.
Music by	Leigh Harline
Cinematography	Joseph MacDonald
Edited by	Robert L. Simpson
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	February 22, 1957
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,585,000
Box office	$1,500,000 (US rentals)

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. Titled The James Brothers for release in the United Kingdom, the film focused on the relationship between the two James brothers during the last 18 years of Jesse James' life.

Jesse (Robert Wagner) and Frank James (Jeffrey Hunter) ride with their gang into Northfield, Minnesota for a raid. While robbing a bank, gun fighting breaks out and two of the gang are killed. The James brothers and another gang member head out of town and hide out while investigators from the Remington Detective Agency search for James to receive a $30,000 reward. While the three are hiding, the film tells the story of how the James brothers came to be criminals in flashback.

Shortly after his success with 1955's Rebel Without a Cause, Ray was hired to direct this movie based on Jesse James' later life. He had only one movie left under his contract with 20th Century Fox, before he would depart for Europe and film Bitter Victory. The studio suggested a remake of King's 1939 biography of Jesse James.

It is speculated that had James Dean not died in a car crash before production began, he would have starred in this film as Jesse James. In place of Dean, director Ray hoped to cast Elvis Presley, who had successfully completed his first film, Love Me Tender. Ray's son Tony also was cast in the film as Bob Younger, the first time he appeared in one of his father's films.