Jesse James at Bay (1941)

In the days before he was permanently playing himself in stories of the modern west, Roy Rogers played a number of real western characters and in Jesse James At Bay he plays the title role. And we learn the 'true' story that being that Jesse was not shot in the back by Bob Ford.When a couple of sharp crooks played by Pierre Watkin and Hal Taliaferro cheat a bunch of honest ranchers and farmers out of their spreads, sheriff Gabby Hayes on the Q.T. sends for Jesse who's been lying quiet in Nebraska and out of the reach of Missouri law enforcement. Of course this does present an ethical problem for Gabby as he is the sheriff and he is sending for a wanted outlaw.But not to be outdone Watkin and Taliaferro use a gambler named Clint Burns also played by Roy Rogers to sully Jesse's image as a Robin Hood. Nevertheless Gabby and Roy as Jesse get on to the scheme and turn it to their advantage quite cleverly.Roy does quite well in the dual role although later on I doubt his public would have tolerated a villainous Roy Rogers. Roy and Gabby have to contend with a pair of reporters played by Sally Payne and Gale Storm who want the 'real' story.As what was said in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 'print the legend'.

There's an on screen narrative at the start of the picture that states that this is an alternate legend of Jesse James, citing the historical accuracy of his being gunned down by one of his own gang. The version offered here avows that it's possibility has been 'vouched for by many old-timers'.Roys Rogers (my favorite movie and TV cowboy by the way) not only portrays a historical figure here, but also has a dual role as the infamous Jesse James and a character that resembles the outlaw going by Clint Burns. Interestingly, the character Clint is hired by crooked land dealer Phineas Krager (Pierre Watkin) to impersonate Jesse, while Jesse later impersonates Clint Burns after a fatal shoot-out for Burns. It probably sounds more complicated than it actually is, so you'll just have to check it out for yourself.Gale Storm fans, who remember her from the early Fifties TV series 'My Little Margie", might be surprised to see that she turns up here as a newspaper reporter from the St. Louis Journal doing a story on Jesse James. Actually, she was in a couple more flicks with Roy and Gabby Hayes during this time frame, 1941's "Red River Valley" and "Man From Cheyenne" the following year. She's teamed up with fellow reporter Sally Payne, a regular in Roy's early films from Republic.It wasn't until near the end of the picture that I made a mental note to go back and check something out. Roy Rogers rides his (almost) equally famous horse Trigger BOTH as Jesse James and Clint Burns. This is most evident in an early scene when the outlaws hired by Krager raid Sheriff Gabby Whitaker's ranch led by Clint Burns. Clint arrives and leaves aboard Trigger, and as Jesse arrives on the scene shortly after, he's also riding Trigger! And what are the odds that Clint and Jesse would be wearing the exact same outfits? Probably as good as Roy portraying two different characters in 1942's "Sunset on the Desert" doing the same thing. I wonder what movie audiences of the Forties thought about this coincidence.If you're expecting a handful of tunes from Roy as usual you might be disappointed here. There's only one when Roy serenades Gale Storm while horseback riding through the countryside. It must have done the trick because at the end of the story, Gale's character decides to hand her newspaper story over to partner Polly Morgan (Payne) to ride off into the proverbial sunset with Roy, ...er Jesse, ...er whoever.

This different (and improbable) take on the Jesse James legend makes for pretty good light entertainment. Having Roy Rogers in the lead certainly alters the tone considerably, but he carries it off all right. Gabby Hayes and Gale Storm also help out. The story has an angle on James that probably bears little relation to fact, but it's rather creative, and it makes for a plot that moves quickly and holds your attention. As one of Rogers' earlier films, the emphasis is on action, and there is plenty of it. Not a movie to take seriously, but one that makes for an enjoyable hour of viewing.

Roy plays a dual role in this classic western. He plays both Jesse James and the identical bad-guy Clint burns. The case of mistaken identity causes some problems for Jesse as he gets put in jail, then accused of burning down Gabby's house. Gale plays a newspaper reporter who is trying to get the scoop on Jesse. Together she and Roy capture the James Gang. This film may not be historically accurate, but it is great fun and a must-see if you're a Roy Rogers fan or a Gale Storm fan. (Gale steals the picture from Roy).