5 Best Western Movies About Jesse James, Ranked

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Post-Civil War outlaw Jesse James and his brother Frank are some of the most notorious figures of the Old West, so it's not exactly a surprise that Jesse in particular has been the subject of a great many motion pictures over the decades. Since multiple great Westerns you need to see before you die focus on historical figures, this is great news for viewers who are intrigued by the legendary criminal, but it also has a downside. The vast amount of material out there means that it can be hard to tell whether any given Jesse James-themed movie is actually any good before watching it — at least, without doing a deep dive into reviews, fan appreciation, word of mouth, and whatnot.

Still, that's no reason to avoid a dose of Jesse James in your Western-consuming life. There are plenty of good films about the man out there, so it's just a matter of finding the right ones. On this front, Looper has your back. We have taken some time to investigate some of the finest Jesse James films around, and we've put together a list of the five best ones for you to enjoy.

For the purposes of this listing period we have used the films' IMDb ratings, but we also include descriptions of the films and the approach they take to examine James' legend. Hopefully, the following list will help you find your new favorite Jesse James movie.

"The True Story of Jesse James" is a 1957 movie that serves as a working description of the toil and turmoil Jesse (Robert Wagner) and Frank James (Jeffrey Hunter) went through over the years — including a particularly disastrous shootout after which they're forced into hiding as the powers that be are looking to end that threat once and for all. The hideout scenario serves as the backbone of the movie, but much of the story unfolds as flashbacks revealing the James brothers' personal relationship and their outlaw activities over 18 years. 

While ostensibly a biopic, "The True Story of Jesse James" is a fairly loose adaptation of real historical events. Its 6.2 out of 10 IMDb rating means that it's a decent 1950s Western but hardly the finest film of the genre, much less the era. Nevertheless, it's more than worth checking out for its ambitious story and its fascinating cast. Apart from the aforementioned Wagner and Hunter, you will find the likes of Hope Lange, Agnes Moorehead, "Gilligan's Island" legend Alan Hale Jr., Barney Phillips, and many others in supporting roles.

Samuel Fuller's "I Shot Jesse James" is one of the two movies on this list that focus heavily on James' eventual killer, Robert "Bob" Ford. In the 1949 film, Ford is played by John Ireland and Jesse James by Reed Hadley. It depicts the events that led to Ford choosing to kill James — it was all about money and a pardon, of course — and what came afterwards.

Technically, "I Shot Jesse James" is far more of a Bob Ford story than it is a James one. Still, James looms large over the entire movie even when he isn't actively on the screen, and few people could say that the outlaw's legend isn't an integral part of Ford's story, least of all Ford himself. As the movie shows, Ford may have attained a modicum of fame and fortune after managing to kill James, but the decision to do so went on to haunt him for the rest of his life, right down to his very final moments. "I Shot Jesse James" tackles the James legend from this unconventional angle, and its 6.8 out of 10 IMDb rating confirms that the end result is perfectly entertaining.

With its 6.9 out of 10 IMDb rating, Walter Hill's "The Long Riders" is one of the iconic 1980s Westerns that defined the genre. It's also one of the most magnificent examples of stunt casting out there. Since the "Long Riders" of the James-Younger gang consist of several sets of brothers, the film follows the same theme with its casting. Here, the James brothers Jesse and Frank are played by James and Stacy Keach, while Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger were cast with David, Keith, and Robert Carradine. Dennis and Randy Quaid portray Ed and Clell Miller, while the traitors, Charlie and Bob Ford, are played by Christopher and Nicholas Guest.

A lot of "The Long Riders" focuses on the gang's interpersonal dynamics as they perform their daring heists, deal with untrustworthy gang members, and split up to avoid getting caught by the relentless Pinkerton Detective Agency affiliate Mr. Rixley (James Whitemore Jr.). Given the presence of Bob Ford in the movie, you know how this is going to turn out for Jesse James before long. Still, "The Long Riders" focuses on the gang at large instead of just its leader, and as such, it offers a fascinating and entertaining ride with one of the most iconic gangs of the old West.

Easily the oldest movie on this list, the 1939 Henry King film "Jesse James" has a 7.0 out of 10 IMDb rating and stars Tyrone Power as Jesse and Henry Fonda as Frank Power. It also features several other heavyweights from the era, from Nancy Kelly and Randolph Scott to John Carradine. If the movie seems similar to Nicholas Ray's "The True Story of Jesse James," it's because the 1957 movie draws inspiration from the same script, making it effectively a remake of this film. At the end of the day, the original looms large, though.

While "Jesse James" is largely a fine feat of filmmaking from its day and still passes the test of time now, it should be noted that it's also the case study of Hollywood's early-game habits. Before going in, any movie fan — not to mention any friend to animals — should remember that filmmaking used to be very different back in the day. In fact, the American Humane Society's now omnipresent "No Animals Were Harmed" program was in large part created because of "Jesse James," which is infamous for featuring a scene where a horse falls to its death from a cliff.

If there ever was a title that didn't beat about the bush, it's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Andrew Dominik's 2007 film is one of the most historically accurate Westerns of all time, and a good one at that. Based on Ron Hansen's book of the same name, the film focuses on what it says on the tin. It begins when Casey Affleck's Robert Ford attempts to become an insider in the Jesse James gang, initially scoffed at but eventually succeeding. Ford struggles to attain Jesse James' (Brad Pitt) trust as the outlaw dislikes the young man's obvious fanboy antics. However, James eventually lowers his guard — which, of course, eventually culminates in Ford assassinating him from behind in exchange for a reward and a pardon for his own crimes.

After the assassination is where the movie's title really comes out to play, though. Although Ford and his brother Charlie (the always excellent Sam Rockwell) try to spin themselves as Wild West legends, the public soon makes up their mind and decides that Jesse James is the real hero of the situation. Robert Ford, meanwhile, is a coward barely worth noting. As a gunslinger's fate slowly marches toward Robert in the shape of Edward O'Kelley (Michael Copeman), the movie examines and deconstructs many elements of Old West mythology. 

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" got two deserved Academy Award nominations for Affleck's performance and Roger Deakins' cinematography. While it didn't win either, it went on to rake in numerous other awards. These accolades and the film's 7.5 out of 10 IMDb rating act as a testament to what is, quite handily, the finest Jesse James film ever made.