Jesse James: The Myths

\o7 The Hon. James R. Ross, a retired Orange County Superior Court judge, is a great-grandson of legendary outlaw Jesse James and the author of "I Jesse James," a four-generational saga about his family. "American Outlaws," the latest screen version of the James gang saga, opened Aug. 17. The following are Judge Ross' comments on the film and the myth and truths of Jesse James' life.

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How has the truth of the life of Jesse James become so maligned and how have so many myths arisen? Les Mayfield, director of the new movie "American Outlaws" said--as many directors have before him--"As far as I'm concerned, Jesse James is a myth; his real life and demise are great mysteries."

That's just incorrect--there have been many books with years of research to tell the truth--books by such authors as William Settle, Robertus Love, John Newman Edwards, Ted Yeatman and my own. The myths started in dime novels and the Police Gazette even before Jesse's death. Obviously Jesse and his brother Frank could not bring and pursue a lawsuit (they were outlaws, you know). By my count, there have been 36 movies about Jesse James and not one has attempted to tell the truth, even though the truth is more exciting than the myths. And the love story of Jesse and his cousin, Zee Mims, is more poignant and beautiful than any of the false stories.

The biggest and most famous of the movies was "Jesse James," starring Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda in 1939. The legendary Darryl Zanuck, head man of 20th Century Fox, promised my mother Jo James Ross that he would use her script instead of a completely false screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. But at the premiere of "Jesse James," when asked about how the movie compared to history, she answered: "Well, there were two men named Jesse and Frank James, and, oh yes, they did ride horses." This quote became famous around the world.

Why can't something be done about the falsity? Because the law states very clearly that once a person dies, anything can be said, written and published about him and there is no defamation or invasion of privacy accruing to his heirs. For example, my grandfather Jesse James Jr. was after his death portrayed as a bank and train robber in "Bitter Heritage," while in fact he was a well-respected lawyer in Kansas City, Mo., and Los Angeles.

Now let's go to the myths perpetuated by "American Outlaws."

Myth No. 1: The expansion of the railroads caused Jesse and Frank to become outlaws.