The Return of Frank James (1940)

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writer:

Sam Hellman (original screenplay)

Release Date:

16 August 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Frank James continues to avoid arrest in order to take revenge on the Ford brothers for their murder of his brother Jesse.

Plot Keywords:

Actress | Stock Footage | Nom De Plume | Actor | Preacher

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Frank James aka Ben Woodson
Gene Tierney	...	Eleanor Stone
Jackie Cooper	...	Clem aka Tom Grayson
Henry Hull	...	Major Rufus Cobb
John Carradine	...	Bob Ford
J. Edward Bromberg	...	George Runyan
Donald Meek	...	McCoy
Eddie Collins	...	Station agent - at Eldora
George Barbier	...	Judge
Russell Hicks	...	Prosecutor
Ernest Whitman	...	Pinky
Charles Tannen	...	Charlie Ford
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Randolph Stone
Victor Kilian	...	Preacher
Edward McWade	...	Colonel Jackson
George Chandler	...	Roy
Irving Bacon	...	Bystander at wagon sale
Frank Shannon	...	Sheriff
Barbara Pepper	...	Nellie Blane
Louis Mason	...	Watchman
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Mose (bellboy) (as Stymie Beard)
William Pawley	...	Actor playing Jesse James
Frank Sully	...	Pappy
Davison Clark	...	Officer (as Davidson Clark)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tyrone Power	...	Jesse Woodson James (archive footage)
Bob Battier	...	Actor playing Frank James (uncredited)
A.S. 'Pop' Byron	...	Train engineer (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Edmund Elton	...	Jury foreman (uncredited)
Budd Fine	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Almeda Fowler	...	Mrs. Edna Stone (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Court clerk (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Man in courtroom (uncredited)
Nelson McDowell	...	Juror (Confederate veteran) (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Old man on rocker (uncredited)
Lew Meehan	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Frank Melton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Adrian Morris	...	Denver detective (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Liberty bartender (uncredited)
Hattie Noel	...	Denver House chambermaid (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Denver House bartender (uncredited)
Tex Phelps	...	Front-Row Play Spectator (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Juror (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Lillian Yarbo	...	Eleanor's maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Fritz Lang

Writing credits
Sam Hellman		(original screenplay)

Produced by
Kenneth Macgowan	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph		(uncredited)
Charles Henderson		(uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Barnes		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Walter Thompson

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Wiard Ihnen		(as Wiard B. Ihnen)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Travis Banton

Makeup Department
Louis Hippe	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ben Silvey	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Aaron Rosenberg	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Joe Behm	....	props (uncredited)
Fred Smith	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Larry Chapman	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William V. Skall	....	associate director of photography
Frank Corey	....	grip (uncredited)
George Dye	....	technician: Technicolor (uncredited)
Kenneth Green	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	....	grip (uncredited)
Wendell Jones	....	grip (uncredited)
Eddie Ledgerwood	....	grip (uncredited)
Roger Mace	....	technician: Technicolor (uncredited)
George McHose	....	grip (uncredited)
Fred Rezk	....	grip (uncredited)
C.E. Richardson	....	key grip (uncredited)
Herbert Romey	....	grip (uncredited)
Anthony Ugrin	....	still photographer (uncredited)
John F. Warren	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Young	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Wesley Trist	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Morgan Padelford	....	associate director: Technicolor

Music Department
David Buttolph	....	musical director
Hugo Riesenfeld	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	color advisor: Technicolor
Bert Hendrickson	....	stand-in: Jackie Cooper (uncredited)
Jack McKinney	....	technical assistant (uncredited)
Walter Myron	....	service: Technicolor (uncredited)
Stanley Scheuer	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Paul Uhl	....	technical assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1940) (USA) (theatrical) (released through)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• ClassicLine (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Playhouse Home Video (video)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #6330)

Filming Locations:

Bishop, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The original treatment had Frank romantically interested in the reporter played by Gene Tierney, but the studio became fearful of a possible lawsuit by Frank's widow and/or son, so it was eliminated from the script.

Quotes:

Frank James: Are you coming out or am I coming in?

Movie Connections:

Follows Jesse James (1939)

A Demanded Sequel

When Jesse James came out in 1939, the player that got the best reviews for that film was Henry Fonda who played the laconic older brother Frank. His reviews were so outstanding that it was almost a public demand that a sequel be done.

It almost didn't get done because instead of Henry King who directed Jesse James, Darryl F. Zanuck assigned Fritz Lang. Henry Fonda hated the man, he was a sadistic bully on the set and even though he directed Fonda to a great performance in You Only Live Once, Fonda hated every second on that set.

Fonda tells in his autobiography that he and Lang sat down prior to shooting and Lang agreed to tone his behavior down. But the same thing happened as on You Only Live Once. And Fonda dutifully finished the film.

Though he hated the experience Fonda was on the mark again as Frank James. What The Return of Frank James lacks in truth it makes up for in capturing the spirit of the times in the post Civil border state of Missouri and why the James Brothers were regarded as heroes by some.

In addition to Fonda, John Carradine, Charles Tannen, Ernest Whitman, Donald Meek, Henry Hull, George Chandler and J. Edward Bromberg repeat their roles from Jesse James so continuity is assured. Bromberg as the railroad detective who basically plans an assassination for Jesse James in that film and tries again to Fonda in this film particularly stands out.

So does Henry Hull as the newspaper editor/lawyer who was a very colorful character in both films, dictating the same editorial at whatever group or individual he doesn't like at the moment. His patented formula is to "shoot 'em down like dogs."

If you liked Jesse James and I think more than western fans liked that film, no reason you shouldn't like The Return of Frank James.