Film Snail

5.9

Alias Jesse James

NR·1959·92m

Comedy

Western

Comedy

Western

Summary

Insurance salesman Milford Farnsworth sells a man a life policy only to discover that the man in question is the outlaw Jesse James. Milford is sent to buy back the policy, but is robbed by Jesse. And when Jesse learns that Milford's boss is on the way out with more cash, he plans to rob him too and have Milford get killed in the robbery while dressed as Jesse, and collect on the policy.

Cast

Bob Hope

Milford Farnsworth

Rhonda Fleming

Cora Lee Collins

Wendell Corey

Jesse James

Gloria Talbott

Princess Irawanie

Jim Davis

Frank James

Will Wright

Titus Queasley

Mary Young

'Ma' James

Mickey Finn

Tough #2 in Dirty Dog Saloon

Bob Gunderson

James Gang Member

Fred Kohler Jr.

James Gang Member

Ethan Laidlaw

James Gang Member

Glenn Strange

James Gang Member

James Arness

Marshal Matt Dillon (uncredited)

Oliver Blake

Mortimer Hopelaw (uncredited)

Ward Bond

Major Seth Adams (uncredited)

Wally Brown

Dirty Dog Bartender (uncredited)

James Burke

Charlie (uncredited)

Iron Eyes Cody

2nd Indian on Train (uncredited)

Gary Cooper

Cowboy

Bing Crosby

Bing (uncredited)

Scatman Crothers

Railroad Porter (uncredited)

Gail Davis

Annie Oakley (uncredited)

Sayre Dearing

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

J. Anthony Hughes

Dirty Dog Saloonkeeper (uncredited)

I. Stanford Jolley

Conductor #2 (uncredited)

Ray Jones

Barfly (uncredited)

Jack Lambert

Snake Brice (uncredited)

Lyle Latell

Conductor #1 (uncredited)

Wilbur Mack

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Mike Mahoney

Townsman (uncredited)

Mike Mazurki

Dirty Dog Tough (uncredited)

Sid Melton

New York Bar Fight Fan (uncredited)

Hugh O'Brian

Wyatt Earp (uncredited)

Nestor Paiva

Grigsby (uncredited)

Fess Parker

Davy Crockett (uncredited)

Emory Parnell

Angel's Rest Sheriff (uncredited)

Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers (uncredited)

Michael Ross

Grigsby's Killer (uncredited)

Cosmo Sardo

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Jay Silverheels

Tonto (uncredited)

George E. Stone

New York Bar Gibson Girl Fan (uncredited)

Jack Tornek

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Trigger

Trigger (uncredited)

Harry Tyler

Elmo (uncredited)

Sailor Vincent

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Joseph Vitale

Sam Hiawatha (uncredited)

Richard Alexander

Crew

Director

Norman Z. McLeod

Story

Bert Lawrence

Story

Robert St. Aubrey

Writer

William Bowers

Writer

Daniel B. Beauchamps

Reviews

John Chard

February 9, 2017

Paleface 3? Not quite, but a very enjoyable Hope picture it be.

Bumbling buffoon insurance salesman Milford Farnsworth sells notorious outlaw Jesse James a $100,000 policy. When his boss finds out who the customer is, he dispatches Farnsworth after James in the hope of buying back the policy, he also gives strict orders that Farnsworth must ensure that James comes to no harm.

Bob Hope sells Jesse James an insurance policy! that alone should prepare you for what type of picture this is. There is nothing out of the ordinary here that we haven't seen before in most other Hope vehicles, and as a huge fan of "The Paleface" and the even better "Son Of Paleface", I would point readers to those pictures by way of them being far better. However, "Alias" has some fine moments that keep it way above average, in fact for visual gags alone this picture scores higher than most of Hope's better known comedies. Be it a steaming alcohol fuelled hat or a magic mushroomed fed horse, there is still much fun to be had as Hope plays out his winning formula.

Along for the ride is the supremely sexy Rhonda Fleming as Jesse James' gal, Cora Lee Collins, and as James himself we get Wendell Corey looking as though he is rather enjoying himself. The final reel of this film is now something of legend as we get to play spot the genre star during a protracted shoot out, stars such as Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers & Gail Davis join Bing Crosby to close the picture on a mightily high point. 6.5/10