Summary

Jesse Jameshas appear in many Westerns , but a few have feature a famed star in the part . Jesse James is one of the most illustrious outlaws in American history . It should be no surprisal then that he has appear extensively throughout a genre that is distinctly American - the Western . The literary genre has been a staple of American movie theatre , inspiring some ofthe greatest movies of all clip , and Jesse James has provide a wealth of chronicle for them to adapt .

Jesse James and his brother Frank were infamous outlaws throughout the American South following the American Civil War . The James brothers , along with the Younger crony , formed the James - Younger gang and enact a crime spree , pluck bank and holding up trains . Jesse James has been the most remembered of the gang , entering American pop civilisation as an antihero - with his living and eventual assassination memorialized in common people music and literature . He ’s also the superstar character of some of thebest westerly film of all time , and has been played by a issue of true greats .

Netflix has spate of expectant films and show usable , and many of them are in the Western musical genre . These are the 25 best western on the weapons platform .

Collage of characters from Horizon An American Saga, Power of the Dog and Hateful Eight

10Jesse James Jr.

Jesse James Under The Black Flag (1921)

Jesse James ' boy was one of the first multitude to portrayhim in a motion picture . Jesse James Jr. was not a professional actor , yet played his founding father in two picture . Jesse James Under the Black Flagdepicted James joining the Quantrill Raiders - pro - allied guerrillas who press against Union sympathiser . James Jr. also starred inJesse James as the Outlaw , render his father ’s posterior vicious career . Both moving picture are unhappily lost but were re - edited as a single movie in 1930 , with narration and intelligent effects added in position of intertitles . This rendition is also namedJesse James Under the Black Flag .

9Tyrone Power

Jesse James (1939)

Jesse Jameswas a loose adjustment of James ' life starring Tyrone Power . It also starred Henry Fonda as Frank James and John Carradine as Bob Ford . Jesse Jameswas notoriously historically inaccurateand in many ways contributed to the Robin Hood characterization that James enjoys in American civilization . Jesse Jamesdepicted the James brothers as they seek revenge on railroad track authorities for evicting them from their kinsperson farm . Jesse Jameswas a highly entertaining Western with a high-minded performance from Power that contributed to the Jesse James mythology . Power subsequently starred in a slew of movies , include 1957’sWitness for the Prosecution .

8George Reeves

The Kansan (1943)

The Kansanwas a 1943 Western directed by George Archainbaud . It depicted a Civil War veteran ( Richard Dix ) who in the opening scenes thwarts the Jesse James gang as they attempt to pluck a savings bank . Jesse James was played by George Reeves , who would afterwards star as Superman in the television seriesAdventures of Superman(1952 - 1958 ) . Reeves ' Superman was one of the most iconic renditions of the beloved DC superhero , and Reeves ' image even appeared as a cameo inThe Flash . George Reeves has therefore play two of the swelled figures in American pop culturefrom two very different epoch of modern America .

7Robert Wagner

The True Story Of Jesse James (1957)

Robert Wagner star inThe True Story Of Jesse James , an adaptation of 1939’sJesse James . The True Story of Jesse Jamesloosely followed the last 18 year of Jesse James ' life . The trailerasserted that the narrative was"stripped of all fiction"but it still presented James as a hoagy . Nevertheless , Wagner deftly delivered this Hero of Alexandria with thegrit and charm that defined the Westerns of this geological era . ThoughThe True Story of Jesse Jameswas a misnomer , it was still a beautiful movie and an telling Western . Wagner became a fertile role player , most recognisable for represent numeral Two in theAustin Powersmovies .

6John Lupton

Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966)

John Lupton is well known as a carbon monoxide - whizz in ABC ’s Western seriesBroken Arrow(1956 - 1958 ) . He appeared in many more movies , let in the 1966 horror Western , Jesse James take on Frankenstein ’s Daughter . Jesse James fill Frankenstein ’s Daughtermade no attempts to accurately depict James ' life , amply adapting him as a type from folklore . It depicted James happen the descendant of Dr. Frankenstein , who afterwards put the learning ability of a monster into one of James ' pal . It was surely a giddy movie , but it was still hugely entertaining .

5Robert Duvall

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)

Acting caption Robert Duvall is celebrated for many of his performance , includingApocalypse Now , The Godfather , andTo Kill A Mocking Bird . However , Duvall also starred in one of the most thrilling adaptations of Jesse James ' life . The Great Northfield Minnesota Raiddepicted Jesse James and Cole Younger spring the James - Younger ring to rob a bank in Northfield , Minnesota . Much like in real lifetime , the gang ’s plan soon go awry , resulting in the death and captivity of several gang members . Nevertheless , this bungled looting instigated the mob ’s notorious criminal offense spree .

4Kris Kristofferson

The Last Days Of Frank And Jesse James (1986)

Country music star Kris Kristofferson has made several acting appearances throughout his life history , includingPat Garrett & Billy the Kid , Stagecoach , and theBladetrilogy . In 1986 , Kristofferson starred as Jesse James inThe Last Days of Frank and Jesse James . It also star two of Kristofferson ’s fellow penis of the country music supergroup , The Highwaymen : Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson . This is especially appropriate considering James is best memorialized by the renowned American folk song , " Jesse James . " The trio delivered very compelling performances , with Kristofferson demonstrating why he is so well-thought-of in cinema and music .

3Rob Lowe

Frank And Jesse (1994)

Frank and Jessefocused chiefly on the folklore hem in the James brothers more than actual history , but it was a highly entertaining movie with sterling central performances . Rob Lowe star as Jesse James with Bill Paxton as Frank James . Frank and Jessewasa wildly fun picture that made no excuses for presenting a full mythologized renditionof the crony . The brace were depicted as driven to their lives of crime by retaliation , which Lowe and Paxton render to perfection . Lowe was already a noted performer at this juncture , having appeared inSt . Elmo ’s Fire , Oxford Blues , andthe all - superstar classicThe Outsiders .

2Colin Farrell

American Outlaws (2001)

Colin Farrell is one of the most respected and beloved worker in Hollywood , exalt for his appearance inThe Banshees of Inisherin , In Bruges , andThe Batman , to name but a few . Farrell embody Jesse James in the 2001 movieAmerican Outlaws , which adapted the James - Younger crew ’s early years . American Outlawsfeatured an all - mavin casting , including Kathy Bates , Timothy Dalton , and Terry O’Quin . The movie for the most part sanitized the true history of Jesse Jamesfor a teenage interview , though it delivers this in a highly entertaining fashion . Farrell was a particular highlighting , hurl himself into many action scenes and embodying a more folk - favorable rendition of Jesse James .

1Brad Pitt

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)

The Hollywood legend Brad Pitt starred in the most exact portraiture of Jesse James , The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford . In part , the movie take on the phenomenon of crook becoming legends in modern American history , assess the contact between criminal offence and fame . Pitt ’s performance was peculiarly noteworthy , as was Casey Affleck ’s portrayal of Robert Ford . The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Fordprimarily focalise on the events that lead to the titular killing but went to great lengths to make a viscerally actual line drawing of the era . WhileBrad Pitt proffer one of the greatest depiction of Jesse Jamesin cinematic history .

Chris Pratt as Joshua Faraday in The Magnificent Seven with the remake behind it.

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

actors-who-played-jesse-james-western-movies Colin Farrell George Reeves

Jesse James Under the black flag 1921 poster cropped

Tyrone Power as Jesse James getting married to Zee in 1939’s Jesse James

George Reeves as Jesse James pointing a gun with his gang in The Kansan

Robert Wagner as Jesse James standing outside a window in the true story of jesse james

Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter Poster cropped

Robert Duvall as Jesse James looking bemused in The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid

Kris Kristofferson as Jesse James looking concerned in The Last Days Of Frank And Jesse James