Though it's probably helpful to have seen the earlier entry Jesse James in which several of the cast of this sequel appear it can also work as a stand-alone revenge drama. It is, admittedly, a little surprising to find the name Fritz Lang on the credits as the principal technician especially when the Lang touch is conspicuous by its absence but it's a competent entry albeit mindless. Henry Hull dominates the proceedings as the crusading newspaper editor just this side of barking mad and Gene Tierney is easy on the eye while Jackie Cooper weighs in as the resident hot-head. The best actor on set by a country mile is John Carradine but he is woefully under-used and it's tempting to think that Henry Fonda had it written into his contract that Carradine was relegated to the background.
Review of The Return of Frank James
