Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James is a 1948 Republic film serial directed by Fred C. Brannon and Yakima Canutt and starring Clayton Moore, Steve Darrell, Noel Neill, George J. Lewis, John Crawford, and Sam Flint.
Cast
- Clayton Moore as Jesse James a.k.a. John Howard
- Steve Darrell as Frank James a.k.a. Bob Carroll
- Noel Neill as Judy Powell
- George J. Lewis as Rafe Henley
- John Crawford as Amos Ramsey
- Sam Flint as Paul Thatcher
Production
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James was budgeted at $149,985 although the final negative cost was $149,805. It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1948, despite having one more chapter than the other two serials.It was filmed between 5 April and 26 April 1948. The serial's production number was 1700.
This was the fourth of only four 13-chapter serials to be released by Republic. The previous three were released in 1947, the only original serials released in that year.
Release
Theatrical
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James' official release date is 30 October 1948, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.This was followed by a re-release of Darkest Africa, re-titled as King of Jungleland, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc., followed in 1949.
The serial was re-released on 16 April 1956 between the similar re-releases of Manhunt of Mystery Island and King of the Rocket Men. The last original Republic serial release was King of the Carnival in 1955.
Stunts
- Tom Steele as Jesse James
- Dale Van Sickel as Rafe Henley
Special effects
Chapter titles
- Agent of Treachery
- The Hidden Witness
- The Lost Tunnel
- Blades of Death
- Roaring Wheels
- Passage to Danger
- The Secret Code
- Doomed Cargo
- The Eyes of the Law
- The Stolen Body
- Suspicion/The Death Trap - a re-cap chapter
- Talk or Die!
- Unmasked