Jesse James (1939)

After the tragic war between the states, America turned to conquering the west. The symbol of this time was the construction of transcontinental railways, and in some cases the advance was predatory with entire communities being victimized by the menacing monster: the locomotives.

Two famous criminals date from this era of uncertainty: the brothers Frank and Jesse James. Before becoming outlaws, they were farmers, who took care of their land. Meanwhile to St. Louis Midland, a powerful company that controlled the entire state, wanted to buy the land where the railroad would run through very cheaply, offering a dollar an acre when it was actually worth $15.

A railroad official named Barshee forces several farmers to sell their land at these low prices. Upon arriving on the James lands, he clashes with the brothers Frank and Jesse and ends up being wounded in the hand by a shot fired by Jesse when trying to hit Frank in the back. He goes to the authorities and gathers a group to arrest Jesse. The mother convinces the two brothers to flee into the forest, but in the aftermath her house is burned down and she dies. Upon learning of this, Jesse goes after Barshee and later begins his revenge against the railroad, forming a gang of highwaymen. Newspaper editor Major A. Rufus Cobb and his niece Zerelda (Zee) Cobb side with the Jameses, while the railroad president offers hefty prizes to anyone who captures the outlaws.