This is the second Roy Rogers film that I have seen that has involved Jesse James. The first, Days of Jesse James (1939), was a bizarre little movie where Rogers, playing himself, teams up with the legendary outlaw to foil the evil schemes of a group of bankers. Jesse James at Bay actually sees Rogers take up the mantle of James. This film is a supposed reconstruction of a folk tale where Jesse James survived being shot by Robert Ford, went into seclusion, and started a new life. But he is called out from "retirement" when a group of railroad businessmen swindle a group of settlers of their land and demand an outrageous amount of money under penalty of foreclosure from their homes. To keep a long story short, James arrives in town at the same time as a look-alike gambler (also played by Rogers) who is hired by the businessmen to stir up trouble. This film continues the myth of Jesse James as an American Robin Hood who materializes out of the desert (Sherwood Forest) to protect the settlers from the evil authorities (Prince John) only to disappear once his work is done. It's ridiculous, but Rogers puts in a surprisingly good dual-performance as both hero and villain. The film is worth checking out.
5/10
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