Directed by Reginald Le Borg
Starring Willard Parker, Barbara Payton, Tom Neal, Wallace Ford
Came across a heartbreaking story about Barbara Payton today. It reminded me of The Great Jesse James Raid (1953), her next-to-last picture — and the one time she was paired with Tom Neal. Her relationship with Neal, while engaged to Franchot Tone, helped bring about her tragic downfall.
The Great Jesse James Raid is a cheap little Lippert picture, directed by Reginald Le Borg, “filmed in new Ansco Color” — and available from on DVD from Kit Parker and VCI. There’s something about it I always liked — and I’ll watch anything with Wallace Ford.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
Haven’t been able to find it on DVD
Here it is on Amazon —
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Jesse-James-Willard-Parker/dp/B00HU3EKRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534429554&sr=8-1&keywords=great+jesse+james+raid
It was also available in a VCI boxed set, which might still be around. You can also check vcient.com
Wallace Ford, as Marshal Herk Lamson, in Season One of “THE DEPUTY” TV series was a big draw for watching it, for me. He was written out for Season Two and it just wasn’t as good without him.
I would have thought,by now, Payton’s life would have been
made into a film-I cannot think of anyone more tragic as far as Hollywood
was concerned.
My fantasy casting- Scarlet Johansson as Payton and Colin Farrell
as Tom Neal.
As far as across the pond is concerned check out the decline of the
beautiful and talented Irish actress Constance Smith-what a train wreck of
a life.
For years THE GREAT JESSE JAMES RAID was on my “must see” list-
especially after getting a pretty good review from Mr Maltin.
When I finally caught the film I wish that I had not…it’s lousy,even by
Lippert standards.By “Lippert Standards” I mean the pre-RegalScope
titles though, to be fair, even in those days they produced the odd masterpiece
(THE STEEL HELMET,ROCKETSHIP XM)
Regarding Mr Ford…nothing would make me sit through FREAKS again!
That article I came across said there is talk of a Payton movie.
Freaks really, well, freaked me out. I’d never sit through it again, either. And I’d completely forgotten that Ford was in it!
Yep! The Payton Bio Pic has been talked about for years-
I hope that it happens at some point.
Other stuff about the tragic actress that I have read go into far more lurid
detail than the one Toby highlights-Hollywood Babylon indeed!
I can still see Scarlett as Payton after all they were of a similar height
(5′ 3-5′ 4) Scarlett would have to schlep on a lot of latex/prothetics to
play Barbara in her later years but it’s a sure fire Oscar nomination.
I’m kinda intrigued regarding Tarantiino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN
HOLLYWOOD if for nothing else giving Burt Reynolds something worthwhile
to do at long last.
The cast/casting is not without interest and I’m getting more and more
tempted despite loathing THE HATEFUL 8.
Hopefully Tarantino’s film will revive the Hollywood on Hollywood genre
(how can it fail?) giving more hope for the Payton bio pic to be green lit.
John, you’re to be commended for your faith in movies today. Hate to admit that I have none of that faith.
Toby, you are so right.
Toby, I rarely see current day movies-though I did endorse
HOSTILES which I thought was excellent.
I will give the Tarantino picture a go and will certainly see Eastwood’s
THE MULE but that’s about it,for now at least.
The last movies I saw in theatres were AMERICAN SNIPER,HOSTILES
and THE HATEFUL 8 two of which I loved and one that I loathed.
The mock-ups of vintage (1969…ish) movie posters that have been
appearing at Glenn Erickson’s in his coverage of the Tarantino film
have certainly whetted my appetite.
Speaking of Glenn and firmly back in FWOTF territory check out his
very fine review of THE LAST HUNT,Blu Ray.
I’ve got some review catching up to do, but it’s waiting for my A Man Alone stuff to get settled. (I’m liking that one more each time I go through it.)
The Tingler Blu-Ray from Scream Factory is beautiful, the grain and contrast are just the way I like em. A perfect B&W transfer of one of my favorite movies.
Village Of The Damned is gorgeous, too. What a creepy movie.
And then there’s Young Dillenger, which is a lead-spewing gem. I love it.
These are good days indeed for us old movie nuts.
“A lead spewing gem”….what a wonderful way to give a movie
a four word review.
To bad the film never revived Nick Adams career.
Help me out here – Is Wallace Ford the actor the same as Wallace Ford the author of western books – paperbacks? He wrote things like “Seven Men Riding”. (Not to be confused with Ronnie Montrose’s Seven Men Riding.)
Tom Settles, no,Wallace Ford(birth name Samuel Johns Grundy) isn’t the author Wallace Ford. The actor Wallace Ford(1898-1966) was a good character actor in the movies THE MAN FROM LARAMIE(1955), WARLOCK(1958), and he portrayed Marshal Herk Lamson in the first season of THE DEPUTY(1959-61),
Tom, I must be tired. Actor Ford’s birth name was Samuel Jones Grundy.