IN SONG.Songwriting duo
Lewis and Klickman copyrighted
their composition about James
in 1911 (below), riding the huge
popularity of 19th-century broad-
sides, such as the one atright.Some 50 films have been made featur-
ing the Missouri bandit, and he has been
portrayed by some of Hollywood’s biggest
stars, including Tyrone Power, Roy Rogers,
Audie Murphy, James Coburn, Robert Du-
vall, Kris Kristofferson, Colin Farrell, and
Brad Pitt. Little wonder that today the out-
law Jesse James is an iconic figure known
around the world.
IN BOOKS. Fascination for Jesse
James stoked a publishing boom.
Left, a 1903 dime novel recounting
yet another hairbreadth escape by
“the outlaw king.” Below, a 1908 dime
novel in which a detective comes to
a sticky end. Below left, Jesse’s son’s
account of his father, first published
in 1899.