The history here is as high wide and as fantastically inaccurate as the best screen writers in old Hollywood could invent. In it's day it was a sequel to the previous years big hit, the glossy biopic western "Jesse James", back by public demand too was that superb statue of dignified righteousness the legendary Henry Fonda reprising his role as the famous outlaw's brother "Frank James" and most excellent he is to in the pictures starring role. The movie is completely fictitious other than with the odd detail, such as the Fords really did reenact the famous killing on the stage. This is from the golden era of the Hollywood production machine and production values are simply superb, glorious technicolor, fabulous outdoor hard riding action, as with all films of the era the story is framed to please everyone, so there is the royal side kick the token beautiful woman given a sizeable part to please the woman's picture market, and some whimsy good humour, added to give the film wider appeal. Yes there something for everyone, including fans of the western gender. It is dated to watch today, in interesting ways, the casual racism most striking along with heavy racial stereo typing, but also in the use of hobby horse riders in needless close ups during hard riding chase sequences, these do grind a little but overall this is a very polished and expertly constructed movie that is shamelessly romantic not just of the old wild west era but of the Southern cause as well, all helm-ed expertly by the Austrian-Hungarian exile Fritz Lang who certainly knew how to deliver a good movie, In all this is a very solid entertainment and a great example of the Hollywood studio system of long ago.