While perusing through the NLA historical newspapers site I found the following two advertisement for a motion picture about the "American Kelly Gang" being shown in Brisbane and Melbourne:
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From the Brisbane Courier, January 1911:
EXTRAORDINARY ATTRACTION - EXTRAORDINARY ATTRACTION.
First Presentation in Brisbane.
JAMES BOYS AND YOUNGER BROS.
The Great American Kelly Gang of Bushrangers and Outlaws, showing for the first time in Brisbane, Jesse James, and Cole Younger - the most Notorious Outlaws and Bushrangers the world ever knew. Known to every American as Ned Kelly is to Australians.
MOST EXCITING AND SENSATIONAL PICTURE EVER TAKEN.
Showing the Desperate Train Robbery - Sensational Bank Robbery at 12 noon in a city of 10,000 people - Bailing Up a Show Ground in the Presence of 40,000 People.
Produced in America, and acted by the most Daring Cowboy Riders in the World.
DON'T MISS THIS GREAT EVENT.
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From the Argus, December 1910:
THE JAMES BOYS
THE JAMES BOYS
THE JAMES BOYS
THE JAMES BOYS
(Of Missouri, U.S.A.)
The Great American "Kelly Gang."
JESSE JAMES, the American Ned Kelly,
Dalton Brothers, Ford Brothers, The Younger Brothers,
Annie Fickles, the American Kate Kelly,
A Stirring Story of the Wild West.
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Research seems to show that the film in question, "The James Boys" was one made in the USA in 1908 and originally called "The James Boys of Missouri." It was the first film ever made about Jesse James and was based on a popular play that had been in production for many years. The film was only 18 minutes long. Compare that to one of the earliest films about the Kelly gang produced in 1906 which was just over an hour long. One thing the two films had in common was that both had been banned in some areas by the authorities.
It has always been interesting to me to see how Ned Kelly and Jesse James have always been used in juxtaposition to help introduce them to each others' countrymen. We see in the above adverts for the "James Boys" film that Jesse James was billed as "America's Ned Kelly." True West Magazine had an October 1973 article about Ned Kelly called "The Wild Young Man in Australia's Past" and the cover of the magazine only used the phrase "Australia's Jesse James" to denote the article inside. Years later, Ned was called "Australia's Jesse James" in the press for the 2003 Ned Kelly film.
The two men do have much in common with each being the preeminent outlaw of their respective homelands. Growing up I always heard the tales about Jesse James being like Robin Hood. From all I have read, Australians grew up hearing of Ned Kelly being like Robin Hood. (Some might say Robin Hood(s), while others would say they were "robbin' hoods.")
I know that they operated during approximately the same era in history (though Jesse James had a far longer "career") and they were leaders of their eponymous gangs with a brother as underling. Each had lost their father at a young age and both had very strong mothers that suffered greatly at the hands of the law. Both wrote letters to aid their cause, though, the Jerilderie letter, his most important one, never saw the light of day during Ned's lifetime. Both had large manhunts launched against them and had high prices on their heads. Each had a network of sympathisers that aided their cause and their exploits thrilled the public (to this day!). One glaring difference is that Ned Kelly was never at any point "bloodthirsty" (though some would beg to differ) whereas that word is often attached to Jesse James, particularly to his time with Quantrill's Raiders.
Another major difference between the two men is that Jesse was assassinated and Ned was hanged.
As an aside, there is something that I had brought out elsewhere that bears re-airing. Jesse James was killed by a man named Robert Ford. Some time later Robert Ford was killed by a man named Edward O. Kelly (sometimes spelled Edward O'Kelly).
Oh, yes, not forgetting another difference in that Jesse married and had children and has direct descendants alive now, whereas Ned Kelly never did (nor did anyone in his gang).
I am sure there are many other comparisons that can be brought to light concerning these two folklore heroes, these were just off the top of my head. Brian, you are well-steeped in the James legend, can you add to (or refute) any of what I have put here?
WELCOME TO ELEVEN MILE CREEK. Thanks for visiting us. We hope to use this blog to bring news, views, nuggets and musings, some serious, some lighthearted, but all to do with all things associated with Ned Kelly.
I beg to differ - in the most gracious way possible, seeing it is you, Sharon - regarding Ned never behaving in a bloodthirsty manner. He admitted that his object in wrecking the police train was to kill as many people as possible, police or not. I do not have the exact quote, and admit that by this time Ned was 'driven mad by bad treatment', but if wanting to kill indiscriminately is not bloodthirsty, what is?
ReplyDeleteA man called T J Stiles has written a book on the political motivations of Jesse James, quoting from many of his letters to the newspapers. Well researched stuff.
Stiles concentrates on Jesse the political animal, the 'last rebel', who tried to advance his cause through the newspaper letter columns. The James brothers were a political headache for the governor of Missouri, Thomas Crittenden, and even the death of Jesse did not end this. Frank James, Jesse's elder brother, surrendered after Jesse was killed and was acquitted after a long and well publicised trial.
ReplyDeleteBoth Jesse James and Ned Kelly, as you say, Sharon, had mothers that suffered greatly at the hands of the law. Jesse's mother lost an arm and a son, Jesse's half brother Archie Samuels, when a private detective placed a bomb in their fireplace. Ned's mother lost her freedom for well over two years, and, of course, two of her sons, partly because, rightly or wrongly, she - maybe- picked up a sawn off shovel from a fireplace and used it on a policeman.
While no one ever claimed to be Ned, post 1880, anyway, it is well known that Dan and Steve were posthumously represented by imposters with little better to do. Jesse also had several imposters, the best known of whom, J Frank Dalton, died in 1951, aged an extremely spurious 104. Dalton appeared on television, and was backed in his claims by Brushy Bill Roberts, who claimed in the late 1940s to be Billy the Kid, who had been officially dead since 1881.
It would be interesting to know if Jesse, like Ned an inveterate reader of newspapers (particularly if they were about him), ever read of the events at Glenrowan.
Brian, thanks for the info on Jesse James. I have never read the Stiles book, but have seen a tv documentary on JJ that he contributed to.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for your candid comment re Ned and for being gracious in the reply! You are always the gentleman! As you have said we are point/counterpoint and agree to disagree at times. Through the years our friendship has never suffered from our differences of opinion (and never will), besides you know what they say about opinions and everyone having one! ;)
Re Ned and the thwarted train wreck as being a bloodthirsty act, yes, it
was a very callous and cold thing to plan to cause deaths of others. Was it an act of war as some have speculated? He did see the police as enemies. Maybe he was to the point (of madness?) that any deaths (including those of civilians) would be considered collateral damage for
the cause? The dictionary defines bloodthirsty as being eager to kill and Ned never was. Maybe he had just been pushed too far? A last desperate act of a desperate man? But eager? No, I really do not think so.
Then again, what about where he said he let Curnow go to stop the train to get the reward? In some of his gaol letters to the Marquis of Normanby he tells
about his plans to only take hostages from the train and other things along those lines like at first wanting to have Stanistreet use a signal to stop the train before the pulled up section which was to keep the train from going any further.
One thing he said was "The next thing I wish to mention is the Crown Prosecutor's trying to point out my bloodthirstiness in wearing steel armour. This is quite contrary, for
without armour I could never have possibly robbed a guarded bank and
disarmed Police without taking life, but with the armour I had no
occasion for taking life. I can solemnly swear before God and man that it never was my intention to take life, and even at Glenrowan I was determined to capture Superintendent Hare, O'Connor and the blacks, for the purpose of exchange of prisoners..."
There is more there in the letters about his supposed plans, and, whether or not he is telling the truth, that is between him and God. Of course, we cannot be sure of when Ned was having everyone on (i.e. fibbing) at times! He sure led them a merry chase in more ways than one,
did he not? Was it a fib when he said he was going to wreck the train and shoot all survivors?
In all of Ned's robberies and dealings with people he did not set out to kill in cold blood nor did he. There were many times he could have easily done so if he were so inclined! With certain other bushrangers and outlaws of the era there was not the sure guarantee of escaping
with your life like there was with Ned (as long as you were not shooting at him or getting ready to shoot at him)! Quite honestly, I would have trusted him with my life.
And that is all I have to say on that! But let's see what others have to say!
Oh dear, Sharon - here we go again, defending that dreadful person.
ReplyDeleteConsider the second phase at Stringybark Creek, which could have been avoided by simply ducking into the bush. Lonigan is already dead, MacIntyre is hors de combat, and four armed men lie in wait. Can you honestly say that the possibility that they might kill again never occurred to them? Yet you say he never set out to kill in cold blood. Even if we allow him a bit of latitude for the first phase of Stringybark, I think it is drawing the long bow a bit to say that deliberately lying in wait and having the overwhelming advantage of ambush when it was already four against two does not imply some culpability that could be described as cold blooded.
You are a little inconsistent here too, my good friend - you admit that it was 'a very callous and cold thing to plan to cause the deaths of others' and but then say that Ned 'did not set out to kill in cold blood.'
The letters to the Marquis of Normanby perhaps should be read in the context of someone who was grasping at straws to get vice-regal clemency. While the armour (had it done its job, and had its wearer not been too dim to realise that his legs were visible, unprotected and that his progress could be impeded if they were taken out of commission) could mean that Ned and Co could, in their invulnerability, ignore people firing at them, it also meant that they could, also in their invulnerability, fire and kill with impunity. I know what I prefer to believe was their intention.
Sharon, I rest my case.
Brian, touche on the inconsistency remark! I am consistent in nothing but my inconsistency at times as it is very hard to reconcile one's heart and one's head!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I made a bad choice of words when I said it was a cold thing, maybe I should have said it was a bad thing, or an awful thing or left it callous? Odd how one word can carry such weight! But what a pain in the rear end to stop and weigh each one before using (on the net or in life)! ;)
In one of his letters, Ned said:
"I take the liberty of addressing you with respect to the matter of myself, my brother and my two friends, Hart and Byrne. I take this opportunity to declare most positively that we did not kill the policemen in cold blood, as has been stated by that rascal McIntyre. We only fired on them to save ourselves, and we are not the cold-blooded murderers which people presume us to be. Circumstances have forced us to become what we are - outcasts and outlaws - and, as bad as we are, we are not as bad as we are supposed to be."
I love that last bit: "as bad as we are, we are not as bad as we are supposed to be."
As I said previously, only Ned himself and the Lord know the real truth. We can only postulate and speculate and gesticulate about the thoughts and motives involved, but, all said, it is too late as everything has already happened, we cannot jump in our trusty time machines (more's the pity!) and go back and prevent the events (or probably wind up causing them!).
In all seriousness, the real truth of the matter probably lies somewhere between the two extremes we have presented. (Will the 'twain ever meet?) A friend has said of debates about Ned Kelly that it is like having a religious argument, no matter what is said, neither side will be dissuaded from their beliefs. (A true word has been spoken!)
Besides, there is nothing like a little bit of controversy to get folks to tune in! Oh, the drama! I remember my daddy used to watch a tv show called "Crossfire" that had a couple of diametrically opposed political commentators going at it hammer and tongs. No matter how worked up he got over it (and, oh, gosh, did he!) or how far-fetched some of the views were he would always tune in for the next episode! Ratings gold!! Maybe we will hit that particular vein (while we are hitting a few nerves or getting on them?).
Here's to many years in the bush for us, my friend! :)
I could be utterly superficial and say that Brad Pitt played Jesse James, Heath Ledger played Ned Kelly, and Brad replaced Heath in the film Tree Of Life.
ReplyDeleteHello, you two. I'm enjoying this blog.
Hi, Marian, glad that you are enjoying our little effort! Stay tuned as we have lots in the research and planning stages with much more to come!
ReplyDeleteBTW, you could never be superficial! You have more depth than the well in the mines of Moira! Oh, no, here we go with the LOTR references again! :)
Tree of Life? I have not heard about that film before, will definitely search it out.
Good to see you surface in the Kelly world!