Review: Kansas Raiders (1950)
I like it when Audie Murphy plays mean. After all, we're talking about the most decorated combat soldier in the history of the U.S. military, a man who was not only familiar with violence, but also celebrated for it. 1950's Kansas Raiders gives the soldier-turned-actor a chance to sink his teeth into one of the meatiest roles of his still-fledgling acting career: the legendary outlaw Jesse James. Hollywood has always had a special fascination with outlaws, often celebrating them while clumsily and half-heartedly trying to insert some sort of moral lesson, mostly to keep the censors happy. I can't help but think of the episode of The Brady Bunch where Bobby sees a movie about Jesse James and then decides that he's his hero and has to be corrected by his chagrinned parents. That's a pretty good metaphor for Hollywood's love affair with the dark side--"mischief sure is fun! Er...but it's wrong." Kansas Raiders is the fictionalized tale of the James...
