 The film is also known as Dynamite Man from Glory Jail.In 1935, murderer Mattie Appleyard (James Stewart), bank robber Lee Cottrill (Strother Martin), and young Johnny Jesus (Kurt Russell) are released from the West Virginia State Penitentiary, located in the fictional town of Glory.Appleyard is issued a check for $25,452.32 for his 40 years of prison work, an enormous amount in the Great Depression.