Warner Bros. Pictures

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Virginia City

Name: Virginia City
Released: 1940-03-23T00:00:00.000000Z
Rating: 6.3

Go West!...to Virginia City...for excitement, for adventure, for primitive romance!!!

1940 • 121 min • ★ 6.3 (40) • Released

Action Romance Western

Union officer Kerry Bradford escapes from a Confederate prison and races to intercept $5 million in gold destined for Confederate coffers. A Confederate sympathizer and a Mexican bandit, each with their own stake in the loot, stand in his way.

IMDb ↗

Original title: Virginia City
Language: EN
Country: US
Budget: $1,179,000
Revenue: $2,372,567

Reviews & Ratings 2

CinemaSerf

Jun 23, 2022 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

This is quite an action packed civil wartime drama with Errol Flynn on good form as escaped Yankee officer "Bradford", sent behind enemy lines to thwart a Confederate plan to smuggle $5 million in gold bullion to help the cash-strapped South. Turns out that the man leading the attempt to pinch the gold is none other than his former prison commander "Irby" (Randolph Scott) and now a cat and mouse game ensues between the men, both desperate to succeed... Add to the mix, the duplicitous "Murrell" (Humphrey Bogart), a shrewd bandit with designs of his own on the loot, and a little feistier than usual contribution from Miriam Hopkins - and Michael Curtiz creates quite a superior adventure with plenty going on, some decent dialogue - and characters with some substance - integrity even - as we head to a denouement that, admittedly, does lack for much peril. Still, a strong supporting cast work well with Max Steiner's reliable-as-ever score and some decent photography to make this more than just a vehicle for Flynn. It's good.

John Chard

Apr 7, 2019 · via TMDB

★ 6.0

Oh, I'm an expert at that now. Treating friends like strangers and enemies like friends. Virginia City is directed by Michael Curtiz and written by Robert Buckner. It stars Errol Flynn, Randolph Scott, Miriam Hopkins, Humphrey Bogart, Alan Hale and Guinn Williams. Music is by Max Steiner and cinematography by Sol Polito. Story is a loose working of actual events that happened in December 1864 at the tail end of the American Civil War. A group of Confederate sympathisers are trying to ship a substantial amount of gold out of Virginia City to rebel leader Jefferson Davis, where it is hoped that the course of the war that the Confederates are close to losing will now be changed... It was a messy production, not very many people got on, the pic started without a finished script, and with the bad weather mixing with bad blood it was something of a chore for many of the cast. Add in that the great Bogart is woefully miscast - and he knows it - then you got a picture that considering the talent involved across the board is a long way away from being a genre classic. It starts off so promisingly, we are thrust into the murky confines of Libby Prison - The Black Hole Of The Confederacy (AKA: The Devil's Warehouse), where the ever splendidly twinkled Flynn is burrowing out through a tunnel with his two comedy sidekicks, Hale and Williams. Before you know it they are to be confronted by that bastion of Western/Southern film greatness, Randolph Scott, this is classic film fan nirvana. Sadly it's a false dawn that precedes a film of great moments cobbled together to almost outstay its welcome. However, such as it is that a love of classic film can keep one engaged for escapist fare value, so it be here. Curtiz at least keeps things brisk enough with a number of action sequences, where we at times find the genius that is stuntman Yakima Canutt at the core of things. Some stunts here beggar belief, including one involving a horse that the ASPCA must have raged at! The stars hold court for their scenes - well except for Bogart trying to munch his way through a Mexican bandit accent and Hopkins out of tone the for the singing sequences , while as fluffy as it is the ending has a warm glow to it. Which leaves what? It's not the disaster it could have been given the behind the scenes problems, and for sure a love of the era of film making it comes from ensures you have to give it props (it was popular on release). But this could have easily have had twenty minutes shaved from its excess, for then it might have spared an unhappy cast and an expectant audience the sense of disappointment it isn't top line stuff. 6/10

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 3

escape prison stagecoach

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Cast 67

Errol Flynn

Kerry Bradford

Miriam Hopkins

Julia Hayne

Randolph Scott

Vance Irby

Humphrey Bogart

John Murrell

Frank McHugh

Mr. Upjohn

Alan Hale

Olaf Swenson

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

Marblehead

John Litel

Marshall

Douglass Dumbrille

Maj. Drewery

Moroni Olsen

Cameron

Russell Hicks

Armistead

Dickie Jones

Cobby

Frank Wilcox

Union Soldier

Russell Simpson

Gaylord

Victor Kilian

Abraham Lincoln

Charles Middleton

Jefferson Davis

Trevor Bardette

Union Fanatic with Knife (uncredited)

Hank Bell

Barfly (uncredited)

Ward Bond

Confederate Sergeant Checking Passengers (uncredited)

Lane Chandler

Irby's Orderly at Libby (uncredited)

Spencer Charters

Sazerac Saloon Bartender (uncredited)

George Chesebro

Southerner (uncredited)

Tex Cooper

Townsman (uncredited)

Ben Corbett

Barfly (uncredited)

Harry Cording

Scarecrow - Union Prisoner at Libby (uncredited)

Claire Du Brey

Southern Woman with Rifle (uncredited)

Tom Dugan

Saloon Spieler (uncredited)

Jim Farley

Southerner (uncredited)

Paul Fix

Murrell's Henchman (uncredited)

Roy Gordon

Maj. Gen. Taylor (uncredited)

George Guhl

Sazerac Saloon Bartender #2 (uncredited)

Henry Hall

Union Officer (uncredited)

Thurston Hall

Gen. George Meade (uncredited)

Charles Halton

Ralston - Virginia City Banker (uncredited)

John Harron

Union Lieutenant (uncredited)

Howard Hickman

Confederate Gen. Page (uncredited)

Max Hoffman Jr.

Union Sergeant (uncredited)

Robert Homans

Southerner (uncredited)

William Hopper

Lieutenant Reporting Murrell's Attack (uncredited)

Reed Howes

Union Sergeant on Horse (uncredited)

Edward Keane

Officer (uncredited)

Jack Kenny

Barfly (uncredited)

Bernard L. Kowalski

Extra (uncredited)

Ethan Laidlaw

Union Soldier (uncredited)

Wilfred Lucas

Southerner (uncredited)

Sam McDaniel

Sam Moore - Black Driver (uncredited)

Robert Milasch

Townsman (uncredited)

Walter Miller

Sergeant in Saloon Reporting Irby's Whereabouts (uncredited)

Frank Mills

Prisoner at Libby Prison (uncredited)

Shirley Mills

Crying Young Southern Girl (uncredited)

Art Mix

Southerner (uncredited)

Kansas Moehring

Townsman (uncredited)

Monte Montague

Wells Fargo Stage Driver (uncredited)

Jack Mower

Outpost Officer (uncredited)

Wedgwood Nowell

Prosecuting Officer (uncredited)

Artie Ortego

Guerrilla (uncredited)

Bud Osborne

Ted - Stage Driver (uncredited)

Eddie Parker

Lieutenant (uncredited)

George Reeves

Maj. Drewery's Union Telegrapher (uncredited)

George Regas

Murrell's Halfbreed Henchman (uncredited)

Georgia Simmons

Southern Spinster (uncredited)

Al Taylor

Barfly (uncredited)

Charles Trowbridge

Seddon - Aide to Jefferson Davis (uncredited)

Brandon Tynan

Trenholm (uncredited)

Sailor Vincent

Barfly (uncredited)

Blackie Whiteford

Townsman Standing by Stagecoach (uncredited)

Norman Willis

Union Sergeant (uncredited)

Crew 8

Orry-Kelly

Costume Design

Byron Haskin

Special Effects

Yakima Canutt

Stunt Double

Michael Curtiz

Director

Jack L. Warner

Executive In Charge Of Production

Hal B. Wallis

Executive Producer

Hugo Friedhofer

Orchestrator

Max Steiner

Original Music Composer

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US Release Dates 2

Mar 16, 1940

Reno, Nevada

Premiere

Mar 23, 1940

NR Theatrical