Summary
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.
Cast
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)
Roy Bucko
Barfly (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)
Chick Hannan
Barfly (uncredited)
John Harron
Union Lieutenant (uncredited)
Al Haskell
Guerrilla (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)
Philip Morris
Confederate Sentry (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)
Robert Robinson
Townsman (uncredited)
Albert Russell
Southerner (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
Director
Michael Curtiz
Screenplay
Robert Buckner
Reviews
John Chard
April 7, 2019
6
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
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$1,179,000.00
Revenue:
$2,372,567.00
Keywords
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