Western

Action

Romance

Virginia City

Warner Bros. Pictures

United States of America

English

Errol Flynn

Miriam Hopkins

Randolph Scott

Humphrey Bogart

Frank McHugh

Alan Hale

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

John Litel

Douglass Dumbrille

Moroni Olsen

Russell Hicks

Dickie Jones

Frank Wilcox

Russell Simpson

Victor Kilian

Charles Middleton

Trevor Bardette

Hank Bell

Ward Bond

Roy Bucko

Lane Chandler

Spencer Charters

George Chesebro

Tex Cooper

Ben Corbett

Harry Cording

Claire Du Brey

Tom Dugan

Jim Farley

Paul Fix

Roy Gordon

George Guhl

Henry Hall

Thurston Hall

Charles Halton

Chick Hannan

John Harron

Al Haskell

Howard Hickman

Max Hoffman Jr.

Robert Homans

William Hopper

Reed Howes

Edward Keane

Jack Kenny

Bernard L. Kowalski

Ethan Laidlaw

Wilfred Lucas

Sam McDaniel

Robert Milasch

Walter Miller

Frank Mills

Shirley Mills

Art Mix

Kansas Moehring

Monte Montague

Philip Morris

Jack Mower

Wedgwood Nowell

Artie Ortego

Bud Osborne

Eddie Parker

George Reeves

George Regas

Robert Robinson

Albert Russell

Georgia Simmons

Al Taylor

Charles Trowbridge

Brandon Tynan

Sailor Vincent

Blackie Whiteford

Norman Willis

Michael Curtiz

Robert Buckner

Jack L. Warner

Oliver S. Garretson

Francis J. Scheid

Leo F. Forbstein

Hal B. Wallis

Robert Fellows

George Amy

Sol Polito

Orry-Kelly

Ted Smith

Robert M. Haas

Perc Westmore

Max Steiner

Hans F. Koenekamp

Byron Haskin

Hugo Friedhofer

Yakima Canutt

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.
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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...​
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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.​
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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

CinemaSerf

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.

Virginia City - Trailer

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Virginia City

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Cast

Errol Flynn

Miriam Hopkins

Randolph Scott

Humphrey Bogart

Frank McHugh

Alan Hale

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

John Litel

Douglass Dumbrille

Moroni Olsen

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