Virginia City

Director: Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz

Overview

After escaping from a Confederate prison during the Civil War, Union officer Errol Flynn vows to stop a $5,000,000 gold shipment from reaching the South. He is challenged by Southern sympathizer Randolph Scott, whose interest in the gold is patriotic, and by outlaw Humphrey Bogart, whose interests are purely mercenary.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2016
UPC:	0888574446277
Original Release:	1940
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	2:01:00
Sales rank:	20,043

Special Features

Commentary by Historian Frank Thompson; Warner Night at the Movies 1940 Short Subjects Gallery: Vintage Newsreel; Technicolor Shorts Cinderella's Feller and The Flag of Humanity; Classic Cartoons Cross Country Detours and Confederate Honey; Trailers of Virginia City and 1940's A Dispatch from Reuters; Making of Featurette: The Light Brigade Rides Again

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Errol Flynn	Capt. Kerry Bradford
Miriam Hopkins	Julia Hayne/Julie Adams
Humphrey Bogart	John Murrell
Randolph Scott	Capt. Vance Irby
Frank McHugh	Mr. Upjohn
Guinn "Big Boy" Williams	"Marblehead"
John Litel	Thomas A. Marshall
Moroni Olsen	Dr. Rob Cameron
Russell Hicks	John Armistead
Douglas Dumbrille	Major Drewery
Dick Jones	Cobby Gill
Monte Montague	Stage Driver
Bud Osborne	Stage Driver
Lane Chandler	Soldier Clerk
Trevor Bardette	Fanatic
Frank Wilcox	Union Soldier
Edward Keane	Officer
George Regas	Half-Breed
Russell Simpson	Gaylord
Thurston Hall	Gen. Meade
Charles Middleton	Jefferson Davis,Jefferson Davis
Victor Kilian	Abraham Lincoln
Charles Trowbridge	Seddon
Howard Hickman	Gen. Page
Charles Halton	Ralston
Roy Gordon	Maj. Gen. Taylor
Ward Bond	Sgt. Sam McDaniel
Spencer Charters	Bartender
George Guhl	Bartender
Eddie Parker	Lieutenant
William Hopper	Lieutenant
Paul Fix	Murrell's Henchman
Walter Miller	Sergeant
Reed Howes	Sergeant
George Reeves	Telegrapher
Wilfred Lucas	Southerner
Brandon Tynan	Trenholm
Tom Dugan	Spieler
Harry Cording	Scarecrow
Alan Hale Jr.	Olaf "Moose" Swenson
Philip Morris	Confederate Sentry
Sam McDaniel	Sam
Yakima Canutt	Stunts
Max Steiner	Composer

Technical Credits

Norman Raine

Robert Buckner

Howard Koch

Michael Curtiz	Director
Robert Fellows	Producer
Byron Haskin	Special Effects
H.F. Koenekamp	Special Effects
Norman Raine	Screenwriter
Hal Wallis	Producer,Executive Producer
Robert Buckner	Screenwriter
Howard Koch	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Although Virginia City claims that it has a basis in historical fact, that's mostly wishful thinking on the part of its creators. It hardly matters, as Virginia is an entertaining enough little western even with nothing more than a brief nod to historical accuracy. There are, however, a few kinks in its screenplay that do get in the way of it being a better movie. The whole idea of the Confederacy trying to "sneak" an immense load of gold into the South through several hundred miles of open territory is a bit hard to take. Even harder to take is the film's attempt to be "even handed" in dealing with the Civil War; the studio seemed too concerned with possibly insulting viewers in the South and so the real conflict (and potentially resulting drama) is downplayed to a large degree. There also are some casting choices that hurt Virginia a bit. Foremost among these is a ridiculous Humphrey Bogart (complete with a teeny little mustache) playing a Mexican outlaw and convincing absolutely no one that he is from south of any known border. Miriam Hopkins also does not convince as a saloon singer who is also a spy for the South. Errol Flynn is miles ahead of these co-stars, but even Flynn comes across as a mite wooden; he's got style and flair, but his heart doesn't seem to be in it. Fortunately, there are no complaints about Randolph Scott, and the supporting cast does its job well. Michael Curtiz directs with a sure hand and gets the most he can out of the adventure sequences; if his work here is not among his best, it's still more than adequate to the task at hand.