Virginia City (1940)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writer:

Robert Buckner (original screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

23 March 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | Romance | Western

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Union officer Kerry Bradford escapes from Confederate Prison and is set to Virginia City in Nevada....

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Nevada | Gold | Escape | Hold Up

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Captain Kerry Bradford
Miriam Hopkins	...	Julia Hayne
Randolph Scott	...	Captain Vance Irby
Humphrey Bogart	...	John Murrell
Frank McHugh	...	Mr. Upjohn
Alan Hale	...	Olaf 'Moose' Swenson
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	'Marblehead'
John Litel	...	Thomas Marshall
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Major Drewery (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Moroni Olsen	...	Dr. Robert Cameron
Russell Hicks	...	John Armistead
Dickie Jones	...	Cobby Gill
Frank Wilcox	...	Union Outpost Soldier
Russell Simpson	...	Frank Gaylord
Victor Kilian	...	Abraham Lincoln
Charles Middleton	...	Jefferson Davis
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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	...	Major 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)
Al Haskell	...	Guerrilla (uncredited)
Howard C. Hickman	...	Confederate General 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)
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	...	Southerner (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)
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)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Townsman standing by stagecoach (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Union Sergeant (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Robert Buckner		(original screenplay)
Howard Koch		uncredited
Norman Reilly Raine		uncredited

Produced by
Robert Fellows	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Sol Polito		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Ted Smith
Robert M. Haas		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack L. Warner	....	executive in charge of production
Frank Mattison	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sherry Shourds	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound

Special Effects by
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)
Byron Haskin	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn/Guinn Williams (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chad Trower	....	stunt rider (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	music arranger: orchestral music
Max Steiner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Jo Graham	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1940) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

USA:121 min | West Germany:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #5857) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

First film written by Howard Koch, although he didn't get screen credit.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During John Murrell's escape from the runaway stagecoach, he shoots it out with Bradford and Swenson. All three men are firing Colt revolvers that won't become available until the 1870s.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Adventures of Errol Flynn (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Can-Can Instrumental

Flynn and Scott

I loved this movie even though it is true Boggie was terribly miscast. But Scott is wonderful as the Rebel officer and Flynn is great, even poignant at times as the Union officer, particularly when they had scenes of them in the Rebel POW camp. I also liked Mirima Hopkin's version of "Battle Cry Of Freedom." And the comic relief is actually generates a few laughs. I have always felt Errol Flynn was underrated as an actor. Check out "Objective Burma" and you will see what I mean. It is also hard to find a Civil War movie that is sympathetic to the North back in the 40's and 50's. For some reason, Hollywood always made the South seem so much more gallant and brave. Maybe they were worried about their Soutghern markets.

I am interested in any opinions on this movie.