Main Cast: Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Frank McHugh
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Promoted as a follow-up to the popular 1939 western Dodge City (which, indeed, was left wide open for a sequel in its closing scenes), Virginia City bears only surface resemblance to the earlier film. Indeed, the only discerning links between the two pictures are the western setting and the presence in the cast of Errol Flynn, Frank McHugh, Alan Hale and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams. After escaping from a Confederate prison during the Civil War, Union officer 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 (complete with a Mexican accent that wouldn't convince a cow), whose interests are purely mercenary. Adding spice to the proceedings is Miriam Hopkins as a dance hall chanteusse-cum-Confederate spy. Better in individual components than sum total, Virginia City pleased the crowds in 1940, assuring that the Tasmanian-born Errol Flynn would continue appearing in westerns in the future. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
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. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
The action begins in a Confederate prison, from which Union officer Kerry Bradford (Flynn) stages a daring escape under the nose of the prison's warden, Vance Irby (Scott) — but not before learning that the rebels plan to smuggle five million dollars in gold from Virginia City, Nevada (in Union territory), to Texas, from which it can be shipped to Richmond to aid the Confederate war effort. Bradford reports to Union headquarters and is immediately sent to Virginia City, to determine where the gold is being kept. On the stagecoach, he meets and falls in love with the elegant Julia Hayne (Hopkins), who unbeknownst to him is in fact a dance-hall girl — and a rebel spy! Also on the stagecoach is a mysterious gun salesman (Bogart) who quickly reveals himself as the legendary John Murrell, leader of a gang of bandidos. But Bradford gets the drop on him and his gang is sent away empty-handed; Murrell himself escapes by leaping into a river.
Once the stage has reached Virginia City, Julia gives Bradford the slip and heads off to warn Irby, who has been sent to manage the gold-smuggling operation, that Bradford is in town. Bradford follows Irby to the rebels' hideout, behind a false wall in a blacksmiths' shop; but the gold is moved before he can discover it. The Union garrison is called out to patrol the streets, so as to catch any wagons trying to leave town.
Meanwhile, Irby happens to be meeting with the sympathetic town doctor when Murrell shows up, looking for a man to set his broken arm. Irby offers Murrell $10,000 to perform a small service: Murrell's bandidos will attack the garrison, forcing the Union soldiers in the streets to come to its defense. While the soldiers' backs are turned, Irby's rebels will be able to smuggle the gold out in the false bottoms of their wagons. But first Irby needs to take care of Bradford: He uses Julia to arrange a meeting between the two men, and then takes Bradford prisoner, intending to return him to prison. (Irby, of course, is too honorable to simply shoot Bradford on the spot.)
The rebels' wagon train reaches a Union outpost, where the wagons are stopped and searched. The skittish rebels start a firefight, and in the confusion Bradford escapes. Pursued closely by Irby and his men, he rides his horse down a steep incline and ends up somersaulting down the hill. The rebels, not wishing to follow, leave him for dead. The train continues toward Texas, while Bradford sends a telegraph to the garrison. The major in charge of the garrison (Douglass Dumbrille) is not as adept as Bradford in anticipating Irby's tactics, and does not take kindly to advice, so the pursuit falls ever further behind the rebels (who are themselves fighting thirst, privation, and the unforgiving terrain).
However, at this point Murrell and his bandidos return, not satisfied with $10,000 when there are better pickings to be had. The wagons are circled in a canyon, and the rebels and their gold seem to be lost, when Bradford and his small force arrive. Irby is wounded in the fight, but Bradford's superior military skills and the rebels' long guns drive off the bandits. That night, knowing that in the morning both Murrell's men and the mass of the Union garrison will arrive, Bradford takes the gold from the wagons and buries it in the canyon with the help of two kegs of gunpowder.
When the major and his men arrive in the morning in time to crush the bandits' renewed attack, Bradford denies the gold ever existed. He is brought up in a court-martial, where he defends his actions by explaining that while, as a soldier, he knows the gold might be used to end the war sooner, still it belongs to the South, and, as a man, he would rather it go to rebuild the South's shattered economy and wounded honor after the war. Nevertheless, the court finds him guilty of high treason and sentences him to death on April 9, 1865.
But on the day before Bradford's scheduled execution, Julia meets with the President (Victor Kilian, seen only in his silhouette cast on a piece of paper) and pleads for his life. Lincoln reveals that at that very moment, Generals Lee and Grant are meeting at Appomattox Courthouse to end the war. As the war is over, and in a symbol of the reconciliation between North and South, Lincoln gladly pardons Bradford, and the film ends with Lincoln's voiceover quoting from his second inaugural address: "With malice toward none; with charity for all...."
