Virginia City

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

1940 2h 1m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 41

WesternRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

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

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers: Robert Buckner
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Curtiz, shot by Sol Polito. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Max Steiner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor George Amy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Errol Flynn and Miriam Hopkins and Randolph Scott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Go West!...to Virginia City...for excitement, for adventure, for primitive romance!!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033226 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Curtiz directs. Sol Polito behind the camera. Max Steiner scores. George Amy cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Michael Curtiz, shot by Sol Polito. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Max Steiner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor George Amy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Errol Flynn and Miriam Hopkins and Randolph Scott carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Go West!...to Virginia City...for excitement, for adventure, for primitive romance!!!".
8IMDB entry: tt0033226 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sol Polito
Original score: Max Steiner
Editing: George Amy
Costume design: Orry-Kelly
Makeup / hair: Perc Westmore
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,179,000
Box office: $2,372,567
Return: 201% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Virginia City (1940)

Also by

Michael Curtiz

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-04-07
★ 6/10
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
CinemaSerf2022-06-23
★ 7/10
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.