Virginia City (film)
Encyclopedia
Virginia City is a 1940 black-and-white movie starring Errol Flynn
, Miriam Hopkins
, and Randolph Scott
, and featuring a mustachioed Humphrey Bogart
in the role of the real-life outlaw John Murrell
. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz
. The film premiered in its namesake, Virginia City, Nevada
.
) stages a daring escape under the nose of the prison's warden, Vance Irby (Randolph 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 (Miriam 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 (Humphrey 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 Abraham Lincoln
(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...."
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
, Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
, and Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
, and featuring a mustachioed Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
in the role of the real-life outlaw John Murrell
John Murrell (bandit)
John A. Murrell , a near-legendary bandit operating in the United States along the Mississippi River in the mid-nineteenth century...
. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
. The film premiered in its namesake, Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
.
Plot
The action begins in a Confederate prison, from which Union officer Kerry Bradford (Errol FlynnErrol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
) stages a daring escape under the nose of the prison's warden, Vance Irby (Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
) — but not before learning that the rebels plan to smuggle five million dollars in gold from Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
(in Union territory), to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, from which it can be shipped to Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
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 (Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
), who unbeknownst to him is in fact a dance-hall girl — and a rebel spy! Also on the stagecoach is a mysterious gun salesman (Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
) 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
Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood.-Life and career:...
) 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
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
and sentences him to death on April 9, 1865.
But on the day before Bradford's scheduled execution, Julia meets with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
(Victor Kilian
Victor Kilian
Victor Arthur Kilian was an American actor who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
, 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
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
and Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
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
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
quoting from his second inaugural address: "With malice toward none; with charity for all...."
Cast
- Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
as Captain Kerry Bradford - Miriam HopkinsMiriam HopkinsEllen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
as Julia Hayne - Randolph ScottRandolph ScottRandolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
as Captain Vance Irby - Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as John Murrell - Frank McHughFrank McHughFrancis Curray "Frank" McHugh was an American film and television actor.Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents ran a stock theatre company and as a young child he performed on stage...
as Mr. Upjohn - Alan HaleAlan Hale, Sr.Alan Hale, Sr. was an American movie actor and director, most widely remembered for his many supporting character roles, in particular as frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn. His wife of over thirty years was Gretchen Hartman , a child actress and silent film player and mother of their three children...
as Olaf 'Moose' Swenson - Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as 'Marblehead'
- John LitelJohn LitelJohn Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
as Thomas Marshall - Douglass DumbrilleDouglass DumbrilleDouglass Dumbrille was a Canadian actor and one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood.-Life and career:...
as Major Drewery (as Douglas Dumbrille) - Moroni OlsenMoroni OlsenMoroni Olsen was an American actor.-Biography:Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah to Mormon parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Marsha Hoverholst who named him after the Moroni found in the Book of Mormon. Some sources have claimed that Olsen's birth name was John Willard Clawson, or even John Willard...
as Dr. Robert Cameron - Russell HicksRussell HicksRussell Hicks was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 300 films between 1915 and 1956. His first appearance was an uncredited role in The Birth of a Nation . He often appeared as a smooth talking confidence man, as in the W.C. Fields film, The Bank Dick...
as John Armistead - Dickie Jones as Cobby Gill
- Frank WilcoxFrank WilcoxFrank Reppy Wilcox was an American character actor who made over 150 film appearances and almost 200 TV appearances...
as Union Outpost Soldier - Russell SimpsonRussell Simpson (actor)Russell McCaskill Simpson was an American character actor.Born in San Francisco, California, Simpson is best known for his work in the films of John Ford and, in particular, for his portrayal of Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath in 1940.Simpson reportedly prospected for gold in Alaska in his youth,...
as Frank Gaylord - Victor KilianVictor KilianVictor Arthur Kilian was an American actor who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
as Abraham Lincoln - Charles MiddletonCharles B. MiddletonCharles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
as Jefferson Davis