Review of Virginia City (1940) by Kevin R — 04 Nov 2013

All I want is a pocket full of rocks.

Union Officer Kerry Bradford escapes prison and encounters an eccentric woman from Virginia City, Nevada. He agrees to return to the city with her, but she will only allow him to follow her if he promises to not ask any questions. Shortly after arriving in her home town, he discovers that $5 million in gold is being sent though the town to save the confederacy. Will Bradford get involved in this money or will he stay under the radar with his new found friend?

"Are you going to visit your wife?".

"No. I was running away from her...and fast too.".

Michael Curtiz, director of Casablanca, White Christmas, Mildred Pierce, The Adventures of Robin Hood, the Vagabond King, Yankee Doodle Dandee, and Captain Blood, delivers Virginia City. The storyline for this picture is pretty good with dynamic characters and a good ending (a bit sad, but good). The settings were very well done and the film had a war and western feel at the same time. The acting was very good and the cast includes Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart, and Alan Hale.

"I thought I'd let you work out your own punishment.".

"That's amusing.".

I DVR'd this picture last May off Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for two reasons: it is directed by one of my all time favorite directors, the great Michael Curtiz, and it also has one of the all time great actors, Errol Flynn. Curtiz took a huge risk of mixing the two genres, the war drama and the western action pictures, and pulled it off. Flynn does a great job of battling his demons while participating in great shootouts. This isn't my favorite film by either stakeholder, but it is an entertaining picture with great characters and a magnificent ending.

"Can't you see this is murder?".

Grade: B.