I never fail to be moved by this Civil War western from 1940, ever since the first time I watched it on late night television with my father when I was in the seventh grade. Errol Flynn (representing the Union) around this time was on top form, and Randolph Scott, a native Virginian, is ideally suited for the role of Southern gentleman soldier.Miriam Hopkins, while a bit older than the usual leading lady in films of this period, is still very beautiful and is perfect as a Southern aristocrat fallen on hard times because of a war which is obviously being lost. Humphrey Bogart may at first seem a bit ridiculous as a Mexican bandit, but he could play the bad guy when he had to and you have to remember that this film was before Casablanca and his other great classics.The film does have some very corny lines, which it is hard to believe were not laughable even at the time it was made. However the score by Max Steiner is absolutely wonderful and helps to convey the sadness and desperation of both sides in early 1865. The courtroom scene towards the end with Errol Flynn, while probably not rooted in reality, is to me one of the actor's finer moments. And the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, shown in shadow towards the end of the film, has always been my vision of Lincoln.

When I was a child back in the 1950s, Westerns were the big thing. But, like the rest of America, as I grew older I gave up watching Westerns...except for once in a while when a Western came along with big stars, high production values, and a story that was a little different. This film has all those qualities.Let's begin with the cast. Errol Flynn was in his prime years when he made this film, and it's obvious why he was such a tremendous star. Miriam Hopkins, who is either really good or really lousy in each of her films, is very good here as a Southern belle working to save the Confederacy (type casting? She was a native of Savannah, Georgia). Randolph Scott is excellent as the Confederate who is attempting to ship gold back to Richmond to save the Confederacy. Humphrey Bogart, unfortunately, is terribly miscast as a stagecoach robber who gets mixed up in the Confederates versus Yankees, but this was just one year before he hit it big with films such as "The Maltese Falcon". Frank McHugh is here, although one wonders why...but at least he is not as annoying as he sometimes was. Alan Hale is great as Flynn's sidekick...perhaps only second (next to Gabby Hayes) as sidekicks go. Even the minor players do well here.Then there's the history of what is really a mix of a Civil War story and a Western. The early part of the film at the prison in Richmond is fairly accurate, although Richmond doesn't have moss hanging from the trees, and the river that flows through the city doesn't look like that at all. But much of the info about he prison is pretty close to real history.Production values here are very high. The scenes in red rock country -- what a shame they weren't filmed in color! And then there's the plot, which is on the unique side! Randolph Scott and his cohorts trying to bring western gold to the Confederacy in Richmond, versus Errol Flynn and his cohorts trying to stop them. And in the middle, a woman (naturally)...Miriam Hopkins. Hopkins proves she couldn't sing, but she had pretty nice legs...way up there! And, interestingly, the rebels are portrayed fairly -- as people who are simply on the other side of the tragedy of the Civil War.This is a rip-snortin' Western well worth watching and having on your DVD shelf...particularly because of Errol Flynn in his prime.

Rather dated by modern standards, with badly staged shootouts and obvious rear projection setups for when the stars are in close-up, this is still a fairly entertaining olde tyme western, thanks to a strong dash of Civil War intrigue, some (then) cutting edge work by legendary western stunt director Yakima Canutt and some truly magnificent desert scenery. Director Michael Curtiz was the model of an economical studio director and produced his usual smooth results. The movie looks good, moves efficiently and shows no evidence of flab or waste. Errol Flynn is likable as ever as a Union officer on the trail of a confederate gold shipment. Flynn was never long on acting chops, but he had a lot of amiability on screen and here he is at something close to his best. Randolph Scott is also very good as his opposite number, a stalwart Rebel captain with a plan to keep the bankrupt Confederacy in the war business. Unfortunately, the rest of the casting was a major weakness. Humphrey Bogart, a year before his star-making break in The Maltese Falcon, is here badly miscast as a Mexican bandit (I am not making this up) complete with cheesy moustache and even cheesier accent. And that's not the worst. Miriam Hopkins once again begs the question as to how she got to be a top-billed movie star. Ordinary looking and one- dimensionally earnest, she demonstrates no hint of that special uniqueness that ear-marks a movie star, and in her two rather embarrassing musical numbers fails to hint at a talent for either dancing or singing. If Judy Garland represents an 'A', and, let's say Betty Hutton gets a 'B', Hopkins would be hard pressed to crack a 'D-'. But if you can overlook the deficiencies of its leading actress, this is an efficient piece of old fashioned family entertainment of a sort not produced in a long time.

No, Michael Curtiz's "Virginia City" is not as memorable as "Dodge City." Curtiz helmed "Dodge City"(1939) about the taming of that historic frontier railroad & cattle town with Errol Flynn triumphing over the elements of chaos. He refuses to pin on a lawman's badge until the villains kill a helpless little boy. Warner Brothers lensed "Dodge City" in Technicolor , whereas the Burbank studio filmed "Virginia City" in black & white. The characters in "Dodge City" possess greater charisma, including Bruce Cabot's villainous Jeff Surrett. Robert Buckner, who penned the screenplay for "Dodge City," also wrote "Virginia City." Furthermore, lenser Sol Polito photographed both epics, and his cinematography is outstanding, except that the gorgeous desert locations in "Virginia City" lanquish by comparison in black & white. Although Warner Brothers wanted to capitalize on the success of "Dodge City," the studio cut many corners on this quasi-sequel. Whereas "Dodge City" was a rip-snorting, larger-than-life western, "Virginia City" differs because the good guys and the bad guys behave differently in the last quarter-hour. The last 30-minutes are pretty contrived and the hero makes a moral decision that conflicts with his command imperatives as a Union officer. The resolution seems rather far-fetched and an effort to wrap up everything with a happily-ever after ending. Humphrey Bogart makes an uncharacteristic appearance as a mustached Mexican bandit who preys on our heroes. The first time that he encounters Kerry Bradford (Errol Flynn) on a stagecoach, he tries to rob him, but Bradford outsmarts him. Actually, Bogart is the only genuine villain in this Civil War era oater that takes place in Nevada. Flynn plays a resourceful U.S. Army officer Bradford who tangles with Randolph Scott's Confederate Army officer Vance Irby. They are sworn enemies from the outset with Flynn and his cohorts Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams holed up in the notorious Libby Prison with Irby as a Confederate officer in charge who catches them trying to dig their way out. Later, they blow-up a powder magazine while tunneling to freedom when Irby is off elsewhere. Meantime, Captain Vance Irby (Randolph Scott of "She") and Julia Hayne (Miriam Hopkins of "Barbary Coast") devise an audacious scheme to transport $5-million in gold ingots from Virginia City to the South. President Jefferson Davis (Charles Middleton of "Flash Gordon") approves of the plan. Bradford and company set out to thwart Irby and Hayne. Although it is in black & white, Curtiz and Polito provide a good-looking picture and Flynn makes a first-class hero. Scott qualifies as a quasi-villain because Flynn and he wind up on the same side when Bogart's Hispanic outlaw attacks the wagon train led by Scott. The Confederates have cleverly concealed the gold in wagons with false bottoms. Naturally, Flynn falls in love with Hopkins. The action scenes are terrifi, especially when Murrell and his army surround the Southern wagon train in the desert! No, Michael Curtiz's "Virginia City" is not as memorable as "Dodge City." Curtiz helmed "Dodge City"(1939) about the taming of that historic frontier railroad & cattle town with Errol Flynn triumphing over the elements of chaos. "Virginia City" was lensed in black & white, whereas "Dodge City" was filmed in color and the characters in "Dodge City" have greater charisma, including Bruce Cabot's villainous Jerr Surrett. Robert Buckner, who penned the screenplay for "Dodge City," also wrote "Virginia City." Furthermore, Sol Polito shot both films and the cinematography is outstanding on each, except that the gorgeous desert locations lanquish in black & white. Humphrey Bogart makes an uncharacteristic appearance as a mustached Mexican bandit who preys on our heroes. Actually, Bogart is the only genuine villain. Flynn plays a U.S. Army officer who tangles with Randolph Scott's Confederate Army officer. They are sworn enemies from the outset with Flynn and his cohorts Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams are hard-riding and hard-drinking. The three of them blow-up a powder magazine while tunneling to freedom and escape. Meantime, Scott and Miriam Hopkins make arrangements to transport $5-million in gold ingots from Virginia City to the South, while Flynn and company try to stop them. Although it is in black & white, Curtiz and Polito provide a good-looking picture and Flynn makes a first-class hero. Scott qualifies as a quasi-villain because Flynn and he wind up on the same side when Bogart's Hispanic outlaw attacks the wagon train led by Scott. The Confederates have cleverly concealed the gold in wagons with false bottoms. Naturally, Flynn falls in love with Hopkins. THe action scenes are terrific!