Virginia City (1940)

Atlanta has fallen. The South is running out of men and money. In fact, the situation looks nearly hopeless.

But former Southern belle Julia Hayne (Miriam Hopkins) and five Confederate sympathizers living in Virginia City offer a glimmer of hope.

Those men are willing to ante up $5 million for the Rebel cause if the precious metal they’ve mined can find its way from Nevada to Richmond.

That chore falls to former prison commandant Vance Irby (Randolph Scott), a longtime admirer of Julia.

And so he heads to Virginia City to organize an expedition where the gold will be hidden in the beds of wagons and directed through Union lines.

Julia has already been operating in Virginia City as a spy of sorts, singing in a local saloon as Julia Adams and listening closely to whatever secrets Union soldiers disclose after they’ve had a few drinks.

Ah, but one of Irby’s former Union inmates — Kerry Bradford (Errol Flynn) — shows up in Virginia City too.

He suspects the South will try to smuggle gold back East and he and his two sidekicks — Moose (Alan Hale) and Marblehead (Guinn Williams) — are determined to keep that from happening.

That forces Irby into an uneasy alliance with a bandit named Murrell (Humphrey Bogart), offering his $10,000 to launch an attack on the Union garrison that will provide a diversion while the Rebels smuggle the gold out of town.

Of course, there’s another complication. Bradford has fallen for Julia and vice versa.

And in order for the plan to work, she’s going to have to lure him into Irby’s trap.

Errol Flynn as Kerry Bradford, surprised to spot new acquaintance Julia Hayne on a saloon stage in Virginia City (1940)

Miriam Hopkins as Julia Hayne, the Southern spy who falls for a Union officer in Virginia City (1940)

Review:

For the follow-up to Flynn’s highly successful “Dodge City” (1939), Warner Brothers delivered a more original plot and added more star power in the form of Humphrey Bogart and Randolph Scott. And somehow wound up with a weaker film.

Oh, Scott turns in his usual steady performance. But Miriam Hopkins isn’t nearly spirited enough as the woman caught between her love of the South and her love for Flynn’s Bradford. And poor Bogart is saddled with a ridiculous Mexican accent.

Hale and Williams are back from “Dodge City” to provide comic relief as Flynn’s indispensable assistants. But they never seem indispensable and the humor never quite finds its mark.

Then there’s an incredibly contrived ending that just might have you groaning out loud.

Among the highlights: a rousing chase scene in which Bradford is trying to escape from the Confederates. At one point, he and his horse go tumbling head over heels down a steep hillside.

Randolph Scott as Vance Irby, the Confederate officer leading efforts to get badly needed gold to the South in Virginia City (1940)

Humphrey Bogart as John Murrell, a bandit planning to steal the Rebel gold in Virginia City (1940)

Directed by:
Michael Curtiz

Cast:
Errol Flynn … Kerry Bradford
Miriam Hopkins … Julia Hayne (Adams)
Randolph Scott … Vance Irby
Humphrey Bogart … John Murrell
Frank McHugh … Mr. Upjohn
Alan Hale … “Moose” Swenson
Guinn Williams … Marblehead
John Litel … Marshall
Douglas Dumbrille … Maj. Drewery
Moroni Olsen … Cameron
Russell Hicks … Armisted
Dickie Jones … Cobb Gill
Frank Wilcox … Union soldier
Russell Simpson … Gaylord
Victor Kilian … Abraham Lincoln
Charles Middleton … Jefferson Davis

Runtime: 118 min.

Alan Hale as Moose Swenson and Guinn Williams as Marblehead, marveling over a saloon painting in Virginia City (1940)

Douglas Dumbrille as Maj. Drewery, the Union officer out to recover the Confederate gold in Virginia City (1940)

Memorable lines:

Confederate officer: “Jeb Stuart told me he (Irby) was the smartest scout he had. And he added that Irby could lead a cavalry raid to Hades and back.”
Jefferson Davis: “From what I hear, that’s a pretty accurate description of Virginia City.”

Vance Irby: “Remember when we met, we’ve never seen one another before. Then the federals can’t suspect.”
Julia Hayne: “I’m an expert like that now, treating friends like strangers and enemies like friends.”

Kerry Bradford: “I’m taking these men with me. We always work together.”
Union officer: “What are their qualifications?”
Bradford: “Well, sir, Marblehead there — he’s probably one of the finest horse thieves east of Chicago. … And Moose, he’s had four wives, so he’s had to learn how to work undercover.”

Julia Hayne, upon her reunion with Vance in the saloon where she sings: “How do you like Virginia City?”
Kerry Bradford: “I haven’t made up my mind yet. But I can see Virginia City likes you.”

Dickie Jones as young Cobby Gill, friend of Julia Hayne (Miriam Hopkins) in Virginia City (1940)

Errol Flynn as Kerry Bradford, the Union officer out to stop gold from reaching the Confederacy in Virginia City (1940)

Miriam Hopkins as Julia Hayne and Randolph Scott as Vance Irby, talking about their plans in Virginia City (1940)

Errol Flynn as Kerry Bradford with his sidekicks, Alan Hale as Moose Swenson and Guinn Williams as Marblehead in Virginia City (1940)