ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . a couple of the previous year's most mendacious snooze-fests, STAGECOACH and GONE WITH THE WIND. If you can picture Humphrey Bogart playing the Ringo Kid with a cheesy Mexican accent while Scarlett O'Hara is Can-Can Dancing as a Saloon Hooker, you pretty much can visualize Warner's revisionist flick, VIRGINIA CITY. Throw in Randolph Scott anticipating Henry Fonda's Last Stand in FORT APACHE, and your VIRGINIA CITY synopsis is fairly complete. So what, may you ask, are Warner's messages here? Just as Warner warned us this month about corrupt job-killing corporate automatons, calling these Deplorable Creatures "Soul-less Replicants" in BLADE RUNNER 2049, Warner warns us against America's Racist Southern Confederate Traitor Faction with VIRGINIA CITY. These Fascist Neanderthals are no more human than Replicants, Warner suggests, as they allow their young to die like dogs in the desert if it serves their financial purpose. When "Cobby Gill, age 11" kicks the bucket in great pain after gross neglect from his adult guardians 1:37:31 into VIRGINIA CITY, it brings to mind the married Repug Party U.S. Congressman who stated this week that abortions should be illegal for ALL American women EXCEPT his own pregnant mistress! That's why Warner has Errol Flynn bury all of the Confederates' ill-gotten wealth under a man-made landslide in order to preserve it for Today's True Blue Loyal Patriotic Normal Average 99 Per Center Silent Majority Progressive Union Label Americans. Warner's scene between Fifth Columnist Quisling Julia Hayne and Abe Lincoln lays down the Law: ALL of the Heartless Racists such as Julia MUST be stripped of their American Citizenship for High Treason against our Constitution, and deported like any other Alien Traitor to Antarctica's Larsen Ice Shelf B, while their Gold and Other Assets are seized under the U.S. Civil Forfeiture Statutes and divvied up for Reparations and to pay off the National Debt that they've run up at the expense of the so-called Blue Donor States!

salad1964 Firstly, it should be pointed out, that many of the reviews here, contain definite spoilers, with no warning. Shame on them.Then, all of these movie review wannabes, who parrot words of Hopkins and Bogart being " miscast" are cute little homilies that serve no purpose, and are wholly incorrect. These studios were adept at all matters of film production, and they knew what they were doing. This cry of "miscast", makes people not want to watch a great movie. Bogart is great as the bandit, and is cast correctly. For goodness sake, it's not really a Mexican role, and so what if it was? There were many people who associated with Mexicans then, or had mixed ancestry. Anyway, he did fine. And Hopkins has one, not two love interests. But the story is brilliant, acting superior, and a very happy and rewarding resolution. Errol Flynn, is sheer genius here.

weezeralfalfa One of the few films to dramatize the often overlooked importance of newly mined Western gold and silver in the financing of primarily the Union war machine during the Civil War. It also dramatizes the historic tunneling escape of 100 Union officers from the notorious Richmond Libby Prison. And who else to star in such a drama than Errol Flynn, with true southerner Randy Scott as his chief Confederate nemesis. Throw in some Mexican bandidos, implausibly led by Humphrey Bogart, as the third element in the fight for the gold bullion, Miriam Hopkins as a Southern spy, dance hall girl,and romantic bait for Flynn and Scott, and great Max Steiner background music, and you have the basics for a complicated and exciting Civil War Western screen play.... A decade later, in "Hangman's Knot", Scott would again play the leader of a small Confederate cavalry detachment intent on stealing gold out of Nevada to help prolong a nearly dead Confederacy. Again, there was a 3 -way battle for the gold and, again, the fate of the gold is diplomatically left unsettled.While the screen play provides for an interesting film, this is not to say that is the most plausible screen play. Thus, Flynn and Scott are initial antagonists in the Libby Prison. Later, they are very coincidentally assigned as opponents in relation to a planned secret gold shipment from Virginia City to Texas. Given the dramatized difficulties of the overland transport of a large amount of gold over primitive roads, through mud, sand and occasional rivers, the Confederacy would likely have been long dead, even in the unlikely case that this gold eventually reached Richmond. Near the end of the film, symbolism clearly overtakes plausibility as the driving force of the plot. Some reviewers find this incongruous turn of events a flaw, but I see it as a device to get across the take home message behind the film. Thus, Scott's death clearly symbolizes the impending death of the Confederacy. The implied union of Union intelligence agent Flynn and Mariam's southern spy character after Scott's death, as well as the prior combined Confederate-Union defense of the gold against Bogart's bandidos, clearly symbolizes the impending reunion of the US against common enemies(the Nazis being the relevant contemporary foe for audiences when this film was released). Flynn's eloquent speech at his treason court martial clearly symbolizes Lincoln's rhetoric of binding the nation's wounds. Also, Flynn's Scott-infused changed attitude toward the disposition of the gold, and Mariam's supposed quick journey to Washington(by magic carpet?) to plead with Lincoln to prevent Flynn's imminent execution are highly implausible heroic acts. Flynn's knuckle-headed sidekicks, played by Alan Hale and "Big Boy" Williams, were supposed to provide occasional comic relief, as in the Flynn-starring "Santa Fe Trail" and "Dodge City". However, Bogart's forced acting, with a phony-sounding Mexican accent, perhaps elicits as much humor in today's audiences. His character was clearly modeled on the pre-Civil War Californian Mexican bandit leader Juan Murietta. However, strangely, Bogie has the unMexican name of John Murrell, with an obvious resemblance to the name of the former Mexican outlaw! Yes, there was an infamous outlaw leader named John Murrell, long dead before the Civil War, who operated in the Mississippi river area, robbing people traveling on the river and the Nachez Trace, among various other criminal activities. His likeness was featured in the later Disney film "Davy Crocket and the River Pirates".Now, getting to the point of my title: By coincidence, there were actually 2 Virginia Cities in the western US that were important centers of gold or silver mining during the Civil War. The newly discovered Comstock lode, next to emerging Virginia City, NV, produced mostly silver, but also significant gold, as did a few other NV sites. During the war, abundant placer gold was discovered near the emerging boom town of Virginia City, Montana Territory. It would play a central role (renamed Mineral City) in the classic Clark Gable western "The Tall Men". Now, it happens that the majority of people in this area were southern secessionists(but draft dodgers). Hence, the Lincoln administration was very concerned that much of this gold might end up in the Confederacy. Thus, a vigilante group was organized to help prevent this. Also, a program of subsidized immigration of northerners into this area was initiated. Hence, this Virginia City would have been perhaps a more logical place to site a screen play such as in this film, emphasizing gold rather than silver.As others have noted, Miriam seems miscast in this role. She took the place of Flynn's most popular leading lady, Olivia de Havilland. True, like Scott, she was southern-bred, However, she comes across as much more detached and vulnerable than the smiling tomboyish Olivia. She was also approaching 40, to Olivia's 24 and Flynn's 31. Yes, she was a bit old for Flynn's new squeeze...Flynn, although usually portrayed as a fit swashbuckler, had numerous chronic health problems and risks that kept him out of active service in WWII. Unfortunately, he had a deep personality conflict with the well-regarded director, Michael Curtiz, who directed the majority of Flynn's best remembered films.

zardoz-13 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!