A Masterpiece!

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

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.

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.

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.

With the success of Dodge City still fresh, Virginia City was a natural sequel. Flynn's his usual dashing self plus fires off some great romantic lines but the omission of Olivia De Havilland in favor of Miriam Hopkins was a misfire. Not only can't she sing, she doesn't look that good either! Humphrey Bogart, on the eve of stardom is more a curio with his awful accent but he's still fun to see.It was also rare to pair Flynn with another leading man, this time: Randolph Scott! Both handle their duties with aplomb. Flynn's on and off-screen drinking buddies, Alan Hale and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams provide comedic relief. Michael Curtiz directs so plenty of heavy-hitters make this Western better than most. It does drag on a little too long but on a rainy or sick day, sit back and enjoy. Filmed in the Painted Desert and at Calabasas Ranch. Of note: made famous in the film Stagecoach, there's still a great runaway US Mail stagecoach scene with Flynn jumping from horse to horse plus Williams sliding along the bottom then climbing back up.