Virginia City (1940)

Written by CinemaSerf on June 23, 2022

This is quite an action packed civil wartime drama with Errol Flynn on good form as escaped Yankee officer "Bradford", sent behind enemy lines to thwart a Confederate plan to smuggle $5 million in gold bullion to help the cash-strapped South. Turns out that the man leading the attempt to pinch the gold is none other than his former prison commander "Irby" (Randolph Scott) and now a cat and mouse game ensues between the men, both desperate to succeed... Add to the mix, the duplicitous "Murrell" (Humphrey Bogart), a shrewd bandit with designs of his own on the loot, and a little feistier than usual contribution from Miriam Hopkins - and Michael Curtiz creates quite a superior adventure with plenty going on, some decent dialogue - and characters with some substance - integrity even - as we head to a denouement that, admittedly, does lack for much peril. Still, a strong supporting cast work well with Max Steiner's reliable-as-ever score and some decent photography to make this more than just a vehicle for Flynn. It's good.