Virginia City (1940)

The War Between the States. Miriam Hopkins is on her way to a Southern prison to visit Randolph Scott, the commander. Inside, Errol Flynn and others are tunneling out. Scott goes into the prison room alone to inspect the situation and uncovers the tunnel. He knew of the tunnel since it started and waited until they were almost through to uncover it. Flynn promises him revenge. Hopkins tells Scott there is gold they can get in Virginia City, Nevada. Scott goes to Jefferson Davis to get approval of the project. When he gets back, the prisoners have blown up the magazine and Flynn, Alan Ladd and Guinn Williams escape. General Meade (Thurston Hall) sends them to Virginia City to thwart the Rebel intentions. On the stage to Nevada, they encounter Humphrey Bogart, a "gun salesman" leader of a bandit band (with an absolutely awful Spanish accent) who holds them up, but Flynn had removed his bullets. Bogey makes a spectacular escape. Hopkins and Flynn become romantically involved. When they arrive, Union partisans are rallying in the street.

Scott and his helpers are melting gold bars and disguising them for the journey east - five million dollars worth. He and Flynn accidentally meet in the saloon, so Flynn then knows who the leader of the Southern project is. Hopkins learns from Scott who Flynn is, and she is disconsolate. Flynn follows Scott to their workplace and there is a shootout. Bogey comes to the Doctor, who is a Southerner, and asks to have his wound mended. Scott helps the doctor work, and hires Bogey to help him get away. Hopkins tries to persuade Flynn to give up the search, but he won't. So, she sends him to a meeting with Scott, where he is taken prisoner. In the meantime Murrell attacks the fort and forces the commander to call his troops back from town, where they are guarding the roads out. The wagon train makes a successful getaway. In time they come to a Yankee fort, where it is noticed how heavy the wagons are, contrary to their visible load. A battle breaks out. A little boy is crushed by a wagon wheel .In the battle, Flynn escapes. Scott and several others take out after him. Flynn's horse stumbles coming down a grade, and he is slightly injured. He makes it to a telegraph station and sends word to the fort.

In the wagon train, the boy finally dies. When the reach the river, the bed is cracked and dry. In addition, Bogey and his band are now on their trail and attack the train. However, the Union advance patrol shows up in time to help. Then Scott is wounded. He asks Flynn to take command. They drive off the attack, but Bogart plans another one in the morning. Flynn tells Scott that the fate of the gold is out of his hands, but he promises Bogart will not get it. Flynn blows up a canyon and buries the gold in a landslide. Then the cavalry arrives, the bugle sounding Charge. Flynn tells the commander that there is no gold, and is placed under arrest for his trouble and court-martialed. He is sentenced to death. Hopkins rushes to Washington and gets Lincoln to pardon Flynn.



 
Hopkins and Scott