The Baron of Arizona (1950)

Master swindler James Reavis painstakingly spends years forging documents and land grants that will make his wife and him undisputed owners of the entire state of Arizona.

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller

Stars:

Vincent Price, Ellen Drew, Vladimir Sokoloff

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Price	...	James Addison Reavis
Ellen Drew	...	Sofia de Peralta-Reavis
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Pepito Alvarez
Beulah Bondi	...	Loma Morales
Reed Hadley	...	John Griff
Robert Barrat	...	Judge Adams (as Robert H. Barrat)
Robin Short	...	Tom Lansing
Tina Pine	...	Rita (as Tina Rome)
Karen Kester	...	Sofia as a Child
Margia Dean	...	Marquesa de Santella
Jonathan Hale	...	Governor
Edward Keane	...	Surveyor General Miller
Barbara Woodell	...	Mrs. Carrie Lansing
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Mr. Richardson
Fred Kohler Jr.	...	Demmings

Storyline

The U.S. government recognizes land grants made when the West was under Spanish rule. This inspires James Reavis to forge a chain of historical evidence that makes a foundling girl the Baroness of Arizona. Reavis marries the girl and presses his claim to the entire Arizona territory.

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Plot Keywords:

arizona | swindler | library | gypsy | governess | 

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Taglines:

FASCINATING TRUE STORY...of the most daring rogue the world has ever known!

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Baron von Arizona

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Deputy Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in 15 days.

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Quotes

Rita, the Gypsy Dancer: Who are you?
James Addison 'The Baron' Reavis, aka Brother Anthony: A wanderer like Cain looking for a woman of my own.

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Connections

Referenced in The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (1996)

User Reviews

Nice Role for Price

Baron of Arizona, The (1950)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fact-based drama of James Reavis (Vincent Price), the man who tried to gain control of Arizona and taking the U.S. government to court in order to prove it was his. In reality, Reavis set out on a life-long scheme full of lies and forgery to try and pull it off. As with Fuller's first movie, this second feature has a lot going for it but at the same time there are some major problems that keep it from being a lot better than it actually is. The biggest problem for me was the screenplay, which I felt spent way too much time with the build up and not enough of a pay off. The first fifty-two minutes are so drawn out that I began to lose interest in the film, story and characters. The opening of showing how Reavis set everything into motion is so drawn out that I was becoming quite bored and losing interest in the entire film. To me this entire segment could have been done in a twenty-minute sequence and it would have paid off more in the end. The film really starts to pick up once we're back in Arizona and Reavis tries to fulfill his evil plan. The reaction to the poor land owners, the government and the effect this plan has on Reavis makes for some good drama, which is lacking in the first half of the film. Price gives a wonderful performance and is the main reason to watch the movie. He's so calm and collective in how evil he is at one point you really can't help but wish he'd get away with the crime. The supporting players are fine even though no one really stands out. Fuller's direction is nice throughout and the cinematography is good as well. In the end this is a rather nice look at history but one can't help but wish it was better.