Eclipse Series 5: THE FIRST FILMS OF SAMUEL FULLER: FULLER, Samuel: The Baron Of Arizona (1950)

FULLER, Samuel (United States)

The Baron Of Arizona [1950]
Eclipse Series 5
DVD

In one of his own favorite roles, Vincent Price portrays legendary swindler James Addison Reavis, who, in 1880, concocted an elaborate and dangerous hoax to ascend to the title of "Baron of Arizona" and inherit all the land in the state. Samuel Fuller adapted this real-life tall tale to film with fleet, elegant storytelling and a sly sense of humor.

97 minutes
Black & White

Monaural

1:33:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 2007

Director/Writer

Samuel Fuller was 38 when he wrote and directed The Baron of Arizona.

Other Fuller films in the Collection:

Eclipse Series 5: I Shot Jesse James (1949)
Eclipse Series 5: The Steel Helmet (1951)
#224: Pickup On South Street (1953)
#954: Forty Guns (1957)
#19: Shock Corridor (1963)
#18: The Naked Kiss (1964)
#455: White Dog (1982)

The Film

If Fuller wanted to show that — after I Shot Jesse James — he could tackle any subject for a film, he couldn’t have picked a more different story for his sophomore effort! Vincent Price inhabits the role of the Baron of Arizona (James Reavis) — a true story Fuller plucked from the newspapers of the time, which is worth reading …

In fact, Fuller is pretty truthful to the real-life story, other than prettifying-up the ending.

Reed Hadley returns from I Shot Jesse James to play John Griff, the forgery expert.

Vladimir Sokoloff is terrific as Pepito Alvarez, Reavis’s unwitting accomplice — much more nuanced than the generic cipher that this traditional ethnic role would have been written as. 

A cute conceit of the film is that the entire picture is a flashback from an opening scene set in 1912, the year Arizona became a state. Griff is sitting around with a bunch of government officials, celebrating the entrance of the 48th state to the Union, when he begins to tell the tale of Reavis — who he grudgingly respected.

Fuller would have done well to return to this “present-day” scene at the end — especially when Griff finally gets Reavis to admit that — not only had Reavis read Griff’s book on forgery, but that it was his “bible.” It would have made for a better final scene than the mushy reunion when Reavis is finally released from prison.

All in all, a terrific second film from one of our greatest auteurs, Sammy Fuller …

Film Rating (0-100):

91

By Director
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