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The Baron of Arizona
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The Baron of Arizona
The Baron of Arizona is a 1950 American independent Western film directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Vincent Price and Ellen Drew.
The film concerns a master forger's attempted use of false documents to lay claim to the territory of Arizona late in the 19th century. It is based on the case of James Reavis, whose scheme came close to success, but many of the film's details are fictionalized.
The notorious attempt by swindler James Reavis to claim the entire territory of Arizona as his own before it was granted statehood in 1912 is recounted years later by John Griff, who works for the Department of the Interior.
In 1872, Reavis goes to great lengths to forge documents in Spain and create the illusion that he had a legal right to claim Arizona. He begins by seeking Pepito Alvarez to inquire about Sofia, an infant abandoned by Reavis many years before. Reavis takes Sofia home with him, hires governess Loma Morales to refine her and then marries her, using fabricated proof that identifies Sofia as the rightful baroness of Arizona. The suspicious federal government, unable to disprove Reavis' claim, offers him $25 million for the rights to the land, but he declines.
Miller, the surveyor general, is sure that Reavis has somehow doctored the documents. He recruits the help of Griff, a forgery expert. After Reavis orders settlers and families to vacate the land, a displaced rancher tosses a bomb into his office. He is undeterred, so Pepito threatens to reveal that Sofia's parents were not Spanish land barons but native Indians.
Reavis is revealed as a charlatan. He manages to talk his way out of a lynching but ends up behind bars. After serving time, he is released and reunited with Sofia.
Director Samuel Fuller first heard of the story in the 1930s. Filming began on August 20, 1949 and continued for 15 days. Executive producer Robert L. Lippert allocated $100,000 for the lead role and spent $100,000 to promote the film. A print is preserved by the Museum of Modern Art.
The film marks one of the earliest credits for B-movie director Ed Wood, who worked as a stunt double.
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The Baron of Arizona
The Baron of Arizona is a 1950 American independent Western film directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Vincent Price and Ellen Drew.
The film concerns a master forger's attempted use of false documents to lay claim to the territory of Arizona late in the 19th century. It is based on the case of James Reavis, whose scheme came close to success, but many of the film's details are fictionalized.
The notorious attempt by swindler James Reavis to claim the entire territory of Arizona as his own before it was granted statehood in 1912 is recounted years later by John Griff, who works for the Department of the Interior.
In 1872, Reavis goes to great lengths to forge documents in Spain and create the illusion that he had a legal right to claim Arizona. He begins by seeking Pepito Alvarez to inquire about Sofia, an infant abandoned by Reavis many years before. Reavis takes Sofia home with him, hires governess Loma Morales to refine her and then marries her, using fabricated proof that identifies Sofia as the rightful baroness of Arizona. The suspicious federal government, unable to disprove Reavis' claim, offers him $25 million for the rights to the land, but he declines.
Miller, the surveyor general, is sure that Reavis has somehow doctored the documents. He recruits the help of Griff, a forgery expert. After Reavis orders settlers and families to vacate the land, a displaced rancher tosses a bomb into his office. He is undeterred, so Pepito threatens to reveal that Sofia's parents were not Spanish land barons but native Indians.
Reavis is revealed as a charlatan. He manages to talk his way out of a lynching but ends up behind bars. After serving time, he is released and reunited with Sofia.
Director Samuel Fuller first heard of the story in the 1930s. Filming began on August 20, 1949 and continued for 15 days. Executive producer Robert L. Lippert allocated $100,000 for the lead role and spent $100,000 to promote the film. A print is preserved by the Museum of Modern Art.
The film marks one of the earliest credits for B-movie director Ed Wood, who worked as a stunt double.