"Virginia City" World Premiere Collection

Collection

Identifier: NC1423

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The "Virginia City" World Premiere Collection contains a 4-page Southern Pacific Lines program listing where everyone was assigned within the eight-passenger train cars for the world premiere special train; a 14-page guide written by screenwriter James "Jimmy" Starr containing all of the 200 Hollywood stars, moguls, and staff who traveled on the train to Reno; and a biographical sheet on Starr.

Dates

1940 March

Creator

Starr, James, 1904-1990 (Creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Materials must be used on-site; advance notice suggested. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Historical Note

"Virginia City" is a 1940 Warner Brothers film starring Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, and Humphrey Bogart about a Union officer, Kerry Bradford, who escapes from a Confederate Prison and is sent to Virginia City, Nevada. There he finds that the former commander of his prison, Vance Irby, is planning to send $5 million in gold to save the Confederacy.

Although filmed in Flagstaff, Arizona, the film premiered in Nevada in March 1940. A special Southern Pacific Lines train transported actors, studio executives, and others primarily from southern California to Nevada for the premiere.

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The world premiere of the film "Virginia City" took place in Nevada in March 1940 in Reno, Nevada. The collection contains a Southern Pacific Lines brochure for the special train, the schedule and guide for the participants written by screenwriter James "Jimmy" Starr, and biographical information on Starr.