The Baron of Arizona

The Baron of Arizona

1/3/1950 1h 37m 6.7/10

Overview

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.

Director

Samuel Fuller

Top Billed Cast

Vincent Price

Vincent Price

James Addison Reavis

Ellen Drew

Ellen Drew

Sofia de Peralta-Reavis

Vladimir Sokoloff

Vladimir Sokoloff

Pepito Alvarez

Beulah Bondi

Beulah Bondi

Loma Morales

Robert Barrat

Robert Barrat

Judge Adams

Reed Hadley

Reed Hadley

John Griff

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

1/10/2024

7/10

Yikes! Talk about playing the long game...! Vincent Price is at his manipulative best as the scheming "Reavis" who concocts a cunning plan to end up owning the entire Arizona territory. As it acceded into the United States, the government agreed to honour land grants given in years gone by by the kings of Spain. "Reavis" turns up one rainy night at the dilapidated home of "Pepito" (Vladimir Sokoloff) and claims that his adopted daughter "Sofia" (Ellen Drew) is the last in the line of the "De Peralta" family who were granted the land by King Ferdinand VI. He proceeds to bring her up as a baroness. He imbues in her all the characteristics of a landed lady whilst cleverly forging the necessary documentation - even spending years in a Spanish monastery - before laying their claim. How can the government and the local population legally challenge this state of affairs? The last ten minutes rather let it down - a touch too much romantic melodrama, but for the most part this is a well constructed exercise in deviousness and plotting that Price holds together well. It's perhaps a little bit long, but is quite an interesting story of an aspect of the formation of the USA that's quite intriguingly, almost menacingly, built up.

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