Virginia

Whether one likes Virginia or not I think all will agree the film is in bad need of restoration. This was a big budget item for Paramount in 1941 and it marked Sterling Hayden's debut.

At least this corner of the Old Dominion doesn't look like it changed much since the Civil War. Madeleine Carroll is the heir to a large estate down there and she's come down from New York to sell the old plantation.

Selling the old place would offend local sensibilities and be contrary to the way of life or so Madeleine is informed by Fred MacMurray who has the place next door. But a transplanted northerner played vby Sterling Hayden next foor on the other side wants to buy the old plantation.

So Carroll is caught both romantically and business wise between MacMrray and Hayden. Guess who she chooses.

In real life she chose Sterling Hayden and one must read an account of how he arrived at Paramount with no theatrical background and got this second lead in a bid budget picture. It's all in his memoir The Wanderer.

The reason this film just ain't seen too often is the unbelievable portrayal of the black people who act like slavery never was abolished. Louise Beaver and Leigh Whipper and the rest made me wince and can you imagine what a black person might feel watching Virginia.

This will never make a top five for either of the three leads.

I saw this film around the age of 7 (1977), shown on late-night TV (my, those were the days when you could REALLY see the classics! TV is not quite as satisfying today....), and my fuzzy memory tells me that it features a quasi-sappy romance between the two main characters. I loved it at the time, and would very much love to see it again, to see just how good (or rotten) my taste-level was (is).

I sought out this movie because it was filmed in Howardsville and Albemarle county here in Virginia. I heard about the film because my grandfather, Willis Floyd Martin of neighboring Nelson county, was hired by the film company. He and others were put to task beating the tree branches to keep that summer's swarming locusts at bay. Apparently, the song of the locusts was drowning out the director and actors. The locations are authentic. A highlight was to see the now defunct Nelson-Albemarle, or was it Albemarle-Nelson, railway. The script reveals a genius that I was startled to hear uttered in 1940, when this movie was filmed. While grandpa was busy scattering locusts on the set, grandma was birthing my mother. Would love to have a copy of this gem, all I have is a poorly recorded network TV airing. Another great local movie is a comedy filmed about life in Lynchburg, "The Vanishing Virginian."

History as written by Hollywood is almost always wrong, to one extent or another. So it is exciting and gratifying to hear a movie character speak the accurate facts about the War Against Southern Independence.

That happens when the "Stoney" character, played by Fred MacMurray, explains to the returned neighbor, "Charlie," played by Madeleine Carroll, that the war was not about slavery. Amazing!

Schools and "news" media continue to parrot the lie to the contrary, never offering any documentation but continuing to spread the lie anyway.

The writers of this movie did a superlative job, not only getting the history right, but skillfully creating characters we viewers can care about, characters who might not be totally admirable but nearly all of whom are likable.

Those writers are Edward H. Griffith and Virginia Van Upp, Van Upp writing the screen play from their story. Griffith is also the director.

Two of my favorite character actors are here, Paul Hurst and Louise Beavers.

Yes, I am partial, but I believe Louise Beavers walks off with the acting honors. She simply steals every scene she is in.

Paul Hurst had a long career, starting in silent films, but this is one of his best roles. It and his character in the John Wayne "The Angel and the Badman" (about five years after this one) show him at his very capable best.

"Stirling" Hayden, as he is billed, is in one of his earliest roles and he is, simply, great. He looks good and is apparently comfortable in front of the camera. It doesn't hurt that his character is so well written.

Two of the other reviews here are by people who have, or had, a direct connection. Their commentary adds immensely to the enjoyment of this movie, which I discovered purely by accident: reading a post on a social medium.

"Virginia" is a charming movie, with story, acting, and general ambience all contributing to create a good motion picture. The only drawback is the terrible and too-old print at YouTube. I do hope there is a better one somewhere.

This is a great film - it doesn't matter that the theme somewhat reminds you of another Southern-based film - or that characters are loosely similar to that other film - what matters is that my grandparents were extras in the picture at the very beginning! Grandma & Grandpa Hurt lived in Howardsville, Virginia (and so did my Father's parents, Grandma & Grandpa Peters) and that station was chosen to be the mythical Fairville, Virginia (over another nearby town to that town's chagrin). My Father's grandparents (Peters) are standing behind Fred MacMurray on the station platform as the train arrives in the opening sequence. My grandfather Hurt was off camera behind the same scene! Okay, so my Mother & Father told me this story - over and over again! But because of that story, my interest in film-making was kindled. I've found a copy of the film (on DVD no less!) but I'm still looking for a "clean" copy of the film or a set of 'reels' from a theater. It's a great film for sitting in front of the fireplace with a warm cup of cocoa and watching. (I also have one copy of a photo from my aunt Eleanor that was taken during a break in shooting that has cast and crew in it.)