California

Watch: California

2/21/19471h 37m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Mighty drama of men who were titans...and a woman who was their match! ~

Overview:

"Wicked" Lily Bishop joins a wagon train to California, led by Michael Fabian and Johnny Trumbo, but news of the Gold Rush scatters the train. When Johnny and Michael finally arrive, Lily is rich from her saloon and storekeeper (former slaver) Pharaoh Coffin is bleeding the miners dry. But worse troubles are ahead: California is inching toward statehood, and certain people want to make it their private empire.

Director:

John Farrow

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

california
wagon train

Cast

Ray Milland

~ as ~

Jonathan Trumbo

Barbara Stanwyck

~ as ~

Lily Bishop

Barry Fitzgerald

~ as ~

Michael Fabian

George Coulouris

~ as ~

Capt. Pharaoh Coffin

Albert Dekker

~ as ~

Mr. Pike

Anthony Quinn

~ as ~

Don Luís Rivera y Hernandez

Frank Faylen

~ as ~

Whitey

Gavin Muir

~ as ~

Booth Pennock

James Burke

~ as ~

Pokey

Eduardo Ciannelli

~ as ~

Padre

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
6
I always thought Barbara Stanwyck had the measure of any of the men she co-starred with in westerns, and here she certainly holds her own as the manipulative "Lily". She joins a wagon train heading west, but the gold rush rumours split that up and so she proceeds to the coast where she quickly ends up owning quite a lucrative saloon. She's pretty much sharing control of the town with the odious storekeeper/daylight robbery merchant "Pharaoh Coffin" (George Colouris) when her erstwhile pals "Trumbo" (Ray Milland) and "Fabian" (Barry Fitzgerald) arrive, all amidst increasing calls for Californian statehood. Needless to say, those in power locally want the status quo - the new arrivals want something more "democratic". What now ensues are a series of cat-fights that keep this moving along well enough until, what I must admit to feeling was a bit of a disappointing denouement. Stanwyck stands out, and Fitzgerald and the rather oddly cast Coulouris are also effective. Milland, however, well he doesn't quite cut the mustard and there is way, way too much dialogue as this story takes far too long to get up any head of steam. Still, it's got a pioneering sort of spirit to it that I quite enjoyed.