The Baron of Arizona

Play trailer

The Baron of Arizona

1950

1h 36m

Western

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Thirty years before Arizona achieves statehood, scam artist James Addison Reavis (Vincent Price) cooks up an elaborate scheme to claim the territory as his own. Reavis convinces Mexican immigrant Pepito (Vladimir Sokoloff) that his daughter is the heir to a barony of land granted by Spain, and then departs for years of patient efforts to create a false paper trail. He returns years later to claim the now-grown heir, Sofia (Ellen Drew), as his wife, but will his plan withstand scrutiny?

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Keith Uhlich

House Next Door

08/17/2007

The Baron of Arizona (1950) is all thumbs, as much a forgery as the one perpetrated by its protagonist James Addison Reavis (Vincent Price).

Go to Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

01/01/2000

Not one of Fuller's best films, though the subject is fascinatingly offbeat, the cinematography is by James Wong Howe, and no personal Fuller project is devoid of interest.

Go to Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

05/15/2011

A Balzacian comedy recalled by a man who, like Fuller, can't help admiring a rogue who can wield ingenuity in a wolfish world

Go to Full Review

TV Guide

01/12/2010

3/4

This is a powerful and colorful film, the second to be directed by the gifted Fuller, which shows a large slice of pioneer life in early America.

Go to Full Review

Brian Holcomb

Kinetofilm

08/29/2009

4.5/5

The craziest true story I've never heard of that turned out to be pretty damn true. Even with Fuller shouting his own melodramatic version of the truth at the top of his lungs

Go to Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

07/05/2009

B-

Starring Vincent Price, Sam Fuller's second feature is a bizarre noirish Western, marred by preposterous plotting, but extremely well shot by ace lesner James Wong Howe.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Orin D

@RT64117979 Jul 12

The Baron of Arizona is definitely worth watching. Price in the lead is excellent as is the actress who plays his wife. The story is one of a real scoundrel who in the end finds some redemption. After serving six years @ hard labor, his wife picks him up in her carriage & invites. him to resume their lives together in much humbler circumstances. This is the redemption I spoke of above. I am not a fan of Mr. Price, but this is a fine performance in a worthy film. Orin P. Domenico

See more

08/21/2020

Vincent Price in his best non-horror lead role! Yes, Dragonwyck is quite also very good and probably a better film, but my opinion Vincent Price shines in this film and does a better performance. Sure the plot is a tad messy at times and the direction is occasionally dull, apart from that the relatively inexperienced (at the time) director Samuel Fuller does a very good job directing this film. Cinematographer James Wong Howe also does a good job, as well as Vincent Price who was yet to delve into his horror career is probably one of the highlights of the film with large glimpses of the horror legend he would begin to become 3 years later. Overall I would recommend the film primarily to Vincent Price fans.

See more

s r

@ScottR 07/29/2019

On the whole it was not very good, but learning about AZ's history was worth it.

See more

10/29/2017

Based on a true story of a con artist trying to seal Arizona. Victor Price in non-usual non-horror role.

See more

01/25/2017

A great 'historical' drama

See more

11/07/2016

Fluff, but Vincent Price fluff.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Samuel Fuller

Director

Vincent Price

James Addison Reavis

Ellen Drew

Sofia de Peralta-Reavis

Beulah Bondi

Loma Morales

Vladimir Sokoloff

Pepito Alvarez

Reed Hadley

John Griff

Vengeance Valley

100%

25%

Vengeance Valley

Watchlist

The Furies

91%

79%

The Furies

Watchlist

I Shot Jesse James

78%

66%

I Shot Jesse James

Watchlist

The Gunfighter

93%

90%

The Gunfighter

Watchlist

Rio Grande

73%

70%

Rio Grande

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Thirty years before Arizona achieves statehood, scam artist James Addison Reavis (Vincent Price) cooks up an elaborate scheme to claim the territory as his own. Reavis convinces Mexican immigrant Pepito (Vladimir Sokoloff) that his daughter is the heir to a barony of land granted by Spain, and then departs for years of patient efforts to create a false paper trail. He returns years later to claim the now-grown heir, Sofia (Ellen Drew), as his wife, but will his plan withstand scrutiny?

Director: Samuel Fuller
Producer: Carl K. Hittleman
Screenwriter: Samuel Fuller
Distributor: Lippert Pictures
Production Co: Deputy Corporation
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 1950, Original
Release Date (DVD): Aug 14, 2007
Runtime: 1h 36m