| BrianRxm | Coins in Movies | 21/388 |
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
Swindler forges Spanish land grant and meets Gypsy girl and her gold coins
| Prev | Back | Next |
The 1950 film "The Baron of Arizona" is loosely based on the true story of James Addison Reavis who
in the 1880's forged a Spanish land grant claiming to own most of the territory of Arizona.
James Reavis (Vincent Price) lives in 1870's Arizona. He spends several years forging documents
creating a fictional Spanish nobleman named Baron Miguel de Peralta and claiming that the king of Spain,
Ferdinand VI, in 1748 gave Peralta a land grant to most of Arizona. James brings his wife Sofia to
Arizona and claims that she is the last descendant of Peralta.
The film was produced by the Lippert Pictures company located in Alameda California.
At one time during his activities in Spain, James joins a group of Gypsies.
A pretty Gypsy girl, wearing bracelets made from gold coins, shows him a pile of gold coins.
Of course the coins are imitation or prop coins.
1. Title
The title is followed by a prologue:
On February 14, 1912, at the home of the Governor of Arizona, there was cause to celebrate,
for on this day President Taft signed the proclamation that made Arizona the forty-eighth state
admitted into the Union.
2. Arizona men celebrate statehood
John Griff, an expert on document forgeries, proposes a toast to James Reavis.
Griff then tells the story of James Reavis.
The scene shifts to 1872 where James goes to a small house and talks to Pepito,
a man who has an adopted daughter Sofia.
3. James Reavis adopts Sofia
James proposes to finance Sofia's education to make her a "lady".
4. James hires Loma Morales
He hires a middle-aged Loma Morales as Sofia's governess and teacher.
Soon Sofia is wearing pretty dresses and getting an education.
James goes to various places and carves inscriptions on rocks.
5. James carves a claim
The inscription reads in deliberately incorrect Spanish:
He grabado esta piedra mi posecion en Americo concedido por Su Majestad Fernando Sexto
Rey de Espana, el 20 de diciembre de 1748.
Yo, Miguel de Peralta Baron de Arizona tomo posecion en este dia 12 de Agosto de 1750
6. James bribes a cemetery worker
James creates two markers for the fictional graves of Baron Peralta and his wife.
He the travels to Spain and the Biblioteca of the Monastery of Alcantara where Spanish land grant
records are kept.
7. James arrives at the monastery
He joins the monastery as a monk and after some time is assigned to the library due to his writing
ability and penmanship.
8. James in the library of records
He writes out his fictional Peralta documents and inserts them into the record books.
9. James inserting his document
James learns that the Marquis de Santella, secretary to the king, also keeps a set of land grant records.
James runs away from the Monastery and joins a group of Gypsies travelling to Madrid.
He begins romancing Rita, a Gypsy girl, who wears the traditional bracelets made from coins.
10. Rita wearing coins
Rita gets James' attention by opening a pouch.
11. Rita shows James her money
Rita pours out her gold coins.
12. Rita holds the coins
James suggests that the Marquis de Santella has lots of gold and the Gypsies head for his palace
in Madrid where they are hired to provide entertainment for a party.
The Marquesa (The Marquis' wife) sees the handsome James and wants him.
13. The Marquesa looks for James
James is busy in the Marquis' library.
14. James inserts a document
James, his years of travel and forgery work completed, heads for Paris to see Sofia.
15. James sees that Sofia has grown
James and Sofia marry and she becomes the "Baroness".
The couple return to the United States and Arizona.
16. James and Sofia return to Arizona
The Reavises file their Peralta land grant papers.
17. The Reavises filing their land grant
The Arizona officials notify the Department of the Interior in Washington D.C.
18. Urgent meeting in Washington
Meanwhile the Baron is making deals with various enterprises including a railroad company.
19. James makes a railroad deal
James has a nice model railroad engine in his office.
John Griff arrives and gives James a present.
20. Griff gives James a book
The book is Historical Handwriting and Crime of Forgery, by John Griff.
John is implying that James' papers are forgeries.
A United States Court of Claims is established to verify James' land grant.
21. Court of Claims meets
Sofia is having second thoughts about the scheme and asks James to give up the claim.
John Griff arrives with one of the Spanish record books and points out that only the Peralta grant
used a certain kind of ink which was not used for the other grants.
James gives up and admits having forged the documents.
James tells Griff that his book on forgery was his "Bible".
James and Sofia leave the court.
22. The Reavises leaving
A lynch mob, not knowing that James has given up his claim, is waiting for him.
23. Lynch mob waiting
James convinces the mob that the court needs him alive so that he can vacate all of his deals.
In 1884 James is tried and convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in the Santa Fe Prison.
In 1890 James is released from the prison.
24. James leaves the Santa Fe prison
Mrs. Reavis, Pepito, and Loma are waiting for him.
Cast, Directors, Writers:
Ellen Drew as Sofia
Beulah Bondi as Loma
Vladimir Sokoloff as Pepito
Reed Hadley as Griff
Writers: Samuel Fuller
Based on the American Weekly magazine article "The Baron of Arizona" by Homer Croy which appeared in the January 1949 issue.
| Prev | Back | Next |