The Baron of Arizona

Dir. Samuel Fuller. 1950, 97 mins. 16mm. With Vincent Price, Ellen Drew. Though he played many sly devils, few of Vincent Price’s creations were more diabolically satisfying than his performance as aloof, aristocratic James Addison Reavis in the bizarre-but-true story of a 19th-century Missouri swindler who claimed to be the rightful owner of the territory of Arizona using a litany of elaborately falsified deeds of inheritance. One of the most purely entertaining films legendary B director Samuel Fuller made for indie producer Robert ​​Lippert, The Baron of Arizona was shot by James Wong Howe during a fallow period of his career for a small fraction of his normal salary, and his chiaroscuro, hushed tones, and focus on interiority defines a film that elides the outdoor grandiosity aimed for in so many B westerns.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.