Production Year: 1953 - Music / Performing Arts - Director: David Butler - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Philip Carey, Dick Wesson, Paul Harvey, Chubby Johnson, Gale Robbins, Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn McLerie more
Doris Day is great as the famous cowgirl in this musical extravaganza about the legendary female sharpshooter and her up-and-down romance with Wild Bill Hickok. Academy Award... more
Calamity Jane [DVD] [1953]
This 1953 musical is very much a vehicle for Doris Day, in the title role, as a wild ... more
cowgal who can out-shoot and out-sing any boy on the range. When an actress arrives in Deadwood and uses her feminine charms on Jane's secret love, Wild Bill Hickock (...
Calamity Jane [DVD] [1953]
This 1953 musical is very much a vehicle for Doris Day, in the title role, as a wild ... more
cowgal who can out-shoot and out-sing any boy on the range. When an actress arrives in Deadwood and uses her feminine charms on Jane's secret love, Wild Bill Hickock (...
Calamity Jane (1953) DVD
The Deadwood Stage is comin' to town bringing Doris Day and Howard Keel to fuss feud and ... more
fall in love as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in this entertainment from the golden age of movie musicals. At first curvaceous Calamity is too durned busy f...
Calamity Jane
Doris Day and Howard Keel fuss, feud and fall in love as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill ... more
Hickok in this entertainment mother lode. At first curvaceous Calamity is too darned busy fighting Indians and cracking a bullwhip to pay mind to such girlie what-alls as dresses and perfume. And Wild Bill is too danged busy wooing a dainty chanteuse (Allyn McLerie) to give a hoot about a hot-headed tomboy. But things change in a rootin', tootin', big way when each becomes love's target. There are wide-open Technicolor Western spaces, lots of high-stepping dances and a hummable hunmdinger of a score by Academy Award - winning songwriters Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, who took their first Oscar for the classical ballad (and 50's megahit) Secret Love.
Calamity Jane
The accent is on realism in this thoughtful portrait of one of the Old West's most unusual ... more
and colorful personalities. Born Martha Jane Canary, Calamity Jane (Jane Alexander) could ride, shoot, track and brawl as good as any man. In fact she preferred the company of men over women, which often got her into trouble with the proper ladies of her time. Her busy life included stints as a stagecoach driver, army scout, farmer and prospector, as well as a possible relationship with Wild Bill Hickock. Trick rider, crack shot, expert poker player, wife and mother, Calamity Jane was one woman who insisted on living life her way. With its focus on people, Calamity Jane is a poignant story of a larger than life individual who became a legend in her own time. She's won her place in history... Now she'll take her place in your heart.
Production Year: 1935 - Music / Performing Arts - Director: Mark Sandrich - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, Eric Rhodes, Eric Blore
A review by ANNJSEC on Calamity Jane (DVD) March 8th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Soundtrack
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Doris Day charm, family viewing
Disadvantages:
Dodgy backdrops in some scenes
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I'm now in my element. I've found a subject on Ciao that I really love and enjoy - musicals and old musicals at that, so you can expect to see quite a few ops on this subject from me in the next few days or so. Hope I don't bore anyone to death. I've already enjoyed writing about my very favourite, South Pacific, but here's another from my top ten musical faves, Calamity Jane starring Doris Day and Howard Keel.
Take me back to the Black Hills, oh well if not .......take me back to the innocent days when films such as this were hot news, back to the days of the l950s and especially l953 when this film was made.
It may not seem very topical to write about films such as this in today's climate of violence and sex, but if ever there was a film for general family viewing Calamity Jane would be the one I would recommend. Kids love it, soppy females swoon at Howard Keel and the menfolk can enjoy the cowboys and indians and Doris Day (it's amazing how many men are attracted to her girl next door looks).
The film is loosely based on the true life story of Marthy Cannary Burke, a tomboy of her times. Cannary, or Calamity as she later became known was supposedly a scout for General Custer. I say supposedly, because her story seems to be viewed with some scepticism. Calamity was indeed a friend of Wild Bill Hickock, but there wasn't any romantic liaison. Calamity eventually married a texan Clinton Burke who deserted her after she had a baby girl. For some reason Calamity asked to be buried alongside Bill Hickock and their final resting place is in South Dakota. Bill's demise followed him being shot in the head by one Jack McColl and if we are to believe Calamity's claims, she was going to carve him up with a meat clever in revenge for Bill's death,but he got away.
Well the real Calam. did wear men's clothing, but here the similarity ends because she wasn't in the least bit attractive or blonde as portrayed by Doris Day in the film. Having said that, Doris Day plays one of her best parts as the gun toting, whip cracking heroine who's in love with an Army Lieutenant. Unfortunately for her the Lieutenant's eye is on Katy Brown, the pretty young dresser with ambitions of becoming a singer. Katy gets her chance when she goes to Deadwood in place of a real star who has been booked to appear in the Saloon there. Her deception gets discovered, but she becomes popular in her own right as a singer in Deadwood.
Calamity, played by Doris, takes advice from Katy and cleans herself up and dresses in feminine clothes in order to capture the Lieutenant's eye (all feminists click off now, quickly). This fails to work on the Lieutenant but does the trick with Wild Bill and they fall in love after some mishaps and jealousy on the way. End of plot.
What makes the film delicious is the casting and the music. With handsome Howard Keel, as Wild Bill who would want the smarmy Lieutenant anyway? Doris Day is Doris Day, wonderful as usual, and the songs, written by Sammy Fain with lyrics by Paul Webster include 'Secret Love',which received an Academy award for best song, the haunting 'Black Hills of Dakota' and the 'Deadwood Stage'.
Surprisingly this musical later became a stage success. I say surprisingly because it is usually the other way around.
If you can ignore the sometimes dodgy backdrops and the rather dated feminine outlooks and if you want pure escapism, this is the film for you, your children and your children's children. No blood, little violence (well she does shoot everybody including all the indians) plenty of music and dollops of charm.
One I would thoroughly recommend for a video library and at £9.99 from Amazon it's a bargain......Hi Ho Silver....whip crack away, whip crack away, whip crack away......... at least until I'm ready to write about another musical!
Advantages: Doris Day Disadvantages: Doris Day has a fat bottom
...to ever breathe. Calamity Jane or Calam to her friends is a figure loosely based upon real life Wild Woman of the West Marthy Cannary Burke, who was apparently deeply involved in the Civil War, by being a scout for none other than Custer himself. She was friends with a man known as Wild Bill Hickok, but there was no singing or smooching involved… The men in Deadwood are bored and longing for some female entertainment. Calamity brags to the ... ...in the town, Katy advises Calamity on womanly ways and even persuades her to wear a couple of dresses. Calamity only agrees to do so because she has a secret love for Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey), a handsome young man, who is also vying for the attentions of Miss Adams/ Brown.
What will become of this unlikely foursome? It being a family musical and all you can bet that they’ll be nothing to sully the dazzling apple pie smiles….although ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: puts you in a great mood Disadvantages: none
...that’s right, the video of Calamity Jane (what a sweetie). I watched it almost immediately and Corrie (my son) watched it with me (and he enjoyed it). I had to write a review about it (well!!!) So here it is. ~~~~~ In 1953 Doris Day and Howard Keel starred in this spectacular musical. *~~ Outline of the plot (basically) ~~* Here comes good old Calam , aboard the deadwood stage, laden with merchandise, all the way from “Chicagy” ... ...at the theatre (Golden Garter)! Calamity sets off for “Chicagy” in search of the one and only Adelaide Adams (a famous actress who wears “nothin but her underwear” – whom she has promised will perform). Anyway, once in Chicago she is tricked by Katie Brown (A.A.’s maid) and truly believes Katie is Adelaide! Back in Deadwood Katie Brown’s true identity is discovered, everyone is mad but they soon have a change ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A great fun film with a feel good factor Disadvantages: None
...of my real favourites is Calamity Jane starring Doris Day and Howard Keel which was made in 1953 so it is actually a year older than I am!
The story of the film is loosely based on the life of Martha Jane Cannary-Burke with her name Cannary eventually getting changed to Calamity possibly to match her tomboy tendencies. I do say the film is loosely based on her life as there is a lot of artistic licence taken here!
The real life girl wasn't a pretty ... ...the film ……..
Calamity Jane is used to being 'one of the boys' and can't understand why she should make any effort to be 'girlie'.
The men folk of the town are fascinated by the beautiful Adelaid Adams, a singer that they have seen on their cigarette cards, so Calamity announces that she will fetch her from Chicago and off she goes.
Unfortunately when she gets there she sees Adelaid's assistant trying on one of her dresses and takes Katie Brown ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Everything about this film! The songs, the jokes, the stars! Disadvantages: NONE!!!
...musical tells the story of Calamity Jane (Doris Day) & her romance with Wild Bill Hickock (Howard Keel). The film starts with a lively song 'The Deadwood stage', which sees Calamity arrive back in Deadwood from Chicago. Calamity goes on to tell the people of Deadwood all about Chicago - hence the song Just Blew In From The Windy City . This really shows Doris Day's voice and dancing skills off and is one of my fave bits of the film (especially when ... ...Francis Fryer). So, off Calamity goes to get Adelaide Adams (played by Gale Robbins). However, Calamity mistakenly brings back Katie Brown who pretends to be Adelaide Adams. Katie gets the nerves and everyone ends up booing - however when Calamity talk the boys in to giving her a chance she does a fabulous performance and becomes loved by everyone, including Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey) who just so happens to be the love of Calamity's ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...Doris Day ... Calamity Jane
Howard Keel ... Wild Bill Hickok Allyn Ann McLerie ... Katie Brown (as Allyn McLerie) Philip Carey ... Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin Dick Wesson ... Francis Fryer Paul Harvey ... Henry Miller Chubby Johnson ... Rattlesnake Gale Robbins ... Adelaid Adams Story
this is a love story and a family entering comedy all in one set in 1953 in deadwood South Dakota
where there is a stage house the golden garter that is slowing going ... ...the windy city Chicago and bring back the lovely adelaid Adam's but what she does not know at first is the lady she takes is the wanabe maide Katie brown well after Frances getting there to stage and being found to be a man they were not happy with clam but gave katie a go only clam thought it would be good for Katie to live with her in her old shack what a dump till Katie and glam do it up
a woman's touch well that's not all Katie does up she does ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: A fantastic fun loving musical with Doris Day and Howard Keel Disadvantages: well not good for those that don't like musicals
...and the actress clean up Calam's Cabin, gosh I wish my house could get that pretty so quick.
The Black Hills of Dakota - they are all off to the Ball at Fort Scully and whilst travelling on the horse drawn carriage through the hills and against the night sky, Doris Day and Howard Keel serenade us with this lovely ballad.
Our last song is the award winning Secret Love, which is a wonderful Ballad, sung by CalamityJane, who is now looking very dreamy and very feminine; this takes us to the end of the movie.
~~ DVD Extras ~~
Scene Selection - 1-34 done in blocks
Languages - French and English
Sub-titles - 4 Languages available.
~~ Special Features ~~
Western Style Premiere Newsreel - a black and white short footage of a Parade through town, only lasts a few seconds.
Memories of CalamityJane and Bill Hickok which shows...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: feel good film, good songs, great actng, Disadvantages: bad backdrops and awful songs from Howard Keel!
...Hubby could not believe that I had never ever seen this film so to shut him up I got the DVD to watch with him. I didn?t have expectations for it as I don?t really like western type films but I was pleasantly surprised by this film.
The film stars Doris Day who plays the role of CalamityJane, a tom boy who is more than happy to spend her time being ?one of the lads? and chasing of the Indians. She gets very annoyed when she beings in the wagon which contains all the goodies for the towns people and the men starts ogling a cigarette card which has a picture of Adelaid Adams on.
A few evenings later when the Theatre / Bar has advertised a beautiful female star for the evening entertainment they are in trouble when the actress turns out to be an actor so he s forced to dress in drag and try to fool the audience. Things go wrong...
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Genre: Musicals & Music Films - Musicals & Other Music Films
Classification: Universal
Production Year: 1953
Running Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
Plot: A musical extravaganza about the legendary sharp-shooter. Includes the Oscar-winning song 'Secret Love', plus 'A Woman's Touch', 'The Deadwood Stage', 'Just Blew In From The Windy City' and more. Music and lyrics by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster.
DVD Description
Doris Day is great as the famous cowgirl in this musical extravaganza about the legendary female sharpshooter and her up-and-down romance with Wild Bill Hickok. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Sound Recording. Academy Awards: Best Song ("Secret Love").
![Calamity Jane [DVD] [1953]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78519074.jpg)
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20.03.2007
