Calamity Jane (1953)

There are 5 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 8,658 times. The latest Post () was by ethanedwards.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!

  • CALAMITY JANE


    DIRECTED BY DAVID BUTLER
    PRODUCED BY WILLIAM JACOBS
    WARNER BROS PICTURES



    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is largely the abode of men, where Indian scout Calamity Jane
    is as hard-riding, boastful, and handy with a gun as any; quite an overpowering personality.
    But the army lieutenant she favors doesn't really appreciate her finer qualities.
    One of Jane's boasts brings her to Chicago to recruit an actress for the Golden Garter stage.
    Arrived, the lady in question appears (at first) to be a more feminine rival for the favors
    of Jane's male friends...including her friendly enemy Wild Bill Hickock.
    Written by Rod Crawford


    Full Cast
    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
    rest of cast listed alphabetically:
    Kenne Duncan ... Minor Role (scenes deleted)
    Robert R. Stephenson ... Minor Role (scenes deleted)
    Clarence Straight ... Minor Role (scenes deleted)
    Victor Adamson ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Fred Aldrich ... Chicagoan (uncredited)
    Beulah Archuletta ... Indian Woman in Saloon Balcony (uncredited)
    George Bell ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Ray Bennett ... Officer at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Billy Bletcher ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Stanley Blystone ... Saloon Patron (uncredited)
    Forrest Burns ... Rider (uncredited)
    Budd Buster ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Lane Chandler ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Roydon Clark ... Soldier (uncredited)
    John Cliff ... Officer (uncredited)
    Edmund Cobb ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Jack Daly ... Bartender (uncredited)
    Charles Ferguson ... Man at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Bess Flowers ... Officer's Wife in Reception Line (uncredited)
    Fritz Ford ... Soldier at Dance (uncredited)
    Terry Frost ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Clem Fuller ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Robert Fuller ... Young Man with Flowers (uncredited)
    Augie Gomez ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Harold Goodwin ... Poker Player (uncredited)
    Herman Hack ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Bill Hale ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Sam Harris ... Officer at Dance (uncredited)
    Al Hill ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Ed Hinton ... Officer at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Harlan Hoagland ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Reed Howes ... Angry Saloon Patron (uncredited)
    Brad Johnson ... Officer (uncredited)
    I. Stanford Jolley ... Townsman (uncredited)
    Ray Jones ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Ray Kellogg ... Singing Townsman (uncredited)
    Colin Kenny ... Chicagoan (uncredited)
    Jack Kenny ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Donald Kerr ... Beau - Saloon Drunk (uncredited)
    Ethan Laidlaw ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Mike Lally ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Rex Lease ... Man Who Gets Adelaide's Picture (uncredited)
    Jimmy Lloyd ... Officer at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Tom London ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Jack Low ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Pierce Lyden ... Citizen (uncredited)
    Emmett Lynn ... Artist (uncredited)
    Ted Mapes ... Townsman (uncredited)
    Kermit Maynard ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Frank McClure ... Officer at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Merrill McCormick ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Philo McCullough ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Francis McDonald ... Hank (uncredited)
    William Meader ... Barfly Patting Lap (uncredited)
    Frank Mills ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Kansas Moehring ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Tom Monroe ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Monte Montague ... Pete (uncredited)
    Jack Montgomery ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Lee Morgan ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Jack Mower ... Buck - Barfly (uncredited)
    Joe Murphy ... Townsman (uncredited)
    Zon Murray ... Colorado (uncredited)
    Jack Perrin ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Joe Ploski ... Joe - Saloon Patron (uncredited)
    Dick Rich ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Suzanne Ridgeway ... Chicago Street Flirt (uncredited)
    Chuck Roberson ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Buddy Roosevelt ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Gene Roth ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Jeffrey Sayre ... Man in Chicago Show (uncredited)
    Lee Shumway ... Bartender with White Sideburns (uncredited)
    Tom Smith ... Barfly (uncredited)
    George Sowards ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Bert Stevens ... Man at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Glenn Strange ... Prospector (uncredited)
    Brick Sullivan ... Stage Hand (uncredited)
    Hal Taggart ... Man at Fort Dance (uncredited)
    Forrest Taylor ... Mcpherson - Minister (uncredited)
    Harry Tenbrook ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Arthur Tovey ... Wedding Guest (uncredited)
    Sailor Vincent ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Ralph Volkie ... Barfly (uncredited)
    Ray Whitley ... Minor Role (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    James O'Hanlon (written by)


    Original Music
    David Buttolph (uncredited)
    Howard Jackson (uncredited)


    Cinematography
    Wilfred M. Cline


    Trivia
    Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1970s, Doris Day recalled seeing early dailies from this film, in which she was stomped about the set in buckskins and leather, speaking in a high, girlishly feminine voice. She immediately brought her line readings down several registers, so she'd sound as tough as she looked.


    Doris Day has often cited this particular movie and title role as her personal favorite among her 39 film appearances.


    A Columbia Records album of selections from the Sammy Fain-Paul Francis Webster film score was comprised of four songs directly from the soundtrack (supervised by Ray Heindorf), and four tunes commercially rerecorded by Doris Day alone (arranged and conducted by Paul Weston). The original 10-inch LP has been transferred to CD in Britain by Prism Platinum. In 1995, another English label, Jay Records, re-created the complete film score, adding five numbers from the 1979 British stage production.


    During early 1954, music from this film reigned supreme in "Billboard." Number one among the singles was a Doris Day trademark, the Oscar-winning, tender ballad, "Secret Love" (music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster). Also, the Day-Howard Keel 10-inch LP of songs from the score, issued by Columbia Records, zoomed to second place amongst the popular albums.


    Doris Day recorded the song "My Secret Love" in only one take.


    Warner Bros. studio head Jack Warner decided to make "Calamity Jane" after he tried - and failed - to buy the movie rights to "Annie Get Your Gun" as a vehicle for Doris Day. He not only drew on another legendary "wild woman" of the Old West for his heroine, he hired the same male star, Howard Keel, who'd appeared in the film of Annie Get Your Gun.


    Gene Nelson originally announced for one of male leads.


    Goofs
    Continuity
    After leaving the ball at the fort, we cut to a shot of Calamity's bare back as she is undressing. Once she gets the dress off she is shown wearing undergarments that clearly cover most of her back.


    When Calamity is packing Katy's clothes into suitcases after the ball, it is clear that Katy brought more clothes with her than would have fitted into those suitcases


    When Calamity rides into the Indian camp to rescue Dan, she fires seven shots from her six-shooter in such rapid succession she would have had no time to reload.


    Errors in geography
    The city of Deadwood in South Dakota is more than 900 miles from Chicago and yet various characters have no difficulty in traveling between the two cities from time to time. There were no cars or planes at the time and on horseback or coach would have taken at least a month.


    Revealing mistakes
    When Calamity shoots at Katie at the ball in the fort, the bullet sprays punch all over Katie, but the punch bowl and glass remain unbroken (Katie can be seen to drop an unbroken glass)


    In the close-up shot of Calamity suspended by the rope from the saloon ceiling, it is obvious that the rope is holding steady quite some way off the vertical.


    The arrow which lodges in Adelaid Adams' trunk atop the stagecoach casts two shadows, revealing studio lighting.


    When Francis Fryer is really getting into his number ("I've Got A Hive Full of Honey"), he drops his handkerchief while backing up to the trombonist. A quick cut and the chiffon hankie is back in his hand. He didn't stop to pick it up off the floor.


    When the Indians attack the coach, Calamity is seen firing over the leather suitcase. There is a dark spot on the side of the case just below her chin. A second later an arrow hits the spot, apparently following a wire that was edited out.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    Various Movie Stages 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA


    Here is the real
    Western Legends- Calamity Jane

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Calamity Jane is a "Wild West"-themed film musical released in 1953.
    It is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane
    and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok
    in the American Old West.


    The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard Keel as Hickok.
    It was devised by Warner Brothers in response to the success of Annie Get Your Gun.



    It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
    ("Secret Love", Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster)
    and was also nominated for Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound, Recording (William A. Mueller).


    The songs and screenplay form the basis of a stage musical of the same name
    that has had a number of productions.
    The film was also adapted for television in 1963, with Carol Burnett in the title role.



    User Review

    .

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited once, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Hi


    My all time favourite western musical mainly because when I was a kid i was madly in love with Doris Day. Still like to watch it.


    Recently my wife and I were given tickets to see an amateur stage company production of the musical it was dire and we left half way through.


    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • Copied over from the real
    Calamity Jane thread

    Doris Day's portrayal of Calamity Jane has always been one of my favorite musicals.
    I especially loved the songs "Deadwood Stage" and "Secret Love". #
    Old Doris was hard to beat in any kind of musical.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • As a kid, one of my all time favourites.
    On viewing again this week, realised how really outdated this movie now is!!


    With modern eyes, over the top acting is now so obvious
    it makes the film so corny it's not even funny anymore.


    Not a patch on the superior


    Annie Get your Gun

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England