dimplet The opening of Calamity Jane suggests the movie is going to be a stinker, with a song consisting of the lyrics: Whip crack away, whip crack away, whip crack away, interspersed with whistling and singers going "dumb dumb de dumb, dumb de dumb, de dumb dumb dumb dumb," and then two actors repeating these exciting lines: The Deadwood stage!, the Deadwood stage!, (chorus) the Deadwood stage! as we watch a stagecoach going across a barren landscape. (I tried to write "DUM" but the IMDb spell checker kept changing it to "DUMB." I didn't think spell checkers were supposed to editorialize.)We then see a very butch Doris Day (or pretending to be butch) riding shotgun on a stagecoach making mechanical motions like a marionette. She starts singing the tune and the passengers inside the coach join in. Trouble is, the words are kinda goofy and the melody annoying. This is not looking like first-rate music. The further along this song goes, the worse it gets. Day's over the top acting is atrocious, and reminds me of a puppet from the Howdy Doody Show. When they get to town and she starts singing and talking some more, it just gets worse. OK, she's a tomboy, a woman trying to out macho the men, I get it, but she way overdoes it. And you are stuck watching this cloying performance for more than an hour before she finally mellows out a bit for a few minutes of the movie. If it weren't for her great looks and super singing, she wouldn't have gotten away with it.I've watched it at least twice now, but there are only two memorable songs, Whip Crack Away and Secret Love. I went back into it and was surprised by how much forgettable music there is. Secret Love is a classic, but the lyrics don't really fit with the story line, and the music is inconsistent with the rest of the faux cowboy tunes, so I assume it was written before the movie, and was looking for a home. The good part is there actually is a plot, (a formulaic mix and match romance plot) and the rest of the acting is good. But Day's performance is so bad and much of the music is so mediocre that there is little to recommend this musical. It could have been pretty good if Day's acting had been more nuanced and interesting, instead of a mechanical caricature. And how many times do we have to endure the same, "Give me a sarsaparilla!" joke? (Actually, in those days sarsaparilla was alcoholic, like beer.) I do love musicals, and don't expect them to be too realistic, but I don't like them to get too silly, either. I have seen Doris Day movies that I have enjoyed. Day demonstrated she could really act in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, not to mention sing. I have read that Calamity Jane, 1953, was a knock off of Annie Get Your Gun, 1950. In addition to better music, Annie had the fine director George Sidney, who had experience directing many solid musicals, including the first Western movie musical, The Harvey Girls. David Butler did not have this finesse, and the result, in my opinion, is an awkward film lacking style. Calamity Jane is not quite the stinker the opening scene suggests, and it is not awful. There are probably worse musicals out there, but I have never encountered one, and if I did, I wouldn't watch it. I find this corny movie so annoying that I think it's actually worth avoiding. There are much better musicals out there. If you want to see Doris Day in one, watch The Pajama Game. Music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross includes: Hey There, Hernando's Hideaway, Steam Heat, and plenty of other memorable numbers.

Spikeopath Calamity Jane is directed by David Butler and written by James O'Hanlon. It stars Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Phillip Carey & Dick Wesson. The score features music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Out of Warner Brothers, the film is seen as a response to the success of MGM's production of Annie Get Your Gun in 1950, where Keel was also starring. Plot here is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane (Day) and explores the relationship between Wild Bill Hickok (Keel) and herself. I guess the first thing that should be said is that this is no biography of one Martha Jane Cannary Burke (AKA: Calamity Jane), In truth this is more a comedy musical romp built around the famous frontiers woman. And with it being very basic on narrative and direction, this really only appeals to the film fan with musical leanings. But on that score the film is delightful, with spirited lead performances from Day & Keel and a handful of truly great tunes headed by the Oscar winning "Secret Love". The film also earns some bonus points for giving Day the chance to play something other than the naive innocent girl next door type (it was a personal favourite role of hers). She gets to be spunky and brash without ever losing that adorable appeal that carried her throughout her career. The play on sexual stereotypes is rather humorous without being twee, something that you feel Butler was under appreciated for, and Wilfred M. Cline's colour photography enhances the playfulness of it all. Seen now as a feminist fantasy with a gay following thanks to "Secret Love", there's no denying the film is all very Hollywoodized; with characters so animated they could burst. But all told, if one is able to forgive and see past its flaws then it's a film guaranteed to light up the darkest of wintry days. 7/10

dianefhlbsch This is a great Doris Day vehicle, showcasing all of her talents: singing, dancing, acting and comedic ability. It is also a perfect example of Hollywood's mutilation of truth, unfortunately. Watch this for pure entertainment, and completely disregard any historical accuracy about the people who are depicted.Let us not forget that Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok were REAL people. As legends of the old west, the folklore, tall tales and blatant lies blind us to facts. All the truth about them will probably never be known.The script represents Wild Bill Hickok as an honest, honorable, gentlemanly fellow, and Calamity Jane as a buffoon, blow-hard, liar and farce. Hollywood mixed up the people. It is true that Wild Bill Hickok had been a scout, fought in Indian wars, … and had many accomplishments. But he was also a known for embellishing his feats as he retold them, fabricating exploits, was more of a buffalo hunter for the army than a scout, drank, brawled and got into shoot-outs too much, was habitually in trouble with the law – in short, a rather colorful, lawless, wild frontiersman who ran out of frontier. (He was shot in the back of the head during a card game.) Martha Jane Canary, a.k.a. Calamity Jane, was no polished or dainty lady, but was generous to the needy and sick. In reality, she could out-do most men at their own activities in an even more male-dominated world. As a result, many simply denied her accomplishments. Others embellished stories as they were retold, and she did as the men of the time – told some lies about herself. Please be aware of some actual facts. She did work for the U.S. Army as a scout for 6 years. This was an extremely dangerous job requiring great knowledge of the territory, Indians, wilderness survival skills, and the ability to kill to stay alive. Do not forget that survival alone was insufficient; accurate and useful reports were required to maintain one's position, as well as joining the fighting. Calamity Jane did save passengers of the Deadwood Stagecoach, by grabbing the reins after the driver was killed. (Some reports state she drove for another line for a while.) Most men did not have the skill to drive a stagecoach. She nursed miners through a smallpox epidemic. She was a very good shot. She could hold her own at the bar and in a bar brawl, as well as work the women's side. She originally joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show as a western legend, sharp shooter and trick rider, but eventually became a sideshow attraction and was fired after too much drinking and fighting. (And let us not forget that William F. Cody was adept at gaining the public's interest by having dime store novels published about tales of the west. Many of them were extreme exaggerations and blatant lies.) She did eventually marry, but not Wild Bill Hickok. (She claimed she did, but there is no sufficient substantiating evidence.) Numerous reports corroborate that she was infatuated with Hickok, but he was not interested in her. Calamity Jane was a unique collection of diverse talents, obsessed with adventure and danger, but also caring, who never seemed to find peace. (She died of pneumonia in a drunken stupor.)

Jem Odewahn This musical-western-comedy-romance (yes, it packs a lot of genres in!) is a terrific musical treat that shows star Doris Day to her best advantage. She's the lady of the title, but the Deadswood townsfolk certainly don't think this gun-toting tomboy is a lady. It takes a "Woman's Touch" to turn Calamity into a stunner, and by then, her best friend Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel)has lost his heart. Doris Day is so likable in this film-- full of charisma, talent and enthusiasm for her role. If Oscars voters in 1953 had any sense, she would have gained a nomination for her wonderful work here. This Warners Bros musical was obviously influenced by the big success of MGM's version of the stage hit "Annie Get Your Gun", which also starred Howard Keel. Keel gets a similar role, perfect partner for the independent lady if they ever stop disagreeing. Keel and Day worked very well together, and their number "I Could Do Without You" is energetic, fun and one of the best in the film. Keel is so sexy and charming. As with "Annie Get Your Gun", with Betty Hutton as the sharpshooter, Day's Calamity has to have a make-over first for men to notice her finer qualities. Yep, it's probably sexist now but I see it more as an encouragement for women to embrace their femininity, which, like it or not, is always there. I'm a tomboy myself, and I enjoyed seeing Day mix it with the boys--even if she does end up in a dress by film's end.