Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)

How good luck with women and horses pushes Sam Bass toward outlawry.

Director:

George Sherman

Writers:

George Sherman (story), Maurice Geraghty,

Stars:

Yvonne De Carlo, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Calamity Jane
Howard Duff	...	Sam Bass
Dorothy Hart	...	Katherine 'Kathy' Egan
Willard Parker	...	Sheriff William 'Will' Egan
Norman Lloyd	...	Jim Murphy aka Gordon
Lloyd Bridges	...	Joel Collins
Marc Lawrence	...	Harry Dean
Houseley Stevenson	...	Dakota
Milburn Stone	...	Abe Jones
Clifton Young	...	Link
John Rodney	...	Morgan
Roy Roberts	...	Marshal Peak
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Lucy Egan
Charles Cane	...	J. Wells
Walter Baldwin	...	Doc Purdy

Storyline

Drifter Sam Bass shows up in Denton, Texas (soon to host a great horse race) looking for work. Before long, he attracts the attention of pretty storekeeper Katherine Egan (the sheriff's sister) and that wild frontiers woman, Calamity Jane. Circumstances make Sam richer by a very fast race horse. But his seemingly good luck with horses and women leads him to disaster. Will he be forced into a life of crime?

---

Plot Keywords:

calamity jane | character name in title

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rebellen der Steppe

Filming Locations:

Kanab Canyon, Kanab, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Calamity Jane and Sam Bass were both in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876 and 1877, when they were in their 20's, but there is nothing to show that the two ever met and the rather flimsy plot of this film has little or no relation to reality. Sam Bass (born on July 21, 1851) ran away from home and eventually got to San Antonio, Texas. He drove cattle to Kansas, moved on to Deadwood, and held up the Deadwood stage seven times. On September 19, 1877 he robbed the Union Pacific train at Big Springs, Nebraska, got away and returned to Texas. He was shot during an aborted bank robbery in Round Rock, Texas and died the next day, on his birthday, July 21, 1878. When her family moved west, Martha Jane "Calamity Jane" Cannary (born May 1, 1852) eventually settled in Deadwood, South Dakota, where she became friendly with Wild Bill Hickok and later claimed to have borne his child. Hickok was killed during a poker game on August 2, 1876. Jane died in Terry, South Dakota on August 1, 1903, allegedly saying, "Bury me beside Wild Bill - the only man I ever loved."

---

Quotes

[Sam Bass and friends have just held up a stagecoach and removed only part of the money from the strong box]
Joel Collins: Well, we could've had our ranch out of that box.
Sam Bass: No, we couldn't, Joel. The way we did it, even if this thing comes out, people will know that we took back only what he stole from us. They'll be on our side.
Dakota: Sure, we wouldn't want 'em to think we robbed this stage dishonestly.

User Reviews

Night mare

This is an offbeat western ,one of the rare ones which does not have a Hollywood happy end . The screenplay features historical characters ,including Calamity Jane ,played by the wonderful Yvonne De Carlo ,who is as much at ease in the part of a Wild West girl as she is when she 's Countess of Castiglione or Mosis's wife .

According to IMDb reliable source ,the two "heroes" never met in real life ,but it does not matter.In the movie,Sam is a born loser,illiterate ,deprived of his money by a wicked uncle,and a dreaming man .All he does backfires on him and even with the help of two women in love with him,he is pursued by fate .Against all odds ,he does believe his mare is still alive but the pursuit of his dream is in vain.Howard Duff 's wooden acting does not get in the way for his character becomes an outlaw by accident and most of the time,he is overtaken by events.