Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949) User Reviews

Horses and women and guns

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 23 July 2014]

Even though there is no record that Calamity Jane and Sam Bass even met and furthermore that by Calamity's own record the only man she ever loved was Wild Bill Hickok, Universal nevertheless made this film Calamity Jane And Sam Bass. Billing should have been in reverse this was really Sam Bass's story.

Sam Bass as played by Howard Duff arrives in Denton, Texas completely busted, but he's got a way with the ladies and he attracts the attention of the famous Calamity Jane and the sheriff Willard Parker's sister. The sheriff's sister is Dorothy Hart. He also has a great love and good eye for horses. That and the two women are both the key his success and his downfall.

It's fascinating how some of Hollywood's most beautiful actresses, Jean Arthur, Doris Day, and in this film Yvonne DeCarlo are cast as Calamity Jane. In real life, Mary Jane Canary as Calamity Jane was born had a face that could stop a grandfather clock for a couple of generations. She must have had something going to get all the men she did including Wild Bill Hickok.

Duff and DeCarlo aren't the most romantic pair going still the western is an interesting one with some well executed action scenes. I think western fans will like it still.

Entertaining but routine Western about two legends of the Old West with assaults , horse races and shootouts

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 29 April 2020]

¨Calamity Jane and Sam Bass¨ 1949 by George Sherman with Yvonne De Carlo , Howard Duff is an acceptable and passable film , though neither extraordinary , not notable , but entertaining . This oater gives a sympathetic and agreeable portrayal of the known frontier wildcat amusingly played by Yvonne De Carlo as well as outlaw Sam Bass , though resulting in tragic finale . A fictitious biography of the notorious lady crackshot and the famous gunfighter Sam Bass , it is set in in Denton , Texas where really standed Calamity Jane . There drifter Sam Bass shows up looking for a job . Here Calamity Jane sets out to show that anything a man can do Calamity can do better and then she participates at a great horse race and Sam Bass seems to be really impressed . As the film happens in an on-again, off-again romance with Sam Bass who is also fallen for pretty storekeeper Katherine Egan ( Dorothy Hart) who unfortunately results to be the sheriff's (Willard Parker) sister . It takes a lot of adventures and distresses before Jane can convince Sam that under her two-fisted exterior there is a woman's heart . However , his seemingly good luck thanks to win a very fast race horse and his romance with two women pushes Sam Bass toward disaster and outlawry. Branding their outlaw names ... into the fiery fame of the West ! Fighting! Loving! Looting!

Yvonne De Carlo gives a nice portrayal of the famous frontier wilcat and she certainly puts full of fire and mirth into the character . Yvonne shines in one of her best roles , she splendidly stars as the gun-toting , rip-snorting Calamity Jane of Western lore . While Howard Duff is wooden as the distressed outlaw who attracts the attention of a good shopkeeper as well as that wild frontiers woman , Calamity Jane , however he will be forced into a life of crimen. They are well accompanied by a support cast plenty of Hollywood secondary stalwarts including as follows : Willard Parker , Lloyd Bridges , Milburn Stone , Marc Lawrence , Roy Roberts , Ann Doran , Clifton Young and the incombustible Norman Lloyd . This breeze-fresh movie filled with get-up-and-go was well directed by George Sherman . He was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres with special penchant for Western , Noir and drama . Other films about Calamity Jane are as follows : ¨The Texan meet Calamity Jane¨ 1950 with Evelyn Ankers , James Ellison . Musical version ¨Calamity Jane¨ by David Butler with Doris Day , Howard Keel , Philip Carey , Dick Wesson . Calamity Jane 1963 with Carol Burnett , Art Lund . Calamity Jane 1982 by James Goldstone with Jane Alexander , Frederic Forrest . ¨Wild Bill¨1995 by Walter Hill with Jeff Bridges , Ellen Barkin . And a Spaghetti Western : ¨Seven hours of gunfire¨ by Joaquin Romero Marchent with Gloria Milland , Rik Van Nutter , Adrian Hoven .

Although the events are fictious , the picture is partially based on Calamity Jane and his allegedly relationship to Sam Bass , but with whom she had real relation was to Wild Bill . The actual happenings are the following ones : Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure .She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire.Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in cannot be proven. It is known that she had no formal education and was an itinerant alcoholic.. In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of Deadwood, South Dakota in the Black Hills . There she became friends with Dora DuFran, the Black Hills' leading madam, and she was occasionally employed by her. She also became friendly with Wild Bill Hickok and Charlie Utter, having traveled with them to Deadwood in Utter's wagon train.Calamity Jane does seem to have had two daughters, although the father's identity is unknown. In the late 1880s, she returned to Deadwood with a child whom she claimed to be her daughter.Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after his murderer Jack McCall with a meat cleaver, since she had left her guns at her residence in the excitement of the moment.

"We wouldn't want them to think we robbed the stage dishonestly".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 19 May 2016]

Here's a perfect example of film makers pulling two historical names out of the past, putting them together and then throwing them up against the wall to see what sticks. This story could just as easily have been told without the names of Calamity Jane and Sam Bass in the title, but then I guess it might not have been a draw at the cinema. Oh well, it could have been worse.

It turns out that the film had some pretty good star power going for it, at least in retrospect. Howard Duff and Lloyd Bridges both had respectable careers in film and TV, and the inclusion of Yvonne De Carlo as one of the title characters was an interesting casting decision. To me she'll always be Lily Munster, but she had a pretty diverse career as well. The surprise for me in this picture was Willard Parker in the role of Sheriff Will Egan. It made me wonder why I've never seen him in another movie Western before, as he was one of my TV favorites as a kid watching "Tales of the Texas Rangers". He partnered with the always hungry Harry Lauter as Ranger Clay Morgan.

Even though the Calamity Jane/Sam Bass team up is pure fiction, the story itself is fairly credible in the way it follows a hard luck cowpoke trying to make his way honorably, but sidelined by circumstances that create a turn for the worse. The business about the Denton Mare suddenly brought back to life was a stretch though; everyone at the race who saw him go down knew he was dead, and one of the bystanders even offered to bury it.

What I thought was clever was the way the story ended, requiring the viewer to try and figure out which woman Sam Bass was talking about when he revealed his feverish dream about owning his own ranch and sharing it with a 'different' girl, the only one he really loved. That could have been either Calamity or Kathy Egan (Dorothy Hart), so in a way, he was able to let them both down easy. Personally, I lean toward Miss Egan, but otherwise it's a close toss up.

There actually was one element the film makers got right historically. The real Sam Bass did die a day after being shot by a Texas Ranger near Round Rock, Texas. He was buried there, with the remains of the original gravestone marker on display at the Public Library in downtown Round Rock on Sam Bass Road.

Night mare

[dbdumonteil · 17 February 2011]

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.

Partly fictional and partly historical account of badass Bass

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 15 April 2017]

Yvonne de Carlo has to share Howard Duff's(Sam Bass) romantic interest with Dorothy Hart(Kathy Egan) in this Technicolor 'B' western, directed by the talented 'B' picture specialist George Sherman. Obviously, Dorothy was characterized as 'the good girl', while Yvonne, as Calamity Jane, was characterized as 'the bad girl'. Both fell in love with the handsome, but dirt poor, Bass almost immediately. Calamity more dominates the 2nd half, while Kathy is more influential in the first half. Director Sherman ordered some great close-ups of Yvonne's face, especially toward the end. For a more fun western costarring Yvonne, I recommend "Frontier Gal". Both these films are currently available at YouTube.

I disagree with the paragraph under 'Trivia' at this site, which claims that there is little historically accurate information about Bass in this film. The inclusion of the 2 women is the greatest fictional component. As mentioned in the film, Bass was raised on an Indiana farm, and gradually made his way south and west, finally to Denton, TX. He did work for Sheriff Will Egan on his ranch, saved his money and bought an excellent race horse, named 'the Denton Mare'. He won some races with her and was skilled in other bets on horses. Later, he did get into robbing stages, trains, and banks. The dramatized train robbery at Big Spring Station closely duplicates the details of what actually happened, including the wood boxes holding a fortune in gold coins. His fatal attempt at robbing the Round Rock bank is also dramatized.

Howard Keel, as Bass, doesn't present the sort of charisma a John Wayne or Gary Cooper would, but he does an adequate job. Yvonne makes a striking, if quite unreal, facsimile of Calamity.

Calamity Jane and Sam Bass review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 28 April 2020]

Entertaining fictional tale woven around factual characters. A glamorous Yvonne De Carlo wears bright red lipstick and her hair flowing as Calamity Jane, and Howard Duff plays low-ranking outlaw Sam Bass with little energy. As this is '40s Hollywood, they're portrayed as heroes and make a good-looking couple, but it's true good girl Dorthy Hart who wins Sam's heart.

Or, more accurately, Sam Bass and Calamity Jane....

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 26 April 2012]

....since Sam Bass is clearly the central character here, and Calamity Jane the peripheral one. Actually, Calamity is just one of the two women between whom Sam Bass is caught - the other is an incredibly sweet, sensible shopkeeper played by Dorothy Hart - and it really is quite the dilemma. I found myself pondering whom I would choose if I were in his place, but I couldn't make up my mind. Calamity is a role that suits Yvonne De Carlo perfectly - you can tell she is very comfortable with it - and Dorothy Hart is very appealing, too. The Technicolor photography is pleasing to the eye, and the story generally keeps your interest and leads to a surprisingly strong (sad & enigmatic) ending. **1/2 out of 4.

She's still here!

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 1 November 2023]

I never thought of the real Calamity Jane as either a slow eyed vamp or someone's mother, perhaps though a bit camp, to paraphrase the song Yvonne de Carlo sang decades later on Broadway in "Follies". The real Jane Canary looked closer to Hope Emerson than de Carlo or the other glamour girl actresses who played her, although she was always presented as a rough and tumble frontier woman in masculine clothing. Had this been made at MGM, it would have been a perfect B film for Marjorie Main and Wallace Beery.

Like many westerns about real people, it stretches the truth to the point where the film snaps, but as entertainment, it's a very colorful and action packed tall tale. Howard Duff, Universal's hopeful new star, is the actual lead as Sam Bass who apparently never met Ms. Jane, let alone romance her. Actually, the romantic focus is on Duff and Dorothy Hart, the sister of sheriff Willard Parker who hates Duff and whose actions helps turn Bass into an outlaw. De Carlo and Duff share a kiss, buy she's more of a buddy to Duff.

Having lingered around Hollywood for about a decade, Lloyd Bridges was still either a supportive heavy or a lead in B's, and as a friend to Sam's gets him involved in a big horse race against big shot Charles Cane who helps set Sam up for failure. Houseley Stevenson plays the grizzled old Dakota, a character type present in practically every western. Even as obvious fiction, it's a complex story that gives some good character development to a darker plot. Jane Alexander's Calamity Jane is closer to the real deal than de Carlo, but she's certainly watchable in her spunky characterization.

Yvonne De Carlo is smokin' hot in this movie

[rickrudge · 8/10 · 28 December 2010]

Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)

This is your typical early 50's western (with a little romance thrown in) and it stars some notable and familiar faces from the early days of TV. It's not really a bad movie, just nothing very noteworthy, except...

Yvonne De Carlo is smokin' ass hot in this movie! She plays the ultimate bad girl, Calamity Jane, and makes the whole movie worth sitting through. So much so, that I'm giving it an extra couple of stars just because she eats up the scenery. Other than that, this movie hasn't much going for it. It's your typical movie western.

A naive farm boy, Sam Bass (Howard Duff) comes into town riding shotgun on the stage without a penny to his name. He strikes up a friendship with the store owner, Kathy Egan (Dorothy Hart) and despite the bad first impression from her brother (and the local sheriff) Will Egan (Willard Parker) gets some farm work for the family.

Sam Bass knows his horse flesh and is even able to calm a wild horse like the one Calamity Jane is racing in town. He sort of has that effect on her too. Sam Bass seems to have a lot of bad luck or makes the wrong choices in life. Things just seem to go from bad to worse, no matter how good his intentions are.

When he borrows money to bet on a racehorse, Sheriff Egan kicks him out, so he gets a cattle job with Joel Collins (Lloyd Bridges). It doesn't take long before he takes on a life of crime.

Excellent Yvonne De Carlo's vehicle

[searchanddestroy-1 · 16 July 2023]

The late forties were for Universal Studios the period when they lost Maria Montez - Jon Hall's magnificent colorful, brilliant adventure movies; so they had to replace at least Maria Montez, some kind of equivalent, and then they found Yvonne De Carlo who was already in the studio for minor roles, besides her Paramount period...And no one lost in the deal, De Carlo was for me as beautiful, gorgeous as Montez, in any kind of pictures, and it's such a shame that most of audiences will remind her mostly for this TV show from the sixties THE MUNSTERS, which I don't know at all, unlike her numerous movies, so enchanted films thanks to her magnetic presence and beauty. I also love Howard Duff's character, a surprising anti hero in this tremendous George Sherman's feature. A very surprising and unexpected backward travelling shot in the last seconds. Unusual for this period.

Pause for thought

[lyon5 · 8/10 · 30 June 2001]

This is largely an unremarkable little film, with mostly wooden performances typical of the time in which it was made, but it does show how easy it is for a man to take the wrong turning through no fault of his own, when circumstances beyond his control provide no other option.

a western like many others

[Vincentiu · 23 October 2013]

it has all pieces of a classic western. and a lot of clichés. but this is not a problem if it can be more than a poor old recipes result. the presence of Yvone De Carlo and Dorothy Hart is only aesthetic. the characters are sketches of good intentions. and the legendary Calamity Jane remains an empty puppet. Howard Duff does a role without salt, the good guy who takes fundamental decisions is a thin shadow of a really hero. that is all. a film with flavor of a period sensitivity. common, pink and naive, moral lesson and nothing more, scene for old fashion stars, it has the heroic aura who gives taste for memories or it is window for a first image of a lost world.