Calamity Jane (1953)

The story of Calamity Jane, her saloon, and her romance with Wild Bill Hickok.

Director:

David Butler

Writer:

James O'Hanlon

Stars:

Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

calamity jane character | wild bill hickok character | cigarette smoking | cigar smoking | sarsaparilla | 

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Taglines:

Yippeeeee!! It's the big bonanza in musical extravaganza!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Schwere Colts in zarter Hand

Filming Locations:

Stage 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away)' contains the lyric, "We'll be home tonight by the light of the silvery moon". The same year 'Calamity Jane' was released, Doris Day starred in By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953).

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Calamity Jane: [while in Chicago, sees a store window with wigs on display] Scalps!

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Connections

Referenced in The IT Crowd: Calamity Jen (2006)

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Soundtracks

Keep It Under Your Hat
Written by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Performed (twice) by Allyn Ann McLerie

User Reviews

There is still reason to applaud the movie's colorful production and irrepressible high spirits…

From her first appearance aboard the stagecoach, singing "Deadwood Stage," Doris Day dominates the movie in exuberant—possibly too exuberant—fashion, with strong assistance from Howard Keel and his virile voice…

Returning home from a visit to Chicago, Day gives her account of the "Windy City" in a song that suggests Oklahoma!'s "Kansas City" in more ways than the title… Her quarrelsome duet with Wild Bill—"I Can Do Without You"—echoes Annie Oakley's competitive duet with Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun."

But one song is all Doris Day's—and the film's—very own: walking through the countryside on a beautiful morning, Calamity realizes that she loves Bill, and in a voice exuding warmth and tender feeling, she sings the Academy Award-winning song "Secret Love."