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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance | Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Calamity Jane

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

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 (1950).

---

Goofs

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. The person who wrote this must have missed the part where Calamity was on the train and also the the comment on the way back that 'The last 90 miles is by stage'. So it would have taken maybe a week for the round trip.

---

Quotes

Calamity Jane: Whip, crack, away!

---

Connections

Featured in Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Higher than a Hawk
Written by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Performed by Howard Keel

User Reviews

Whip Crackaway! Here comes the Deadwood Stage!

Bursting with rollicking songs, 'Calamity Jane' starts with a brisk opening number, "The Deadwood Stage" that sets the tone for the jaunty, ear-pleasing musical numbers to follow--with Doris Day and Howard Keel in top form making each song a sheer delight. Day has fun with her role as the tomboy heroine who mistakenly brings the wrong actress to Deadwood--but in true musical fashion, both women end up with a man of their own. The score is splendid with 'Secret Love' given a great interpretation by Day (both vocally and visually). But the other songs are equally worth listening to: Higher Than A Hawk, The Black Hills of Dakota, A Woman's Touch (one of the catchiest numbers), and, of course, Just Blew In From The Windy City in which Day's singing and dancing talents are in high gear. Watch how gracefully she performs the "lifts" to the balcony, never missing a beat. Even though the story is nothing less than preposterous, the cast is so expert they make you forget the unrealities of the script. Just sit back and enjoy!! When Day and Keel lift their voices in song, they can do no wrong.