Sadly Over-hyped

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Very loosely based on the life of the titular Wild West figure, this Hollywood musical tracks the experiences of the tomboyish gunslinger who strikes up a close friendship with a second-rate actress. As the two women eventually decide to live together, it is easy to appreciate why 'Calamity Jane' has been cited as a film with an overt gay subtext over the years; there is also lead actress Doris Day dressing and talking like a man, even commenting how pretty co-star Allyn Ann McLerie is when they first meet. This is, however, a film that can be thoroughly enjoyed for the surface story, subtext aside. Day is a revelation in the title role, a true transformation when one considers the housewife and Rock Hudson movie roles that she is best known for. It is a very energetic performance too as Day sings, dances, talks tough and wrestles with her own sense of identity as she takes McLerie's advice of how to act more feminine to attract a man. The film occasionally gets lost in mixed messages along these lines (celebrating her individuality plus applauding her desire to conform), but with memorable songs, well-timed comic relief and a solid supporting cast, it remains a delightful experience overall. Those keen on an accurate portrait of the real Calamity Jane would be best served to look elsewhere, but anyone after merely a fun musical or lighthearted western could scarcely go wrong here.

I watched this film yesterday, after recording it the day before. It turns up on the Encore Westerns channel in a very poor washed out print. But thankfully, TCM is showing a very beautiful restored copy of it.CALAMITY JANE was Doris' favorite of all the movies she made, and it's easy to see why. So many things going for it:An Oscar nominated score, with one of the songs ('Secret Love') receiving the Oscar for song of the year-- it was a hit song on the Billboard charts for Doris.Perfect casting-- Howard Keel as the main love interest, fresh off his success in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN; the handsome Phil Carey as the military man Calamity thinks she loves; Dick Wesson in a great comic relief supporting part; and Allyn Ann McLerie as the dance hall girl wannabe (why didn't she have a greater career in movies?). Not to mention Doris herself who is having fun with the role of a lifetime.And I want to speak for a moment about Doris' acting. She is more focused in this film than in any other one I've seen her do (except maybe LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME). There is not one false note in her performance. Even when she has the most over-the-top dialogue (sputtering words or phrases like varmint, mangy groundhog and nekked heathens), she doesn't step out of character and wink once at the audience-- she knows Calamity's mannerisms and speech is supposed to be animated, but she plays it straight and that helps us develop sympathy for the character. It also helps us get caught up in what will happen to Calamity, as far-fetched as the situations may be. And around the 65-minute mark (more than halfway into the story), her transformation from tomboy to a softer more feminine western gal is handled very nicely. To sum it up, CALAMITY JANE is a solid piece of musical comedy entertainment. The preposterousness and historical inaccuracies the script conjures up can be forgiven. Any shortcomings are more than made up for by the abounding charm of the players and overall ambiance of the picture.

Doris is very energetic. She plays Calam over the top. Chicaggy-word is unique. Her deerskin getup must a-needed a-cleanin' after all-them-years of wearing it (phew!). Changing to the femi-NINE duds was a welcome change. . . . Cigar-EEEETS are another hoot.Post-war World War II 1950s and onward (yes, they made anti-Nazi movies even into 1970s-80s-etc.) . . . Tons of rustic cowboy western movies, TV shows. Annie Get Your Gun (Annie was from Ohio, which was no longer The West in the later 1800s), Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley TV show, Gunsmoke, Zorro, Rin Tin Tin, Wagon Train, The Rifleman, Circus Boy, Death Valley Days, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger. Good grief -- Davy Crockett! Escapism toned down the harshness of The Cold War and McCarthyism. Musicals helped America feel good about itself. The Korean War was ending, and Americans were tired of hearing about real-life fighting and killing. Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob and Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring all wore western clothes.2013: Ya can't say Injuns no mo! It is the "I-word". Women don't have to clean up the cabin or sling that hash. Times have changed. We ALL wear pants! Still, for a 60-year-old movie, the humor and music hold up well.Howard Keel was a good singer. He was a Douglas Aircraft inspector before his movie career. In two particular movies, he saw himself as a lady's man: In "Kiss Me Kate", he sings "Where Is the Life That Late I Led?", bemoaning that his little black book is irrelevant now that he is hooking up with Kathryn Grayson. In "Show Boat", he sings "Only Make Believe" in which he tries to woo Grayson with his worldly bravado.

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.)