This 1953 musical is very much a vehicle for Doris Day, in the title role, as a wild cowgal who can outshoot and outsing any boy on the range. When an actress arrives in Deadwood and uses her feminine charms on Jane's secr... more »et love, Wild Bill Hickock (Howard Keel), Jane tries to mend her tomboy ways. Not exactly up to the feminist code of honor, this is still energetic and Day is very perky. Of course, one could almost detect a homosexual undercurrent with the cross-dressing Jane, but this was Hollywood in the 1950s, so we best not. This won an Oscar for Best Song--"Secret Love," by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster. --Rochelle O'Gorman« less
"OK folks, there are very few DVD/Movies I can wholeheartedly recommend for the entire family, but Calamity Jane is one of them! Made in 1953, when Doris Day was in her early 20's, Calamity Jane made Doris a musical and theatre star. No question about it, Doris Day carries this movie on her slim feminine shoulders. She absolutely shines as Calamity Jane, the ultimate western tomboy cowgirl. Doris excels in singing (the songs are positively addicting and you will be humming them for days to come), dancing (wow, can she dance!), shooting (well, she pretends to shoot), and acting (comedy and drama) her way through this rolicking enjoyable film. Doris Day is just a treat to watch and the kids will fall in love with her. Day is so talented in so many different ways, and this film is a perfect vehicle to showcase her talents. Doris definitely deserves an A+ for her performance.
The supporting cast is terrific as well, with Howard keel as the baritone singing Wild Bill Hickok, and Allyn Ann McLerie as Katie Brown, Calamity's girlfriend and rival for the romantic attentions of US Cavalry's Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin.
The plot is simple, fun, and entertaining; the whole family will enjoy this one from 2 year old Terrible Too to 102 year old grandma! There is nothing deep here for your mind to think about, no, this is a movie to just sit back and enjoy, and enjoy it you will.
Highly recommended!
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
"
Doris Day is Calamity Jane! Now on DVD in TECHNICOLOR!!!!
forrie | Nashua, NH United States | 05/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Doris Day one of Hollywoods greatest talents now comes to the DVD TECHNICOLOR screen as Martha Jane Canary, better known as "Calamity Jane". Loosely based on the western heroine's life. Calamity served as an Indian Scout, mail carrier and later as a performer in a Wild West Show demonstrating her fancy shooting. This action packed, toe tapping, knee slapping musical launched Doris Day as a Hollywood Star!!! She is outstanding as this wild tomboyish gun toting character.Summary: Calamity Jane (Day) & best friend Wild Bill Hickock (Howard Keel) are always competing against each other for the towns best shot and biggest story teller. Both are in love with other interests who are in love. Nothing can change this and Jane's "Secret Love" (Oscar winning song - Day's biggest single hit selling over 1 million copies) is soon realized. The movie is filled with great music and a very predictable happy ending. A 1950's Hollywood stantard.This OUTSTANDING DVD is presented in Full Standard Screen Format (before WideScreen) in beautiful Digitalized TECHNICOLOR & mono sound track. The Extra features include: Premiere & Awards Newsreels, Producion Notes & Theatrical Trailer.Doris Day is delightful & very believable as Calamity Jane. This Warner Brothers Musical is a classic & a great family edition to the DVD library. You'll love the music too!! Enjoy."
Just Blew In From The Best DorisDayest Movie In The West
Chris | Leeds, Utah United States | 07/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I watched this movie recently again and I love it so much. I love all doris day Movies and I own all 39/39 of her movies but I will have to say that this is my favorite out of all of her films. Doris Day was dynamite as Clamity Jane and Howard Keel was excelent as Wild Billy Hicock. This is a great movie it focuses around Calamitys lieing and 2-timing. And how even though she won't admit it the man she really loves is Wild Billy who has a crush on A Singing Sensation that Calam brings to town but at the end of the film Calam and Billy you guessed it they get themselves hitched. This movie also includes great songs from the old west like. Just Blew In From The Windy City. Secret Love. Black Hills. and a lot others. This movie is a movie you and your whole family will enjoy so buy or rent a copy tonight and share it with your whole family."
DVD has arrived...great picture and sound!
Peter Prainito | Lombard, IL USA | 09/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Calamity Jane is in my top ten list of favorite musicals. Doris Day is fabulous in the title role along with Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickok. Briefly, the plot involves Calamity going to Chicago in hopes of bringing an actress named Adelaide Adams to perform in Deadwood City South Dakota. Trouble is, Calamity mistakenly brings back Ms. Adams' maid Katie instead! After the fraud is revealed, which is hilarious, Calamity befriends Katie. All is peachy until their female hormones kick in. They seemingly fall for the same man which threatens their friendship. Seems to me that after the huge success of MGM's 1950 musical "Annie Get Your Gun", Warner Brothers wanted to cash in on the musical craze (and the 1950's was an outstanding decade for musicals) with this 1953 classic. They even got Howard Keel, who was in Annie Get Your Gun! Warner Brothers knew what they were doing because "Calamity" turned out to be another huge hit.The movie has it all; an enjoyable story, humor, glorious technicolor, and great music. This is the movie that introduced the beautiful song "Secret Love", which has become a Doris Day trademark tune. This is a musical that I never get tired of watching. Just bought the DVD and the picture and sound are great! However, there are no extras on the DVD. Highly recommended."
Doris' Day of Magnificence!
Peter Prainito | 12/11/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A film musical great for its time and a showcase for Doris Day's brilliance. Now, what this reviewer means by a movie for its time is that nowadays, modern critics and reviewers have sought out the gay undertones of CALAMITY JANE and the Oscar-Winning song "Secret Love" has been scrutinized as much as the Beatles' "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". With that aside and if one watches the movie as audiences saw it in the innocent 50's, this is Doris Day's vehicle with a terrific performance. Day pulls off the rough, macho, gun touting, title role with ease,gusto and humor. The supporting cast of characters are equally impressive with Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickock. If any of the other support actors look familiar, they are, but you just don't know their names. Allyn Ann McLerie who is great as Katie Brown in the film has been a major support/guest character actor in many tv and film roles. She's most memorable as the wife of station manager, Mr Carlson (Gordon Jump) in the tv series "WKRP in Cincinnati". Also, Philip Carey as Lt. Danny GilMartin plays Asa Buchanan on the daytime soap "One Life to Live". Great songs, great characters, and great story makes this top notch entertainment from the movie musical hey day of the 50's to rival MGM's musicals (CALAMITY JANE was a Warner Bros. musical production)"