Calamity Jane
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Movie Reviews of Calamity Jane
Movie Review: Calamity Jane, Better Than Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
This review is about the movie Calamity Jane on DVD format. I grew up watching this beloved movie, which my mother grew up watching. Last week I sat down with my children to watch it on our 47" HDTV-- WOW! It's not the dull colors and edited for t.v. that I remember from my childhood! The DVD played great, the color was full and very vibrant. Just watched it again with my mother, and she also was stunned with how great it looked.
Now to the basics of the movie. Calamity Jane starring Doris Day and Howard Keel is a family-friendly take on a colorful woman who once lived in 'the wild west', though the movie is definitely not biographical. This movie is a classic musical, with much of the story occurring during the singing and dancing. The tossing of insults while singing gives Shakespeare a run for his money. You can read the premise of the story elsewhere, so I won't spoil that.
This particular DVD contained a couple of very short newsreels, textual "behind the scenes" (not like today's outtakes); it has subtitles in English, though only during the speech portion of the movie, and even then it doesn't follow the script exactly; audio has 3 spoken languages (I only listened to the English version), and 4 subtitle languages (including English). It is a standard format ratio (before widescreen, as a previous reviewer said), but still looked great on High Definition. It was filmed in "Technicolor," which looks fantastic on an HD t.v..
I would recommend this DVD to anyone! It's a great classic musical (1953), encompassing all the elements that are today made a mockery. If you like Doris Day (I'm a 2nd generation fan of hers), Howard Keel, or theatre-musical type of movies, this is a great, family-friendly, and humorous film. Both my pre-teen son and daughter enjoyed the movie--six thumbs up!
Movie Review: Calamity Jane is whip-crackin' fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
Calamity Jane is the story of a tomboy in the Dakota territory during the 19th century. She can ride and shoot better than any man, except Wild Bill Hickock. In fact, she's often confused for a man due to the fact that she's always wearing buckskins and a dirty army hat. Calamity is spunky and full of energy; the only problem is that she can't get Danny, the Lieutenant of her dreams, to realize that she's in love with him and return the feeling. Then one day, Katie Brown comes to town. She and Calamity hit it off right away until Katie and Danny begin to fall in love. Sparks and bullets fly when Calamity finds out, and Katie must choose between her friend and her love.
Calamity Jane is such a fun musical and Doris Day does an amazing job of playing the gun-slinging, whip-cracking, tall-telling tomboy. Most of the songs are upbeat with great lyrics. My little boy and I love "I can do without you", and we sing it to each other all of the time. My husband will even watch this musical with me because it's not too girlie. The only problem with it is that it does have some racism. The way they speak about Native Americans was a little shocking to me when I first saw this movie as an adult. I had to sit down and have a talk with my little boy and explain things to him and tell him that we never talk that way about Native Americans and explain to him the history of the "wild west". That being said, the main story surrounds Calamity Jane and Katie Brown and their love lives, and it is a lot of fun to see how things develop. As a plus, Howard Keel is great as Wild Bill, and he is very handsome in this movie. Overall, Calamity Jane is fun for the whole family, and I really enjoy it.
Movie Review: One of the best
Summary: 5 Stars
Calamaity Jane is a fun way to spend an hour and a half if you can forget your "enlightened" attitudes of the modern era. Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickock shows he can act as well as he can sing, and that is saying a lot. If you just watch him and his reactions to whatever is going on, or who is speaking, you will appreciate his ability to throw himself into a role.
Doris Day as Calamity might have been able to look worse in the rough and ready buckskin outfits, but it is hard to imagine.
The idea that girls are only attractive in ruffles and ribbons is mildly offensive if you let yourself dwell on it. And the "I Can Do Without You" duet is surprisingly physical.
The musical numbers are an uneven mix. The love song "Higher Than a Hawk" is well below what Howard Keel could have done with better material. "Secret Love," which earned the greatest popularity in its time, is sappy and pedestrian. The best song in the whole show is "The Black Hills of Dakota," a duet with Howard Keel and Doris Day, accompanied by a chorus.
If you can overlook two people falling in love because of one kiss as highly improbable, it is a nice story.
Despite its flaws, it is well worth the price of including it in your library, and you will want to take it out to watch whenever you want some good, cheery entertainment.
Movie Review: Up there with Singin' In The Rain!
Summary: 5 Stars
A wonderful film from credits to final The End. Doris Day in this is fabulous, and this film deserves a higher place in the lists of Hollywood greats in the genre of musicals.
All of the songs Miss Day sings with enormous gusto, and, Once I had a Secret Love, with her ususal romantic ease. Howard Keel is excellent as are all in this Warner Singin' in the Rain calibre fim.
This is the South pacific and the Annie Get Your Gun and other musicals Miss Day did not do, all rolled into this great film. It was true she could not dance for a while after a car accident, but in Calamity Jane she dances up a storm; she 's back in action and does it all rock.
See this, and then look at Annie Get Your Gun and other musicals..this is way ahead. Also, Pajama Game, Moonlight Bay and By the Light of... and Lucky Me even! She makes even weak material shine and sparkle. Also April In Paris, Tea For Two, My Dream Is Yours, Romance On the High Seas, and more..She could do it all!
Movie Review: Take me back to the Black Hills with Doris Day!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the first Doris Day movie I had ever seen and probably one of the reasons she's a favorite actress of mine! She's incredible as Calamity Jane (she would have been great as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun")! I heard this was one of Doris Day's personal favorites and you can tell why! This is such a fun musical you can watch over and over again!
Calamity's problems start when she heads to Chicagie in search of an actress. When she finds her and takes her back to South Dakota, both Wild Bill Hickcok (Howard Keel) and Calam's "pretty lieutenant" fall for the actress, Katie Brown. Katie is in love with the lieutenant too which makes Calamity and Wild Bill furious...until, that is, they realize they are in love with each other!
Doris Day gets to sing some great (and very catchy) songs: "The Deadwood Stage," "The Black Hills of Dakota," "I Can Do Without You," "A Woman's Touch" and the Oscar-winning song "Secret Love."
This is a rip-roarin' musical western for everyone!