Calamity Jane (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Calamity Jane
Theatrical poster
Directed by	David Butler
Produced by	William Jacobs
Written by	James O'Hanlon
Starring	Doris Day Howard Keel Allyn Ann McLerie
Music by	Ray Heindorf
Cinematography	Wilfrid M. Cline
Editing by	Irene Morra
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	November 4, 1953
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Calamity Jane is a fun 1953 American Technicolor Western musical film. It was directed by David Butler and stars Doris Day and Howard Keel. The movie is based on the life of a famous Wild West figure named Calamity Jane. It tells a story about a possible romance between her and Wild Bill Hickok.

The film was made by Warner Bros. after another successful musical, Annie Get Your Gun, came out in 1950. Calamity Jane won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song "Secret Love". This song was written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster. The movie was also nominated for two other Oscars: Best Music and Best Sound.

The songs and story from the movie were later used to create a stage musical in 1961. This musical has been performed many times since then.

The Story of Calamity Jane

The movie takes place in the Dakota Territory in the 1870s. Doris Day plays Calamity Jane, a tough and brave woman who is great at riding horses and shooting. She has a crush on Second Lieutenant Gilmartin, played by Philip Carey. Calamity even saves him from a group of Native Americans.

Adventures in Deadwood

In the town of Deadwood, the saloon owner tries to bring in a famous female singer. But he accidentally hires a man instead! The audience gets very angry when they find out. Calamity Jane steps in and promises to go to Chicago to bring back the famous singer Adelaid Adams. Her friend Wild Bill Hickok, played by Howard Keel, doesn't think she can do it.

Calamity travels to Chicago. She finds Adelaid Adams, who is about to leave for a European tour. After the show, Adelaid gives her old costumes to her maid, Katie Brown, played by Allyn Ann McLerie. Katie dreams of becoming a singer. Calamity mistakes Katie for Adelaid and asks her to come back to Deadwood. Katie agrees, hoping it's her chance to perform.

Katie's Big Debut

Back in Deadwood, Katie tries to perform, but she gets very nervous. She admits she is not the real Adelaid Adams. The crowd is about to riot, but Calamity fires a shot and defends Katie. Katie is allowed to continue singing, and she wins over the audience with her talent.

Katie moves into Calamity's old cabin. They work together to fix it up and make it nice. Calamity wants to impress Lieutenant Gilmartin. With Katie's help, she tries to dress and act more "ladylike." However, both Gilmartin and Wild Bill Hickok start to like Katie.

Friendship and Romance

At a big dance, Calamity looks beautiful, and everyone is surprised. But she gets jealous watching Katie and Gilmartin together. Calamity gets angry and causes a scene. The next day, Katie feels bad and decides to leave Deadwood.

Calamity is heartbroken and drives off with Wild Bill. She tells him she likes Gilmartin. Bill then admits that he likes Katie. But as they talk, Calamity realizes she has feelings for Wild Bill all along. They share a special moment.

A Happy Ending

The next day, Katie leaves on a stagecoach for Chicago. Lieutenant Gilmartin is upset and blames Calamity for Katie leaving. Calamity rides her horse to catch up with the stagecoach. She tells Katie that she loves Wild Bill, and the two friends make up. The movie ends with a happy double wedding for both couples.

Main Actors

• Doris Day as Calamity Jane
• Howard Keel as Bill Hickok
• Allyn Ann McLerie as Katie Brown
• Philip Carey as Daniel Gilmartin
• Dick Wesson as Francis Fryer
• Paul Harvey as Henry Miller
• Chubby Johnson as Rattlesnake
• Gale Robbins as Adelaid Adams
• Tom London as Prospector (uncredited)

Movie Music

The songs in Calamity Jane were written by Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics). The movie features many popular songs, including:

• "The Deadwood Stage"
• "Hive Full of Honey"
• "I Can Do Without You"
• "It's Harry I'm Planning to Marry"
• "The Windy City"
• "Keep It Under Your Hat"
• "Higher Than a Hawk"
• "A Woman's Touch"
• "The Black Hills of Dakota"
• "Secret Love"

The music from the movie was also released as an album.

Awards and Recognition

The American Film Institute (AFI) has recognized Calamity Jane on several of its special lists:

• 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated (meaning it was considered for a list of the most inspiring love stories in movies)
• 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
  • Calamity Jane – Nominated Hero (she was considered for a list of great movie heroes)
• 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
  • "Secret Love" – Nominated (the song was considered for a list of the best movie songs)
• 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated (it was considered for a list of the best movie musicals)

Historical Accuracy

The movie shows Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok as lovers. However, historians have not found any real proof that they were more than just people who knew each other. After Hickok died, Jane claimed they were married and had a child, but she couldn't prove it.

Many people who knew Calamity Jane thought she liked to tell exaggerated stories. They believed she made up or stretched her connections to more famous people of the frontier. Some even said that Hickok didn't really like her much.

However, when Calamity Jane died many years after Hickok, her friends buried her next to him. They said they did this as a joke, because Hickok supposedly didn't care for her when he was alive.

Images for kids

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  Calamity Jane (Doris Day) and Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel) at the Deadwood saloon

See also

In Spanish: Calamity Jane (película) para niños