Calamity Jane Movie Download

9 / 10

“Whip Crack Away, Whip Crack Away, Whip Crack Away”
I defy anyone not to like this musical and Doris Day’s infectious portrayal of Calamity Jane. Even those who did not later like her later characterizations as the All American virgin have to give her musical talent it’s due. When she opens up the movie with The Deadwood Stage number the viewer is immediately caught up in the whole lighthearted spirit of the movie.

It was interesting that Warner Brothers got Howard Keel from MGM to play opposite Doris. After all they did have Gordon MacRae at Warners and he and Doris had done a few successful films together.

Possibly the reason is to see what the public missed when Doris did not play opposite Keel in Annie Get Your Gun. She wanted the part of Annie Oakley very badly, but a deal with MGM couldn’t be made. I think this might have been Jack Warner’s mea culpa to her.

The duet that Howard and Doris sing I Can Do Without You is certainly inspired by Irving Berlin’s Anything You Can Do. Imagine Keel singing it with Doris instead of Betty Hutton.

In fact Doris’s whole character is ripped off from Annie Get Your Gun. But I really don’t care because she does such a fabulous job.

Sammy Fain’s and Paul Francis Webster’s score for Calamity Jane isn’t as top heavy with hits as Annie Get Your Gun, but it did provide Doris with one of her best songs and biggest movie hits up to that time. Secret Love won the Oscar for Best Song of 1953 and her singing of it is primo.

In the early sixties Doris Day did an album of the songs from Annie Get Your Gun with Robert Goulet playing Frank Butler and a whole ensemble for the other parts. Now that was a great album and it should have been a great flick.

They really unfortunately don’t make them like this any more or even a fraction as good.Read More