Calamity Jane

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Calamity Jane

Released Nov 4, 1953

1h 41m

Musical

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22 Reviews

87%

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10,000+ Ratings

In the lonely Deadwood, Dakota, territory, sharpshooter Calamity Jane (Doris Day) falls for cavalry Lt. Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey) when she is forced to rescue him from the Indians. Recognizing that the women-starved townsmen long for a "real" woman, Calamity journeys to Chicago to bring back famous singer Adelaid Adams, but mistakenly brings her maid Katie instead. Heartbroken when Danny falls for Katie, Calamity all but ignores her jovial friend Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel).

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Jonathan Romney

Observer (UK)

Boisterous fun, with Day's performance - as the song goes - as busy as a fizzy sarsaparilla.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 10, 2016

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Kate Muir

Times (UK)

As a pistol-packin' cowgirl in fringed leather trousers, Day is terrific, an object of athletic awe and irrepressible good cheer.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 7, 2016

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The tunes are gold, and as Jane approaches a local creek, resplendent in her gorgeous yellow gown, we get one of the most famous visual gags in the history of the musical.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 7, 2016

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Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Colorful '50s musical has problematic portrayals, language.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 9, 2020

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Doris Day and Howard Keel in a Wild West musical comedy that is only phonily western, hardly ever comical, and only mildly musical.

Nov 5, 2019

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

Bold, camp and a clear indicator of cinema's lineage to theatre and a vaudeville tradition.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 31, 2019

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Rare T

The perfect fusion resulting in what could be called a Western musical. It has a somewhat unpredictable plot, is funny, and includes some euphonious numbers. Doris Day showcases an extensive range of her capabilities from being tough to being soft, funny to serious, manly to vivacious, potty-mouthed to mellow singer… All alongside Allyn Ann McLerie who provides no less impressive of a performance, and so goes for Howard Keel. Calamity Jane is enjoyable from start to finish.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/10/24

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Farah R

Butler's whimsical musical of the famous Wild West heroine is elevated by Doris Day's captivating performance. She adds charm and humor to a well-crafted story and a beautiful voice to a fantastic soundtrack. Calamity Jane is one of the best classic musicals.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/02/23

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joel h

I'll admit that it took me a while to grow accustomed to Doris Day acting like Calamity Jane. Her rough & tumble persona felt a little forced. However, the characters are likeable, the story is enjoyable, and the music is occasionally memorable. This isn't one of my favorite musicals, but in the end I appreciated riding shotgun with Calamity.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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robert p

Not a fan of Doris Day, so I did not like this movie!!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Fun. Doris Day is suburb as Calamity Jane. Quite a difference from beginning to end

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/22

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Audience Member

This is a Doris Day classic. Great songs. Lots of camp.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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David Butler

Director

Doris Day

Calamity Jane

Howard Keel

Wild Bill Hickok

Allyn Ann McLerie

Katie Brown

Philip Carey

Lt. Danny Gilmartin

Dick Wesson

Francis Fryer

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Synopsis

In the lonely Deadwood, Dakota, territory, sharpshooter Calamity Jane (Doris Day) falls for cavalry Lt. Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey) when she is forced to rescue him from the Indians. Recognizing that the women-starved townsmen long for a "real" woman, Calamity journeys to Chicago to bring back famous singer Adelaid Adams, but mistakenly brings her maid Katie instead. Heartbroken when Danny falls for Katie, Calamity all but ignores her jovial friend Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel).

Director: David Butler
Producer: William Jacobs
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 4, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Runtime: 1h 41m

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