I have a Secret Love for this film (Calamity Jane (DVD))

Member Name: raebroughton

Product:	Calamity Jane (DVD)
Date:	11/10/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great feel good film with a great story

Disadvantages: None

This film is a classic musical featuring Doris Day and Howard Keel, they play the characters of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. The story follows Calamity, she dresses and acts like a tomboy and has no interest in girlie things such as dresses or perfume. All that is set to change...

At the beginning of the film everyone is gathered at the local saloon bar the Golden Garter awaiting a performance by a beautiful women to entertain the residents of a town. Unfortunately, the men are anything but happy when the "woman" turns out to be a man called Francis Fryer. Calamity vows to get them the one woman they are all drooling over which is a singer named Adelaid Adams who is currently in Chicago. Wild Bill Hickok informs Calamity that there is no way that she will be able to get Adelaid Adams to come to Deadwood.

Calamity sets off for Chicago and as soon as she arrives she heads to Adelaid Adams dressing room. Meanwhile Adelaid is giving her costumes to her maid, Katie Brown to pack, she then leaves Katie alone in the room. Calamity walks in on Katie as she is trying on one of the dresses Katie begins to sing doing an impression of Adelaid. Katie seizes her chance to be on stage and tricks Calamity into thinking she is Adelaid.

When they arrive back in Deadwood Katie begins her first performance but Calamity says that she didn't sound that way in Chicago. So Calamity tells Katie to sing out, after hearing this Katie bursts into tears and has to admit that she is not Adelaid Adams. The saloon soon falls silent and the customers are on the verge of a riot but Calamity fires her gun and jumps to Katie's defence. After this they give her a second chance and she wins the crowd over.

Instantly Calamity and Katie become friends with Katie even moving into Calamity's cabin. The viewer is aware that Calamity is in love with Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin and she becomes jealous as Katie and Danny become closer. I don't want to give the ending away but the story still has twists and turns before it's conclusion.

The story is fairly simple but it doesn't need to have an intricate plot and works well and is very entertaining. The songs in the film are great and add to the films story. I think that everyone has probably heard at least one song from Calamity Jane. Secret Love is definitely one of the best it even won an academy award for Best Original Song.

It is very easy to watch with it flowing very well and is definitely a feel good film. The chemistry is brilliant between all the main characters and makes the film even more watchable.

Running time for the film is 97 minutes, the special features aren't brilliant with just 2 newsreels and a theatrical trailer but the film is that good it makes up for the lack of extra features.

Calamity Jane is a film I can watch over and over again, I actually only recently watched it. I had to ask myself why I hadn't seen it sooner!

If you're looking for a true classic, Calamity Jane is unmissable!

Summary: Give this classic film a go, you won't be disappointed!