CALAMITY JANE

US, 1953, 100 minutes, Colour.
Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann Mc Lerie, Philip Carey, Dick Wesson.
Directed by David Butler.

Calamity Jane is a delightful western. It was popular in its time and is still popular - the type of film praised as one of the golden years of Hollywood. Doris Day is at her best in the title role and receives strong support from Howard Keel as Saul Bass. The supporting cast includes Dick Wesson with his usual type of bumbling comedy and Alice Allyn Mc Lerie, a talented comedienne and singer/ dancer of the times who later moved to serious roles. The film has a very strong popular score and the song 'Secret Love' won the Oscar for Best Song of 1953. A vigorous and entertaining musical western.

1. How successful a musical? How well did it use the conventions of a musical? Music, song and dance, setting, characters, colour, plot?

2. Jane herself and the image of the west? Hill and his image of the west? How well were they used as focuses for American musical comedy?

3. This was a Doris Day musical of the '50s. Why were they so popular, the characteristics and style? The ingredients for successful musicals?

4. The presentation of Jane as a tomboy? A person of the west? A woman trying to be a man, her place in the town, her becoming more feminine, falling in love, jealousy, getting her man? Traditional values of a heroine?

5. How well were the western conventions integrated into the musical? Heroine and hero, the town, shooting and violence, saloons, weddings?

6. How interesting was Bill as a romantic hero? Was his character developed in any way?, merely as a foil for Jane?

7. The contributions of the characters of Adelaide, Katie and her taking Adelaide's place, the satire on dreams and human ambitions? The pathos of Katie's plight? Her ultimate success and strength of character?

8. The lieutenant as a romantic hero? His changes of affections? The picture of the army? The happy ending?

9. How successful was the comedy e.g. with Francis Fryer?

10. The detailed picturing of the town of Deadwood and its people? The contrast .with Chicago?

11. The value of the songs and their staging? As the major contribution to the film? The Deadwood Stage, The Windy City, the housework song, Secret Love, the songs on the stage, Bill's romantic songs? The use of the music throughout the film?

12. This American musical for understanding the American heritage - even in a lighter style?