Annie Get Your Gun
Louis Calhern replaced Frank Morgan in the role of Buffalo Bill Cody aka Buffalo Bill after Morgan died of a sudden heart attack shortly after filming had begun. But if you look closely at Buffalo Bill's very first appearance on his horse, you will see a second of Frank Morgan before the shot of Calhern.,Right before the song "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun," Annie sits down on a bench and opens her mouth wide for her first note; then in a closer shot, she opens her mouth wide again, this time in sync with first note.,Annie Oakley: [calling after Frank as he's walking away] Hey, mister...? Don't you like girls?
Frank Butler: [not comprehendeding the question] Well... sure!
Annie Oakley: [realizing it herself] I'm a girl.
Frank Butler: [laughing condescendingly as he walks away] That's fine.,The film depicts true-life people, including Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill (AKA Gordon W. Lillie), and Sitting Bull, and is loosely based on true events. However, the opening credits claim that all characters are fictional and and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.,There is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA Srl: "LET'S DANCE (Torna Con Me, 1950) + ANNA PRENDI IL FUCILE (1950) - New Widescreen Edition" (2 Films on a double DVD, with "Annie Get Your Gun" in double version 1.33:1 and 1.78:1), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.,Featured in The Ed Sullivan Show: MGM's 30th Anniversary Tribute (1954),You Can't Get a Man with a Gun
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Betty Hutton,If you grew up listening to the Broadway soundtrack of Annie Get Your Gun, you'll come to associate Ethel Merman's fantastic, belting voice with Irving Berlin's songs. It's completely understandable that you'd watch the film adaptation and be disappointed by Betty Hutton's less-than-stellar vocals. But I appeal to you, as a fellow musical lover, to give the film a fair shot.

The original casting choice for the tomboy cowgirl Annie Oakley was Judy Garland, and if you buy the DVD, you can watch her perform a couple of songs. Only after watching the outtakes can you see just how far she would have dragged the film down. Her energy was low, her timing was slow, she was too old for the part, and her expressions were too troubled. Annie is supposed to be innocent, fresh, exciting, and endearing: all qualities a 1950 Judy Garland wasn't. Betty Hutton might not have been able to sing all the songs as well as the immortal Ethel Merman, but she was young, innocent, fresh, exciting, and endearing. Her energy was off the charts! And while the part was practically made for Doris Day-Warner Brothers wrote and filmed a knock-off version, Calamity Jane, for the blonde star three years later-Betty was an excellent choice. She made the audience care about her, and she delivered the lines with such sincerity, she even made the audience take the silly story seriously.

Howard Keel played the big-voiced, ridiculously handsome, self-assured Frank Butler. Every time Betty looks at him during their first few scenes together, her jaw drops and she turns to jelly. It's very funny, and I'm sure you'll find yourself mimicking her-I did! He's so incredibly handsome and charming in this movie, it's no wonder he was cast in basically the same role in Calamity Jane-Hollywood just didn't want him to take his cowboy hat off! His handsomeness aside-I know, it's impossible not to notice-he does a very good job in what was only his second film!

Louis Calhern plays Buffalo Bill, and when he meets Betty, she asks if he's really the famous Colonel. He says he is, and he's so convincing throughout the movie, I found myself believing that he really was! I didn't even recognize the veteran actor until the movie was almost over, and he actually looked handsome and distinguished in his long hair and goatee. Also, he was very warm-hearted, a choice of delivery that was welcomed, since Betty wasn't often met with warmth throughout the film.

All in all, this is a great film adaptation of a Broadway show, combining elements that seem to come directly from the stage-hammy but lovable songs-with additions that could never have been seen onstage-rodeo performances. The production values are very good, including breathtaking costumes by Walter Plunkett. Give it a try, even if you're skeptical of Betty Hutton. She's cute as a button!,