Annie Get Your Gun

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Never before available on home video and unseen on television since 1973, the 1950 production of Annie Get Your Gun has achieved somewhat legendary status, most notably for who would inherit the role Ethel Merman had made famous on Broadway in 1946. MGM originally cast Judy Garland, but her ongoing drug and alcohol problems led to her being fired and replaced by Betty Hutton. Fortunately, the bright and brassy Hutton sparkles in this highly fictionalized story of Annie Oakley, the sharpshooter who wins fame in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and wins the heart of fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler (Howard Keel). Dashing baritone Keel was beginning his career as one of MGM's favorite leading men in the 1950s (including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Kiss Me, Kate). Together they make gold of the many Irving Berlin hits--"Doin' What Comes Naturally," "Anything You Can Do," "They Say It's Wonderful," "I Got the Sun in the Morning," and the classic anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business."

Annie Get Your Gun is unquestionably a product of the 1950s. Keel's relentless chauvinism and Hutton's constant fawning over him grow tiresome (though she does stand up to him in a battle of the sexes), and the Indians wear full headdresses and face paint, say "Ugh," and destroy modern conveniences. (In the name of political correctness, the 1999 Broadway revival starring Bernadette Peters removed "I'm an Indian Too" and received its own share of criticism from purists.) Quibbles aside, the excellent cast and immortal score make Annie Get Your Gun a classic musical. It's great to have it back. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Great Musical.......2007-08-23

Betty Hutton does a great job as Annie. Good songs. Fun story. Really enjoyed it. Glad I own a copy so I can see it over and over again.

Annie Get Your Dog.......2007-08-02

This is one of the worst film adaptations of a musical I have ever seen. Most of the musical numbers, especially "I'm an Indian Too", are awful. Two of the show's best songs, "Moonshine Lullabye" and "I Got Lost in His Arms" are cut. There were all sorts of production problems with this film and it shows in the choppiness and amateurish way the numbers are choreographed and staged.

The only saving graces are performances by Howard Keel and Keenan Wynn, who were reunited a few years later in MGM's "Kiss Me Kate and the superb digital transfer. The technicolor is glorious. I love the show but I couldn't wait for this movie to end.

... and the winner is ... BETTY HUTTON!.......2007-05-17

I am as big a Judy Garland fan as ANYBODY, believe me. But #1 - she didn't want to do the movie in the first place; #2 - she was lack luster and fatigued looking at best in the few scenes that were completed. Sure her vocals were great, but we're rating the movie here, not the soundtrack. Betty Hutton is a different kind of singer, performer, actor than Judy ... apples and oranges. This movie called for someone of Betty's energy and her voice is perfect for the role. Those who say she can't sing as great as Judy are making an unfair comparison. It's like comparing Fred Astaire with Gene Kelly; BOTH ARE GREAT, but very different in style.

Betty wanted to make this movie desparately, Judy did not. Hutton was fantastic in the role, period. Too bad the studio, cast and crew (especially Howard Keel - who I really like in other movies and in Dallas) were so hateful to her just because they wanted Judy in the role. That wasn't Betty Hutton's fault. Actually, MGM tested their own contract players before approaching Hutton (June Allyson, Betty Garrett, etc.) but ended up requesting Hutton from Paramount. Paramount got Fred Astaire on loan for "Let's Dance" with Hutton so that MGM could have Betty for Annie.

This is a wonderful musical and we should all just accept that Betty Hutton IS ANNIE OAKLEY!

P.S. If you want to hear some GREAT singing from Hutton, order "The Stork Club" ... Betty will knock your socks off singing, "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief", "I'm Just a Square in a Social Circle" and others!

GREAT MUSIC, GREAT CAST, GREAT MOVIE.......2007-05-09

BEING A MUSICAL FAN, WHAT A DELIGHT THIS MOVIE IS. SOMETIMES A LITTLE OVER ACTED AS THE OLDER MOVIES TEND TO BE, BUT ON THE WHOLE A DELIGHT FROM BEGINNING TO END. THIS MOVIE GOES TO SHOW THAT "THERE IS NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS" AND THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE OF A MOVIE LIKE THIS IS PRICELESS. THE COLOURS AND COSTUMES ARE SPECTACULAR AND IT BRINGS BACK THE MEMORIES OF WHAT A GOOD LOOKING FELLOW HOWARD KEEL WAS BACK THEN.
I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE.

Movie Great Disc Dodgy.......2007-04-04

The movie is as bold and brassy as I remembered it from seeing it as a Kid. I enjoyed Betty Hutton enormously. However I am from Australia and the disc is zoned incorrectly for me so that I have to reset the zone on my computer to view it. My DVD player counts down each time I do this so I am assuming that I can only view this disc a limited number of times. Also the disc box is a strange cheap plastic which does not close properly once it has been opened the first time.

Musical Westerns 3-Pack (Annie Get Your Gun / Calamity Jane / The Unsinkable Molly Brown)

Average customer rating:

Musical Westerns
My plans to review these films have been delayed
WESTERN MUSICALS

Musical Westerns 3-Pack (Annie Get Your Gun / Calamity Jane / The Unsinkable Molly Brown)
Starring: Betty Hutton , Howard Keel , Louis Calhern , J. Carrol Naish , and Edward Arnold
Director: Charles Walters , George Sidney (II) , and Busby Berkeley
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Westerns | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000765I4A
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Customer Reviews:

Musical Westerns.......2007-01-05

fun pack for good musicals and great performances by Hutton, Day and Reynolds.

My plans to review these films have been delayed.......2006-12-21

When I ordered this set on August 20, I planned on reviewing these musicals in just a few weeks. Four months later, they haven't been shipped. The latest estimate for a shipping date indicates that I'll get them next year.

WESTERN MUSICALS.......2006-11-05

I would love to give you a review of these three movies that I ordered on July 7, 2006, but as of November 4th (today) I have not yet received them. I am really looking forward to getting these old movies - much better than most of the new movies now being made.