Amazon.co.uk Review
Irving Berlin's classic stage musical Annie Get Your Gun finally reached the big screen in 1950, four years after it had taken Broadway by storm. The irresistible combination of the story of ground-breaking sharpshooter Annie Oakley, fantastic songs like the rousing anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business" and the setting of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, made most people feel it was worth the wait.
More than half a century on, the book creaks audibly and the treatment of the "Indians" who make up the bulk of the troupe is inevitably embarrassing. But in glorious Technicolor, this in-your-face spectacular defies you not to get sucked in. Quite simply, the show is a winner. Ethel Merman's performance on Broadway became an immediate show business legend, but she was largely ignored by Hollywood. Here, Betty Hutton's whirlwind Annie is, on its own terms, an explosive and hugely entertaining turn, matched by Howard Keel in his first starring part as Frank Butler. But Judy Garland was the first choice for the role and had already filmed several numbers before MGM fired her for her erratic behaviour. It seems almost cruel to include a couple of her songs as extras; even a 40-watt Garland makes the otherwise incandescent Hutton look merely adequate. They certainly add a frisson to this celebration of all-American entertainment at its boldest and brassiest.
On the DVD: Annie Get Your Gun is presented in standard 4:3 format (the original aspect ratio was a similar 1.37:1) and the picture quality is so sharp it blows you out of your seat. Likewise the stereo soundtrack, brilliant for songs which include "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly", "Anything You Can Do" and the sublime "They Say it's Wonderful". Apart from the Garland numbers, the extras include a Hutton outtake and an introduction to the show from a recent Broadway Annie, Susan Lucci. Overall, though, the show's the thing. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Great Irving Berlin songs. Dated humor. Still, an entertaining movie.......2007-08-09
This is one of the great big "That's Entertainment"-type MGM dinosaur musicals -- musicals carefully and almost obsequiously adapted from giant Broadway hits. Annie Get Your Gun is glossy, corny, ultra-professional and, for me, a good deal of fun once I get past the dialogue and into the songs and production numbers. The movie has some first-rate positives but also some negatives that drag it down a bit.
First, the positives. Above all, it features probably the best score Irving Berlin ever wrote. One hit follows another, with memorable melodies, variety and often-times sharp humor. Berlin never thought he was more than a journeyman lyric writer who was never as good as his contemporaries, such as Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin and Oscar Hammerstein. Maybe not, but just as with his music he was in a class by himself. The production numbers are expansive and have a lot of energy. They're fun to watch. For me, Betty Hutton does a fine job. Many critics have said that she acted at the top of her voice, that the only two emotions she could show were bathos and hysteria, that she simply never let up. Well, all true pretty much. But with the right material and a strong director, I think she was capable of coming up with performances that suited her style but weren't so loud. Look at her in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. She's great. In Annie, it seems to me that she brings off at first a kind of hill billy goofiness that's endearing. Later, she manages, in my view, to tone down her loudness and show a touching vulnerability. If you don't like Betty Hutton, however, nothing I say will probably make a difference. There is also a well constructed book. For all its quaintness and un-PC attitudes, the book spots the musical numbers logically, efficiently and often.
On the negative side, the movie's humorous condescension to Indians as the butt of jokes is painful nowadays to watch. This kind of stuff is just as off-putting as what Hollywood had Mantan Moreland doing in all those late Thirties and early Forties movies. The basic storyline -- that if a woman is going to get her man she's going to have to be sure she's not as good as he -- gives off an increasingly strong aroma as the movie progresses.
With all that said, however, I think the Irving Berlin score and the production values carry the day. You'd have to be a little ungenerous not to enjoy the songs and the performances in spite of the book. At any rate, when I watch the movie now I just click to the songs.
While this was Berlin's biggest hit, he took on the job by accident and a little reluctantly. The idea for a tale about Annie Oakley as a Broadway musical came from the great lyric writer Dorothy Fields. She'd do the book with her brother, Herbert, write the lyrics with Jerome Kern doing the music, and entice Ethel Merman to star. Fields took her idea to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who quickly agreed to produce. Merman agreed to play Annie and Fields, Hammerstein and Rodgers convinced Kern to leave Hollywood to do the music. Kern arrived in New York to start work but suffered a stroke and died a few days later. When the three of them began casting around for a composer they thought would be up to the task of replacing Kern, no one had any ideas until Rodgers said he had a possibility, but the guy always insisted on doing his own lyrics -- Irving Berlin. Dorothy Fields immediately said she'd give up the lyric writing if Rodgers could get Berlin to agree. After some persuasion by Rodgers (such as answering questions from Berlin, "If this musical is such a great idea, why aren't you and Oscar doing the songs?" and "I almost always write songs for reviews. I'm not sure I can do one of these new book musicals."), Berlin signed on. The result was a smash hit for all involved.
Judy Garland had been scheduled to do Annie in the film version when she eventually was fired by MGM. She was in the depths of her personal and drug problems. Almost worth the price of the DVD are a couple of rehearsal numbers Garland filmed doing the songs, "I'm an Indian, Too" and "Doin' What Comes Naturally." You can compare her performance with Hutton's, although the comparison is by no means a fair one. Garland looks like she's on her last legs emotionally and physically. It painful to watch her. Still, I guess that's showbiz, too.
The DVD looks great, with vibrant color.
You CAN get a man with a gun.......2007-02-26
Frank Butler was the worlds greatest sharpshooter and enjoyed star billing with Buffelo Bill's wild West show until he meets country girl Annie Oakley, a gal with a gun who can shoot through the eye of a needle. Based on a true story, this film is typical of the legendary MGM musicals at their peak, its a musical western. The star who steals the show, is obviously comedianne Betty Hutton but this was orginally intended at a vechile for Howard Keel (Frank Butler). Through this musical Annie pushes and shoots her way and finally proves (to herself more than anybody else) that you can get a man with a gun!
a classic in every sense.......2007-02-16
This is one of the very great musicals, with a combination of panache, pathos and innocence which is very appealing. Judy Garland was contracted to make the film but withdrew for medical reasons after some work had been done - it's tantalising to think what she would have made of it. In her place, Betty Hutton is very good indeed, and extremely energetic. The whole cast is fine, with Howard Keel as a convincing Frank Butler and Louis Calherne an appealingly benign Buffalo Bill. But it's the songs... a whole procession of absolutely wonderful show-stoppers ... and the witty script that really make this. It's fair to say that the film does a good job and pretty well does the musical justice, (though I'm sorry that a good bit of 'I'm an Indian too', including some wonderful lines, has been cut, possibly on the grounds of political correctness, which is a shame ; the whites are just as silly as the Indians in this musical) which means that it is extremely enjoyable. Warmly recommended.
P.S. Rather sad to read now - March 2007 - of Betty Hutton's death, and the difficulties she faced later in her career, which spiralled downwards badly. She didn't deserve that, and in a way it makes it all the better that we have this example of her energy and drive onscreen.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Irving Berlin's classic stage musical Annie Get Your Gun finally reached the big screen in 1950, four years after it had taken Broadway by storm. The irresistible combination of the story of ground-breaking sharpshooter Annie Oakley, fantastic songs like the rousing anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business" and the setting of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, made most people feel it was worth the wait.
More than half a century on, the book creaks audibly and the treatment of the "Indians" who make up the bulk of the troupe is inevitably embarrassing. But in glorious Technicolor, this in-your-face spectacular defies you not to get sucked in. Quite simply, the show is a winner. Ethel Merman's performance on Broadway became an immediate show business legend, but she was largely ignored by Hollywood. Here, Betty Hutton's whirlwind Annie is, on its own terms, an explosive and hugely entertaining turn, matched by Howard Keel in his first starring part as Frank Butler. But Judy Garland was the first choice for the role and had already filmed several numbers before MGM fired her for her erratic behaviour. It seems almost cruel to include a couple of her songs as extras; even a 40-watt Garland makes the otherwise incandescent Hutton look merely adequate. They certainly add a frisson to this celebration of all-American entertainment at its boldest and brassiest.
On the DVD: Annie Get Your Gun is presented in standard 4:3 format (the original aspect ratio was a similar 1.37:1) and the picture quality is so sharp it blows you out of your seat. Likewise the stereo soundtrack, brilliant for songs which include "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly", "Anything You Can Do" and the sublime "They Say it's Wonderful". Apart from the Garland numbers, the extras include a Hutton outtake and an introduction to the show from a recent Broadway Annie, Susan Lucci. Overall, though, the show's the thing. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Pure musical entertainment,.......2008-02-14
Invite chief Sitting Bull (Pappa Bull) along with Buffalo Bill,Queen Victoria,Keiser Bill,Annie Oakly,etc etc,one evening,and if you enjoyed "Calamity Jane" with Doris Day,well "Annie Get Your Gun" was the film that inspired WBs to make Calamity Jane,Irvin Berlin scores are obviously superior, Howard Keel gets a better share of them,"My defences are down"
"The girl I shall marry, will have to be" are everlasting showstoppers ,then
Betty Hutton comes in with "Taking stock of all Iv'e got,and it goes on..
Havn't got it? "GET IT" one of the best
One of my top 3 favourite musicals.......2005-09-15
This really is one of the greatest musicals ever written. It has 11 songs of which 10 are instantly memorable (only "I'm an Indian Too" is not up to scratch). The scene "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" is one of my favourite screen moments. I never grew up with this film (I'm 37) since it was never on TV screens on the UK due to legal wranglings. I had to make do with the inferior (but still good!) Calamity Jane. Betty Hutton's performance is one of the great musical performances- up there with Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. She carries the whole film. I cannot believe the Amazon review about Judy Garland's 2 outtakes being cruel to include since even a 40% Judy Garland if better than Betty Hutton. I have shown this film to all of my friends and relatives (sad, I know!) and all of them without exception agree that Judy Garland is no patch on Betty Hutton-she is too refined and completely miscast! The deleted song "Going West Again" is fantastic and should have been included in the stage show and film.
Annie Get Your Gun.......2004-11-10
If your a fan of the old musicals then this is a must for your collection, great fun, great tunes really dodgy plot but hey that's half the fun of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Gun toting Annie sings her way through hits like "Anything You Can Do" and "Theirs No Business Like Show Business" (So that's where it came from I here you cry, Yep!!)It's all a bit cheesy but great fun. There sure don't make 'em like they used to!!!!!!!!!
The best musical has landed.......2002-03-09
I was so happy to find out that this movie was finally getting released on dvd, This is Betty Hutton at her best, & as far as i am concerened this has to be the best musical of all time. Happy viewing.
DVD:
- A Star Is Born - 2 Disc Special Edition [1954]
- Au Hasard Balthazar [1966]
- Barefoot In The Park - Dvd [1967]
- Bewitched - Series 3 - Complete [1966]
- Blackbeard's Ghost [1968]
- Black Narcissus [1946]
- Breakfast At Tiffany's [1961]
- Brighton Rock [1947]
- Camelot [1967]
- Carry On Doctor [1967]
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