MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Judy Garland was originally slated to star in MGM's film version of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, but she was forced to pull out of the production due to illness (recently discovered out-takes reveal a gaunt, dazed Garland, obviously incapable of completing her duties). She was replaced by Betty Hutton who, once she overcame the resentment of her co-workers, turned in an excellent performance--perhaps the best of her career. Hutton is of course cast as legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who ascends from dirty-faced backwoods gamin to the uppermost rungs of international stardom. Her mentor is Buffalo Bill, played by Louis Calhern (like Hutton, Calhern was a last-minute replacement: the original Buffalo Bill, Frank Morgan, died before production began). Annie's great rival is arrogant marksman Frank Butler (Howard Keel) with whom she eventually falls in love. She goes so far as to lose an important shooting match to prove her affection--a scene that hardly strikes a blow for feminism, but this is, after all, a 1950 film. Of the stellar supporting cast, J. Carroll Naish stands out as Sitting Bull, whose shrewd business acumen is good for several laughs. Virtually all the Irving Berlin tunes were retained from the Broadway version, including "Doin' What Comes Naturally", "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun", "Anything You Can Do", "The Girl That I Marry", "My Defenses are Down", "They Say It's Wonderful" and the rousing "There's No Business Like Show Business", which was later tantalizingly excerpted in MGM's pastiche feature That's Entertainment II. Alas, due to a complicated legal tangle involving the estates of Irving Berlin and librettists Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, Annie Get Your Gun hasn't been shown on television in years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: PCM Mono
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: French, English
• Features:
  • • All-new introduction by "Annie Get Your Gun" Broadway revival star Susan Lucci
    • Four outtake musical numbers: "Let's Go West Again" with Betty Hutton; "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "I'm an Indian, Too" with Judy Garland and Colonel Buffalo Bill featuring Frank Morgan and Geraldine Wall
    • Audio recording session track for "There's No Business Like Show Business"
    • Interactive menus
    • Theatrical trailer
    • Scene access
    • Languages and subtitles: English, Français

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Musical Score - 1950 (Roger Edens, Adolph Deutsch)
•     Nominated Best Color Art Direction - 1950 (Cedric Gibbons, Edwin B. Willis, Paul Groesse, Richard A. Pefferle)
•     Nominated Best Color Cinematography - 1950 (Charles Rosher Sr.)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1950 (James Newcom)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com - 1950 (Betty Hutton)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  George Sidney

• Producer:

  Arthur Freed

• Book Author:

  Dorothy Fields, Herbert Fields

• Screenwriter:

  Sidney Sheldon

• Cinematographer:

  Charles Rosher Sr.

• Composer (Music Score):

  Irving Berlin, Adolph Deutsch

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Adolph Deutsch

• Composer (Music Score):

  Roger Edens

• Editor:

  James Newcom

• Production Designer:

  Richard A. Pefferle, Edwin B. Willis

• Art Director:

  Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse

• Set Designer:

  Richard A. Pefferle, Edwin B. Willis

• Makeup:

  Jack Dawn, Ben Lane

• Special Effects:

  Arnold A. Gillespie, Warren Newcombe

• Choreography:

  Robert Alton

• Assistant Choreographer:

  Alex Romero

REVIEW:

• An Irving Berlin Broadway musical hit adapted for the screen in 1950, Annie Get Your Gun is loosely based on the story of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. Oakley's real name was Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozie, and she lived from 1860 to 1926, becoming part of showman Buffalo Bill's notorious Wild West traveling shows. In sum, this is a filmed musical about the early days of American entertainment. It is noted more for its songs than any really memorable scenes. "There's No Business Like Show Business" is the musical's signature number, but there are also "The Girl That I Marry" and "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun." Betty Hutton played the lead role after Judy Garland either pulled out due to illness or was fired due to bad temper, depending on which account one believes. Doris Day was also considered for the part. Howard Keel played Hutton's love interest. In the heyday of musicals, Annie Get Your Gun was one of the most popular and pleasing. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi