As Warner Archive has proven in recent months, especially, there was no shortage of musicals in the Golden Age of Hollywood. If your stage musical was at least somewhat commercially viable, there was a good chance that it would be made into a Hollywood feature film with haste. The 1946 stage musical Annie Get Your Gun, with music and lyrics from Irving Berlin and a book by Dorothy and Herbert Fields, was quite the hit on the Great White Way which meant that a film adaptation would not be far behind. This fictionalized tale of the life of Annie Oakley was set to star MGM’s biggest star Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz) under the direction of Busby Berkeley (Strike Up The Band), but a mixture of creative differences, exhaustion and pills caused a worn-down Garland to be fired and replaced by Paramount’s comedy star Betty Hutton (The Greatest Show on Earth). Garland’s Wizard of Oz co-star Frank Morgan was also set to play the role of Buffalo Bill, but unfortunately died before his role could be filmed and was replaced by Louis Calhern (Notorious). Despite the troubled production, Annie Get Your Gun was a major hit that was out of circulation for a number of years but has bounced back with Warner Bros.
With this being a musical, you must approach the story with an understanding that historical accuracy is of very little importance in the grand scheme of things. In the late 1800s, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show is traveling the country with Frank Butler (Howard Keel), the handsome womanizing sharpshooting star of the show. When the caravan makes their way to Cincinnati, their presence rankles some local businesses and is only eased somewhat when show manager Charlie Davenport (Keenan Wynn) offers them a chance to win some money by allowing them to challenge Frank to a shootout. Charlie does not fear for his money since Charlie is one of the strongest shots around, but he has no way of knowing a young woman by the name of Annie Oakley (Betty Hutton) is about to saunter into the picture and make history. The uneducated and poverty-stricken Annie may not look like much, but her skill with a gun in beyond reproach. When she humiliates Frank in a shooting match, she is brought on to be a part of the show in a more and more central way.
For better or worse, Annie Get Your Gun very much has romance on its mind. Annie may be a strong, capable woman, but from the first moment she sets eyes on Frank she becomes a bumbling love zombie. Hutton is very strong in the role, but the direction that they take the character of Annie in her personal life is more than a bit inconsistent. There are moments akin to the broad comedy of something such as I Love Lucy that feels too big for what the film needs. Many of the stronger laughs come from the moments where her backwoods upbringing clashes with the high society people she is now surrounded by. Annie shows real wit in a scene near the end of the film when she is surrounded by genteel ladies who observe her as more of an oddity, but counters that by subtly mocking their mannerisms. Her verbal tête-à-tête with Frank is typical for the genre in order to set up obstacles to overcome, but the relationship itself never feels like something for which you want to root. That the conclusion of the film makes Annie have to protect his ego by dimming her skills nearly ruins the film for this viewer.
In terms of musical spectacle, this film delivers mightily. Not being incredibly familiar with the musical before coming to the film, it was quite a surprise to hear numerous songs that are ubiquitous in popular culture originate here. From the bright and peppy “There’s No Business Like Show Business” to the playfully antagonistic “Anything You Can Do,” the songs sound great and are given a lavish staging that is quite fun. One uncomfortable aspect of the film that is worth mentioning is its relationship to the Native American people. They play a rather sizable role in the narrative and there are some genuine Native American actors in smaller roles, but that Chief Sitting Bull (J. Carrol Naish) is played by an Irishman does not sit right in the slightest. The “I’m An Indian Too” number really makes your skin crawl for how tone deaf it feels from a modern perspective. Annie Get Your Gun has several fun elements, but it is noticeably more inconsistent that many Golden Age musicals. It is a classic musical with fine performances, but the story is out of sync with modern sensibilities which viewers should weigh when considering a watch.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Annie Get Your Gun with a drop dead gorgeous new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the nitrate Technicolor negative. Warner Archive nearly always knocks it out of the park with their transfers, but this one ranks among the best I have ever seen for a classic film. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with the appropriate amount of natural film grain intact. The film appears to be almost entirely free of dirt and damage, which makes the feature feel like it could have been made yesterday. The film features some vibrant colors within the costumes and set design that pop off the screen with a wondrous intensity. The black levels are also very deep with a nice stability throughout. There does not appear to be any pesky digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a miraculous effort from Warner Archive on all fronts.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is incredibly strong. With music being the driving force of the film, it is important to report that the track nails these elements beautifully. The track balances vocals with the festive show setting and the accompanying music with magnificent clarity. There are moments where the track is pushed to its limits with all of the competing elements, but the track maintains its fidelity very well. Normal dialogue comes through clearly from beginning to end. Warner Archive has provided a wonderful audio track that does not exhibit any glaring signs of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- 2000 DVD Introduction by Susan Lucci: A nearly five-minute introduction from the actress who had recently played the title role on Broadway in which she discusses the real-life history of Annie Oakley and the journey the character has had on screen.
- Outtake Musical Numbers: Rough outtakes are provided here of the two numbers Judy Garland was able to film before she had to leave the film, a scene with Frank Morgan as Buffalo Bill before his death and a musical number that was cut for being superfluous. These are wonderful additions to the disc and give you a glimpse of what could have been in an alternate universe.
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- Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly (5:42)
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- I’m An Indian Too (3:50)
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- Colonel Buffalo Bill (2:56)
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- Let’s Go West Again (4:03)
- Audio Only Outtakes In Stereo: Three versions of tunes that were not used in the final film are presented here. The standout piece is hearing Judy attempting to nail the standout song from the show.
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- Colonel Buffalo Bill (2:33)
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- Let’s Go West Again – Betty Hutton Vocal (3:12)
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- There’s No Business Like Show Business – Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Howard Keel, and Keenan Wynn Vocal with fluffs (errors) (3:29)
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is provided here which shows many of the various musical moments from the film while playing up the cast and the music of Irving Berlin.
Final Thoughts
Annie Get Your Gun is a really fun and vibrant show for the most part, but there are some very dated elements that dim that enjoyment somewhat. Betty Hutton is the heart and soul of this film with her completely committed performance as Annie Oakley. If you are unfamiliar with the show, you will be surprised to learn how many of the songs from the production are a staple of popular culture. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray with a stupendous A/V presentation and a lovely array of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this release will be a dream come true.
Annie Get Your Gun will be available to purchase on April 20, 2021 from various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
