¨Calamity Jane and Sam Bass¨ 1949 by George Sherman with Yvonne De Carlo , Howard Duff is an acceptable and passable film , though neither extraordinary , not notable , but entertaining . This oater gives a sympathetic and agreeable portrayal of the known frontier wildcat amusingly played by Yvonne De Carlo as well as outlaw Sam Bass , though resulting in tragic finale . A fictitious biography of the notorious lady crackshot and the famous gunfighter Sam Bass , it is set in in Denton , Texas where really standed Calamity Jane . There drifter Sam Bass shows up looking for a job . Here Calamity Jane sets out to show that anything a man can do Calamity can do better and then she participates at a great horse race and Sam Bass seems to be really impressed . As the film happens in an on-again, off-again romance with Sam Bass who is also fallen for pretty storekeeper Katherine Egan ( Dorothy Hart) who unfortunately results to be the sheriff's (Willard Parker) sister . It takes a lot of adventures and distresses before Jane can convince Sam that under her two-fisted exterior there is a woman's heart . However , his seemingly good luck thanks to win a very fast race horse and his romance with two women pushes Sam Bass toward disaster and outlawry. Branding their outlaw names ... into the fiery fame of the West ! Fighting! Loving! Looting!
Yvonne De Carlo gives a nice portrayal of the famous frontier wilcat and she certainly puts full of fire and mirth into the character . Yvonne shines in one of her best roles , she splendidly stars as the gun-toting , rip-snorting Calamity Jane of Western lore . While Howard Duff is wooden as the distressed outlaw who attracts the attention of a good shopkeeper as well as that wild frontiers woman , Calamity Jane , however he will be forced into a life of crimen. They are well accompanied by a support cast plenty of Hollywood secondary stalwarts including as follows : Willard Parker , Lloyd Bridges , Milburn Stone , Marc Lawrence , Roy Roberts , Ann Doran , Clifton Young and the incombustible Norman Lloyd . This breeze-fresh movie filled with get-up-and-go was well directed by George Sherman . He was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres with special penchant for Western , Noir and drama .
Other films about Calamity Jane are as follows : ¨The Texan meet Calamity Jane¨ 1950 with Evelyn Ankers , James Ellison . Musical version ¨Calamity Jane¨ by David Butler with Doris Day , Howard Keel , Philip Carey , Dick Wesson . Calamity Jane 1963 with Carol Burnett , Art Lund . Calamity Jane 1982 by James Goldstone with Jane Alexander , Frederic Forrest . ¨Wild Bill¨1995 by Walter Hill with Jeff Bridges , Ellen Barkin . And a Spaghetti Western : ¨Seven hours of gunfire¨ by Joaquin Romero Marchent with Gloria Milland , Rik Van Nutter , Adrian Hoven .
Although the events are fictious , the picture is partially based on Calamity Jane and his allegedly relationship to Sam Bass , but with whom she had real relation was to Wild Bill . The actual happenings are the following ones : Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure .She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire.Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in cannot be proven. It is known that she had no formal education and was an itinerant alcoholic.. In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of Deadwood, South Dakota in the Black Hills . There she became friends with Dora DuFran, the Black Hills' leading madam, and she was occasionally employed by her. She also became friendly with Wild Bill Hickok and Charlie Utter, having traveled with them to Deadwood in Utter's wagon train.Calamity Jane does seem to have had two daughters, although the father's identity is unknown. In the late 1880s, she returned to Deadwood with a child whom she claimed to be her daughter.Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after his murderer Jack McCall with a meat cleaver, since she had left her guns at her residence in the excitement of the moment.
