FAQ

Sharp-shooting, rough-riding 'Calamity' Jane Cannary (Doris Day) takes it upon herself to travel to Chicago in order to bring back famous actress Adelaid Adams (Gale Robbins) to perform for the men of Deadwood, Dakota, including her best friend Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel) and her not-so-secret love, Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (Philip Carey). Unfortunately, Adelaid doesn't turn out to be who she says she is. What's more, Adelaid and Danny fall in love with each other. It seems that Calamity's heart is about to be broken.

Calamity Jane is a musical based on a screenplay written by James O'Hanlon. Songs are by Sammy Fain (music) and Paul Francis Webster (lyrics).

Yes. Martha Jane Cannary [1852-1903], better known as Calamity Jane, was born in Princeton, Missouri and eventually moved to Deadwood, South Dakota where she became a professional scout for Custer's army. She claims to have been married to Wild Bill Hickok, but her claims have never been substantiated by historians.

Near the beginning of the movie, when Calamity boasts that she will get Adelaid Adams to come to Deadwood, Wild Bill tells her that "the night Adelaid Adams steps on the stage, I will come to the opening dressed as a Sioux squaw lugging a papoose." He made good on his promise.

She ordered a sarsaparilla, although she pronounces it more like 'sasparilly'. Sarsaparilla is a soft drink concocted from roots and herbs, sort of a cross between natural vanilla and root beer or birch beer [which is like cream soda].

After realizing that she has secretly, even unto herself, been in love all along with Wild Bill not Danny, Calamity rides into town to find the signs announcing Katie Brown's (Allyn Ann McLerie) show are being taken down. Asking around, she learns that Katie has left Deadwood, obviously taking seriously Calamity's threat that she get out of town on the next stage, which left a half hour ago. Calamity rides hard and fast to intercept the stage and successfully convinces Katie to return to Deadwood. A double wedding follows. In the final scene, both couples head out of town on the stage, a sign on the back saying 'Just hitched.'