Calamity Jane
Originally published on social media on May 9th, 2022
Nine years ago, I started connecting with my Grandma about old films. Audrey Hepburn was the first actress who got me hooked on old Hollywood, and to further education on the classics, Grandma gave me a Doris Day 4 film collection for my birthday. The first film I watched from the set was Calamity Jane, and that happened to be one of Grandma’s favorites.
My first impression of this film was that it was both hilarious and delightful! As a fifteen year old seeing this film for the first time, I loved the fact that Doris Day wasn’t an elegant goddess, but could be both adorable and awkward! A few years later, I learned more about Doris Day and discovered that this was her personal favorite out of all the films she made. Watching Calamity Jane, you can see she was just having some good old fashioned fun, and I love that we get to join her in that!
Rain or shine, Calamity Jane is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and make your day ten times better than it was before! You will also have the songs stuck in your head for at least a week!
Somehow, the joyful nostalgia of this film will make you long for Disney’s Frontier Land, even though it’s not a Disney movie. Walt did a great job capturing that turn of the century frontier atmosphere that we get to see in Calamity Jane!
I think Grandma loved all of these aspects of the film as well as Howard Keel with his burly demeanor and vocal talents! He’s not my type, but I do enjoy him in this film and the chemistry he has with Doris Day! Their relationship is a teasing friendship that blossoms into “a secret love”, and it is innocent and lovely!
Films like Calamity Jane with simple plots, hilarious circumstances, and lack of technical innovation are not made anymore, and it’s kind of a shame. I’m so grateful for organizations like Turner Classic Movies that aim to preserve the memories of films like Calamity Jane. Without these organizations, many people would not have access to old films. I’m so grateful for my Grandma (and my mom too) for teaching me how to love old film!