Annie Get Your Gun: You Can't Get a Man with a Gun

By Sherril Steele-Carlin

This story, very loosely based on the story of real life sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her love, Frank Butler, both members of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, is really all about Irving Berlin's outstanding music, including the classic "There's no Business like Show Business."

This rollicking western may not be the most traditional or the most accurate, but it is certainly an enjoyable and class MGM film musical. Howard Keel and Betty Hutton carry the film, with Hutton's comic antics a central reason the film was so successful. The music is the other thing that carries this film, Berlin's lyrics and melodies are perfect and classic, this is Hollywood musical filmmaking at its very best and most lavish.

The sets and the Wild West Show action is spectacular, as are the period costumes, especially the Wild West Show western costumes – camp at its very best. The story is straight romance, and although Annie's meek submission at the end of the film, and the blatant stereotyping of the "Indians" may not be politically correct today, the musical is still so representative of Broadway in its heyday it's hard to find fault with the film. If anything, it is more nostalgic and enjoyable today, and the special features only add to the charm and enjoyment of this great musical. So, sit back, pop some popcorn, and enjoy Annie Get Your Gun!

DVD Additional Features

The VHS tape of this film includes a great introduction feature discussing the 1995 re-do of the play on Broadway, and information on the original 1950 release starring Betty Hutton and the late Howard Keel. It also includes a featurette with deleted scenes showing the original "Annie," Judy Garland, and her two completed scenes before she left the film. The DVD includes other outtakes and deleted scenes, and even some shots of the original lobby cards for the film. The sound and picture have been digitally remastered for the DVD, too.