weezeralfalfa
Yvonne de Carlo has to share Howard Duff's(Sam Bass) romantic interest with Dorothy Hart(Kathy Egan) in this Technicolor 'B' western, directed by the talented 'B' picture specialist George Sherman. Obviously, Dorothy was characterized as 'the good girl', while Yvonne, as Calamity Jane, was characterized as 'the bad girl'. Both fell in love with the handsome, but dirt poor, Bass almost immediately. Calamity more dominates the 2nd half, while Kathy is more influential in the first half. Director Sherman ordered some great close-ups of Yvonne's face, especially toward the end. For a more fun western costarring Yvonne, I recommend "Frontier Gal". Both these films are currently available at YouTube. I disagree with the paragraph under 'Trivia' at this site, which claims that there is little historically accurate information about Bass in this film. The inclusion of the 2 women is the greatest fictional component. As mentioned in the film, Bass was raised on an Indiana farm, and gradually made his way south and west, finally to Denton, TX. He did work for Sheriff Will Egan on his ranch, saved his money and bought an excellent race horse, named 'the Denton Mare'. He won some races with her and was skilled in other bets on horses. Later, he did get into robbing stages, trains, and banks. The dramatized train robbery at Big Spring Station closely duplicates the details of what actually happened, including the wood boxes holding a fortune in gold coins. His fatal attempt at robbing the Round Rock bank is also dramatized.Howard Keel, as Bass, doesn't present the sort of charisma a John Wayne or Gary Cooper would, but he does an adequate job. Yvonne makes a striking, if quite unreal, facsimile of Calamity.
bkoganbing
Even though there is no record that Calamity Jane and Sam Bass even met and furthermore that by Calamity's own record the only man she ever loved was Wild Bill Hickok, Universal nevertheless made this film Calamity Jane And Sam Bass. Billing should have been in reverse this was really Sam Bass's story.Sam Bass as played by Howard Duff arrives in Denton, Texas completely busted, but he's got a way with the ladies and he attracts the attention of the famous Calamity Jane and the sheriff Willard Parker's sister. The sheriff's sister is Dorothy Hart. He also has a great love and good eye for horses. That and the two women are both the key his success and his downfall.It's fascinating how some of Hollywood's most beautiful actresses, Jean Arthur, Doris Day, and in this film Yvonne DeCarlo are cast as Calamity Jane. In real life, Mary Jane Canary as Calamity Jane was born had a face that could stop a grandfather clock for a couple of generations. She must have had something going to get all the men she did including Wild Bill Hickok. Duff and DeCarlo aren't the most romantic pair going still the western is an interesting one with some well executed action scenes. I think western fans will like it still.
Armand
it has all pieces of a classic western. and a lot of clichés. but this is not a problem if it can be more than a poor old recipes result. the presence of Yvone De Carlo and Dorothy Hart is only aesthetic. the characters are sketches of good intentions. and the legendary Calamity Jane remains an empty puppet. Howard Duff does a role without salt, the good guy who takes fundamental decisions is a thin shadow of a really hero. that is all. a film with flavor of a period sensitivity. common, pink and naive, moral lesson and nothing more, scene for old fashion stars, it has the heroic aura who gives taste for memories or it is window for a first image of a lost world.
gridoon2018
....since Sam Bass is clearly the central character here, and Calamity Jane the peripheral one. Actually, Calamity is just one of the two women between whom Sam Bass is caught - the other is an incredibly sweet, sensible shopkeeper played by Dorothy Hart - and it really is quite the dilemma. I found myself pondering whom I would choose if I were in his place, but I couldn't make up my mind. Calamity is a role that suits Yvonne De Carlo perfectly - you can tell she is very comfortable with it - and Dorothy Hart is very appealing, too. The Technicolor photography is pleasing to the eye, and the story generally keeps your interest and leads to a surprisingly strong (sad & enigmatic) ending. **1/2 out of 4.
AD
