Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

Steineded How sad is this?

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

mark.waltz A little bit of blarney never hurt anyone, so when Brooklyn born Barbara Stanwyck takes on the role of country gal Annie Oakley, it's a curiosity from the start to see how she's going to pull it off. As it turns out, not badly, as the noticeable but not distracting differences in appropriate accents becomes more charming than laughable. Popular but not yet a superstar, Stanwyck gives a sincere performance as the innocent but not stupid country bumpkin who does everything she can to win the affections of handsome Preston Foster, a fictional version of the real Frank Butler, with enough references to indicate who he is really supposed to be. Corny humor on the side, slight references to real incidents in Oakley's life and an all Americana feel makes this a tall tail of a large life with much to recommend it. The film is close to the later hit musical comedy in many ways other than the fictitious names of real characters; Annie Oakley is discovered not to be "Andy", finds herself in a competition with "Toby" (Frank), blows the contest purposely because "he's so purty", joins Buffalo Bill's wild West show, becomes as cultured as a backwoods girl can be, then manages to land her man in spite of their differences.It's fast paced, action packed, often funny and somewhat sincere in its desire to give at least a small impression of what these traveling shows were like, never once disappointing as strict entertainment. Pert Kelton, best known for the role of Marian's mother in "The Music Man" on stage and screen, is obviously playing the equivalent of Dolly Tate, while leading actor Melvyn Douglas takes on the supporting role of Annie's manager. It's a professional job all 'round, and you might find yourself singing Irving Berlin songs from the show even though this isn't a musical.

MartinHafer While I am a history teacher and my friends and family HATE watching historical films with me because I often find fault with the way movies often handle the facts in a fast and loose manner, I still managed to like this film and kept my mouth shut about its many inaccuracies! Part of this is because when I watched the film I didn't know that much about Annie Oakley and another was because I was having too much fun to complain. I spotted a few errors but in researching more about her after the film was over, I found that most of the film was fiction. Despite this, I still am not complaining because I liked the film so much plus Miss Oakley is a rather mythic figure already and little impact on history (though she did a lot for women's rights--at least indirectly).It's interesting that Oakley (Barbara Stanwyck) is not the sole focus of the film. It's much more of an ensemble film and the movie is not about her entire life--just one small fictionalized portion involving her falling in love with another sharp shooter. Now the facts and the fiction aren't all that different in a few key ways, so it's obvious that the facts did at least inspire the film. According to the film, Toby Walker (Preston Foster) is acknowledged as the world's greatest shooter. However, when a contest is arranged with an unknown local girl (Oakley), she allows him to win but is invited to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show as a featured star. Then, her budding love for Toby is hidden by her and Toby so that they can foster a publicity campaign that they are rivals. In reality, the real sharpshooter was Francis "Frank" E. Butler and Oakley beat him during this shoot-off. However, they did marry and they did travel with Buffalo Bill, though they first traveled with a different and less famous show. The romance, at least the way the film portrayed it, is pretty bogus.Another bogus aspect of the film is the involvement of Sitting Bull. While he did apparently know Miss Oakley and did nickname her "Little Sure Shot", he was only with the show a few months. Sadly, almost all the wonderful scenes featuring him in the film didn't happen and it's too bad, as he was the best character in the film! For an American Indian in the 1930s, this portrayal was amazingly sensitive and showed him as a rather decent and clever guy.There's a lot more to the film that is bogus, but as I said the film is so well written and fun, I found myself uncharacteristically NOT complaining as the truth wasn't quite as fun and exciting as fiction. A lovely film thanks to good but distorted writing, excellent acting and brisk direction.Interesting facts: Andy Clyde plays the hotel owner. In the 1920s, he was a big silent comedy star as well as director and writer. Also, Pert Kelton plays the lady who likes Toby at the beginning of the film. She was the first 'Alice Kramden' in the Honeymooner's segments of "The Jackie Gleason Show".

ccthemovieman-1 Barbara Stanwyck, as I have mentioned in other reviews, was a tough woman but a likable one, at least with me. I don't normally go for those tough dames but her voice and personality she brought to a lot of roles always attracted me. A case in point was this movie. I doubt if another actress would have made this a better-than-average film, which Stanwyck did.Preston Foster's character in here, meanwhile, undergoes one of the fastest transformations I've ever seen on film, from arrogant pig to very likable good guy in no time at all. In fact, he turned out to be such a good guy that parts of this film, where "Toby Walker" was wronged, are difficult to watch.There's a little humor also thrown in this western, mainly involving "Sitting Bull." It's been a long time since I've seen this film but I would definitely watch it again if it came out on DVD.

renfield54 I've always loved Annie Oakley. I've always loved Barbara Stanwyck too. I'm sure one is related to the other. This used to be one of those old, mid-morning movies that was shown fairly often. If you stayed home from school, (ahem) SICK, you got to see it. Cowboys, Indians, Buffalo Bill, his Wild West Show, sharpshooting, a (yucky) love story, and the charming and beautiful Barbara Stanwyck. Hmmm, what a way to recover enough to return to school!!! Barbara Stanwyck was a liberated woman playing liberated roles long before it was in vogue.Great license is taken with history, but this film was made when heroes were bigger than life and legend ruled. It's a nicely told story, tracing the life of a young girl, from the backwoods to a life of world-wide celebrity (yes, and love too). "Annie's" skills were real, but she had lots of help learning "showmanship". There are a lot of funny moments, warm moments, and selfless (O Henry type) acts. These "flesh" out the story and lead you right into a joyous ending. (AIN'T LOVE GRAND!)Very nicely done, it will please "new" audiences and old-timers alike. The younger crowd should especially like "Annie Oakley". They don't make movies like this anymore. It's a fitting tribute to Annie Oakley, American legend, and folk hero.....PS--- I gave this a 9 out of 10 rating. I was tempted to give it a 10, after all, it was made in 1935 and is still good....