Annie Get Your Gun is a 1950 American musical Technicolor comedy film loosely based on the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a screenplay by Sidney Sheldon based on the 1946 stage musical of the same name, was directed by George Sidney. Despite several production and casting problems (Judy Garland was fired from the lead role after a month of filming in which she clashed with the director and repeatedly showed up late or not at all), the film won the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and received three other nominations. Star Betty Hutton was recognized with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Plot
In a small town in Ohio, Annie Oakley's (Betty Hutton) extraordinary shooting skills catch the attention of Frank Butler (Howard Keel), a renowned marksman who works for Buffalo Bill's (Louis Calhern) Wild West Show. Instantly smitten by Frank, the buckskin-clad Annie dreams of joining the show and winning his heart.
Annie happens by the hotel where the show members are staying, shooting the bird off a woman's hat, thinking it's a game bird. A show manager is impressed by her skills and offers her $5 if she beats Butler in a shooting competition. She does beat him, and gives the $5 prize to her three younger sisters and little brother to buy supplies.
As Annie auditions for the Wild West Show, she impresses everyone, including Buffalo Bill himself, with her unmatched marksmanship. Additionally, her dress style becomes much more fancy. However, her success puts a strain on her budding romance with Frank. He is taken aback by her skills and feels emasculated, leading to a clash of egos.
Annie's rise to stardom continues as she becomes the star attraction of the show, overshadowing Frank's own act. She even tours Europe, and becomes Native American chief Sitting Bull's adopted daughter, known to him as "Little Sure Shot". In an attempt to regain his former glory, Frank challenges Annie to another shooting competition.
As the shooting competition approaches, tensions rise between Annie and Frank. Their relationship becomes strained, with each wanting to prove their superiority. However, during the competition, Annie intentionally misses her shots (with some surreptitious advice, and a doctored rifle, from Sitting Bull, who reminds her of her own dictum that "you can't get a man with a gun"), realizing that her happiness lies not in outshining Frank but in being with him. She sacrifices her own victory for the sake of their love.
Recognizing Annie's selflessness and genuine love, Frank's heart softens, and he realizes that he doesn't need to be the best to be happy. The two reconcile, reaffirming their love for each other.
The film concludes with a triumphant performance by Annie and Frank, who have mended their relationship and rediscovered their shared passion, and are circled by the show members on horseback, solidifying the pair's place as the stars of the Wild West Show.
Cast
Musical numbers
"Colonel Buffalo Bill" — Charlie, Dolly, Ensemble
"Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" — Annie, Siblings
"The Girl That I Marry" — Frank
"You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" — Annie
"There's No Business Like Show Business" — Frank, Buffalo Bill, Charlie Davenport, Annie with ensemble "They Say It's Wonderful" — Annie, Frank "There's No Business Like Show Business (Reprise)" — Annie "My Defenses Are Down" — Frank, Ensemble "I'm an Indian Too" — Annie "I Got the Sun in the Morning" — Annie "Anything You Can Do" - Annie, Frank
The film adaptation cut the following numbers from the original score: "I'm a Bad, Bad Man", "Moonshine Lullaby", and "I Got Lost in His Arms" ("An Old Fashioned Wedding" was written for the 1966 revival). The 2000 compact disc release of the soundtrack includes all of the film's numbers and "Let's Go West Again" (a Hutton number deleted before the film's release), an alternative take of Wynn's "Colonel Buffalo Bill", and Garland's renditions of Annie's pieces.
Production history
The film was originally budgeted at $1.5 million, with $600,000 payable to Irving Berlin and Dorothy and Herbert Fields for the score and the book, comparatively cheap compared to the $2.3 million budget for Berlin's Easter Parade.
Betty Hutton played Annie Oakley, with Howard Keel (making his American film debut) as Frank Butler and Benay Venuta as Dolly Tate. Louis Calhern played Buffalo Bill, replacing Frank Morgan, who died of a sudden heart attack shortly after filming had begun.