Annie Oakley (1935)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Joseph Fields (story) and
Ewart Adamson (story) ...

Release Date:

24 March 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Western

Tagline:

The sharpshooting star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show lives again to thrill you in a drama of fighting men and red romance!

Plot:

A romanticized biography of the famous sharpshooter.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Annie Oakley | Sharpshooter | Rivalry | Wild West Show

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Annie Oakley
Preston Foster	...	Toby Walker
Melvyn Douglas	...	Jeff Hogarth
Moroni Olsen	...	Col. William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody
Pert Kelton	...	Vera Delmar
Andy Clyde	...	James MacIvor
Chief Thunderbird	...	Sitting Bull (as Chief Thunder Bird)
Margaret Armstrong	...	Mrs. Oakley
Delmar Watson	...	Wesley Oakley
Adeline Craig	...	Susan Oakley

Runtime:

90 min | Spain:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Sioux

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1538)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Available in computer-colorized version.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, during the European tour, Annie shoots a cigarette out of the German Kaiser's mouth. Annie wouldn't do that due to the danger and shot the cigarette out of his hand. During WWI Annie, reminisced that if she could do it over she'd let him put it in his mouth and then miss.

Quotes:

Vera Delmar: Toby Walker, you're supposed to be a sharpshooter and you can't even see a woman gal under your own nose.
Toby Walker: I can see anything I'm aiming at.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge (1937)

Soundtrack:

The Red Man

OAKLEY AND STANWYCK BOTH BIGGER THAN LIFE

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....