Oklahoma Annie

Seen through contemporary eyes, this movie is a curiosity piece. Going in, realize this, just sit back and explore some of the tastes and amusements of long-vanished times. Sometimes, that can be embarrassing.

This is less embarrassing than the movies with the unfortunate racial stereotypes, but if I had a relative who had been a fan of this genre, I would be embarrassed for them.

I had never heard of Judy Canova before watching this opus. My goodness, she certainly threw herself into her role whole hog. The singing is hard to take, but one of the songs was presented skillfully with three mirrors.

This movie does not look cheap--the horses all look glossy and well-fed--and the color has held up. I'd never watch it again, but now I know about a past fashion I never suspected existed.

"Oklahoma Annie" refers to the heroine's sheriff-grandmother.

This is a classic comedy western. Judy owns the town's general store. Central to the plot is her deceased grandmother, Oklahoma Annie, who was the best female Sheriff Oklahoma ever had. The story starts hopping when outlaws rob the town's bank by blowing up the safe. The crooks are identified and this leads to the Sheriff quitting because, as he puts it, "I don't what to be the bravest man in the cemetery".

In steps the new, handsome Sheriff, played by John Russell. Prompting our Judy to become a little more interested in crime fighting. The truth of it is, Judy is also full of spunk and wants to follow in grandmother's footsteps. Early on the viewer realizes that someone within the town helped the outlaws rob the bank. Frank Ferguson plays the town's supervisor and he has a knack of getting in the way of the investigation.

Meanwhile, Judy has become the Sheriff's deputy because she helped capture one of the outlaws (Roy Barcroft). Still, one question remains, who is the brains behind the robbery? Can you doubt that Judy will find out everything?

One reviewer of this film states they would be embarrassed if one of their relatives liked Oklahoma Annie. This film was a aimed at the Saturday Matinée kids back in the day. A few of us have never lost our inner kid, thankfully. So please don't be embarrassed for me and in return I won't roll my eyes when the politically correct come along and tell us the movies of long ago are embarrassing.

In glorious trucolour! this very well made bumpkin comedy actioned with Hillbilly strumpet Judy Canova is about.....absolutely nothing. From a very promising start to some great indoor sets and scenes and some rustic zooming around in her old car...nothing happens. Apparently Judy decides to 'clean up corruption'...I don't even remember that. I remember the train set and all the clutter in her general store/toyshop/outfitters...and I only saw it recently. What is this film about? There is all this running about and driving and crossing streams and Judy gawping and a fussin and bailing up someone, and a few gunshots and more running about and fussin and gawping and another trip to the store and on and on it goes. It is really well made and looks great. But nothing happens.

This comedy/western features Judy Canova as a spunky and a bit ditzy storekeeper who wants to rid the crime element from Kirk County. She tries to sing her way into the heart of the new Sheriff Dan Fraser(John Russell)who chases the bad guys in his new Ford sedan. Bull McCready(Grant Withers)runs the gambling hall; but Curt Walker(Roy Bancroft)is the bad guy that needs to be put behind bars. Judy is jokingly promised a Deputy's badge if she captures Walker. This may also get Sheriff Fraser's affections.

Judy rigs the front door of her store with a bucket of water, sledge hammer and a shotgun; but Walker enters through a window and is finally subdued by the spunky cowgirl with the half-cocked hat. Walker escapes jail, but is captured again as Judy leads the town's womenfolk in making a wreck of the gambling hall. Also in the cast are: Emmett Lynn, Fuzzy Knight, Houseley Stevenson and Frank Ferguson.

Canova's off key singing is tolerable with her best tune being "Have You Ever Been Lonely?". I'm still trying to figure out the film's title OKLAHOMA ANNIE.

In OKLAHOMA ANNIE, familiar Hollywood country bumpkin Judy Canova (she of the buck teeth, pigtails and off-key singing voice) runs a general store, falls in love with the new sheriff and helps clean up corruption in her little community. Truth is, nothing much actually happens although there's an awful lot of running around. Veteran villain Roy Barcroft is the chief bad guy, and familiar Western actor John Russell plays the new sheriff. Oh, and grizzled character actor Fuzzy Knight plays one of Judy's cornpone buddies. But the focus in ANNIE is almost solely on Judy, for better or worse. Made in 1952, ANNIE (where did they get that title?) plays more like a TV show than a theatrical release. Shot in splashy color and mixing cars in with horses, this sort-of Western is a holdover from another era. Hillbillies have never gone out of style in Hollywood, admittedly, but this particular hillbilly grates on the nerves pretty quickly. I enjoy Ms. Canova in small doses. Very small doses. For the curious and historically-minded only.