La Fille des prairies

Entertaining fictional tale woven around factual characters. A glamorous Yvonne De Carlo wears bright red lipstick and her hair flowing as Calamity Jane, and Howard Duff plays low-ranking outlaw Sam Bass with little energy. As this is '40s Hollywood, they're portrayed as heroes and make a good-looking couple, but it's true good girl Dorthy Hart who wins Sam's heart.

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.

The late forties were for Universal Studios the period when they lost Maria Montez - Jon Hall's magnificent colorful, brilliant adventure movies; so they had to replace at least Maria Montez, some kind of equivalent, and then they found Yvonne De Carlo who was already in the studio for minor roles, besides her Paramount period...And no one lost in the deal, De Carlo was for me as beautiful, gorgeous as Montez, in any kind of pictures, and it's such a shame that most of audiences will remind her mostly for this TV show from the sixties THE MUNSTERS, which I don't know at all, unlike her numerous movies, so enchanted films thanks to her magnetic presence and beauty. I also love Howard Duff's character, a surprising anti hero in this tremendous George Sherman's feature. A very surprising and unexpected backward travelling shot in the last seconds. Unusual for this period.

¨Calamity Jane and Sam Bass¨ 1949 by George Sherman with Yvonne De Carlo , Howard Duff is an acceptable and passable film , though neither extraordinary , not notable , but entertaining . This oater gives a sympathetic and agreeable portrayal of the known frontier wildcat amusingly played by Yvonne De Carlo as well as outlaw Sam Bass , though resulting in tragic finale . A fictitious biography of the notorious lady crackshot and the famous gunfighter Sam Bass , it is set in in Denton , Texas where really standed Calamity Jane . There drifter Sam Bass shows up looking for a job . Here Calamity Jane sets out to show that anything a man can do Calamity can do better and then she participates at a great horse race and Sam Bass seems to be really impressed . As the film happens in an on-again, off-again romance with Sam Bass who is also fallen for pretty storekeeper Katherine Egan ( Dorothy Hart) who unfortunately results to be the sheriff's (Willard Parker) sister . It takes a lot of adventures and distresses before Jane can convince Sam that under her two-fisted exterior there is a woman's heart . However , his seemingly good luck thanks to win a very fast race horse and his romance with two women pushes Sam Bass toward disaster and outlawry. Branding their outlaw names ... into the fiery fame of the West ! Fighting! Loving! Looting!

Yvonne De Carlo gives a nice portrayal of the famous frontier wilcat and she certainly puts full of fire and mirth into the character . Yvonne shines in one of her best roles , she splendidly stars as the gun-toting , rip-snorting Calamity Jane of Western lore . While Howard Duff is wooden as the distressed outlaw who attracts the attention of a good shopkeeper as well as that wild frontiers woman , Calamity Jane , however he will be forced into a life of crimen. They are well accompanied by a support cast plenty of Hollywood secondary stalwarts including as follows : Willard Parker , Lloyd Bridges , Milburn Stone , Marc Lawrence , Roy Roberts , Ann Doran , Clifton Young and the incombustible Norman Lloyd . This breeze-fresh movie filled with get-up-and-go was well directed by George Sherman . He was a good craftsman who directed all kinds of genres with special penchant for Western , Noir and drama . Other films about Calamity Jane are as follows : ¨The Texan meet Calamity Jane¨ 1950 with Evelyn Ankers , James Ellison . Musical version ¨Calamity Jane¨ by David Butler with Doris Day , Howard Keel , Philip Carey , Dick Wesson . Calamity Jane 1963 with Carol Burnett , Art Lund . Calamity Jane 1982 by James Goldstone with Jane Alexander , Frederic Forrest . ¨Wild Bill¨1995 by Walter Hill with Jeff Bridges , Ellen Barkin . And a Spaghetti Western : ¨Seven hours of gunfire¨ by Joaquin Romero Marchent with Gloria Milland , Rik Van Nutter , Adrian Hoven .

Although the events are fictious , the picture is partially based on Calamity Jane and his allegedly relationship to Sam Bass , but with whom she had real relation was to Wild Bill . The actual happenings are the following ones : Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure .She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire.Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in cannot be proven. It is known that she had no formal education and was an itinerant alcoholic.. In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of Deadwood, South Dakota in the Black Hills . There she became friends with Dora DuFran, the Black Hills' leading madam, and she was occasionally employed by her. She also became friendly with Wild Bill Hickok and Charlie Utter, having traveled with them to Deadwood in Utter's wagon train.Calamity Jane does seem to have had two daughters, although the father's identity is unknown. In the late 1880s, she returned to Deadwood with a child whom she claimed to be her daughter.Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after his murderer Jack McCall with a meat cleaver, since she had left her guns at her residence in the excitement of the moment.

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.