| Annie Get Your Gun | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | George Sidney Busby Berkeley (uncredited) Charles Walters (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Arthur Freed Roger Edens |
| Screenplay by | Sidney Sheldon |
| Based on | The book by Dorothy Fields Herbert Fields |
| Starring | Betty Hutton Howard Keel Benay Venuta |
| Music by | Irving Berlin |
| Cinematography | Charles Rosher |
| Editing by | James E. Newcom |
| Distributed by | Metro Goldwyn Mayer |
| Release date(s) | May 17, 1950 |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.77 million |
| Box office | $8,000,000 |
Annie Get Your Gun is a 1950 American musical 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 some production and casting problems (Judy Garland had to withdraw from the film because of ill health), the film won the Academy Award for best score and received three other nominations. Star Betty Hutton was recognized with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
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The film adaptation cut the following numbers from the original score: "I'm a Bad, Bad Man", "Moonshine Lullaby", "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 alternate take of Wynn's "Colonel Buffalo Bill", and Garland's renditions of Annie's pieces.
Betty Hutton played Annie with Howard Keel (making his film debut) as Frank Butler and Benay Venuta as Dolly Tate. Frank Morgan was originally cast as Buffalo Bill Cody but after shooting the film's opening production number, "Colonel Buffalo Bill", he unexpectedly died. Morgan was replaced by Louis Calhern. Originally, Judy Garland had been cast in the title role, and recorded all of her songs and worked for two months under Busby Berkeley's direction. She was forced to leave the production because of poor health and other personal problems that would soon end her career with MGM. Garland's dismissal from this film (from which some footage and recordings have survived) figures pivotally in the show-biz legend of Judy Garland's fall from grace, her alleged unreliability, and the view of her as a victim of the studio. Betty Garrett was considered but the role of Annie eventually went to Betty Hutton. Shooting resumed after five months, with George Sidney replacing Charles Walters (who in turn replaced Berkeley) as director.[1]
According to Betty Hutton, she was treated coldly by most of the cast and crew because she replaced Garland. During an interview with Robert Osborne (first telecast on Turner Classic Movies "Private Screenings" on July 18, 2000), she recalled the other cast members as hostile and the MGM management as so unappreciative it didn't even invite her to the New York premiere. Betty also stated one day Judy Garland was visiting the set and Betty greeted her with a bouncy "Hiya', Judy!" only to be answered by a string of profanities. Only two production numbers were completed with Garland: "Doin' What Comes Naturally" and "I'm an Indian Too" and these were released to the public for the first time in the 1990s in That's Entertainment III. Additional studio recordings of Garland also exist and have been released by Rhino Records.
Despite the production problems, the film became popular in its own right. In its initial release, it grossed more than $8 million, easily earning back its $3.7 million production costs.[2] In 1973 it was withdrawn from distribution, owing to a dispute between Irving Berlin and MGM over music rights, which prevented the public of viewing this film for almost 30 years. It was not until the film's 50th Anniversary in 2000 that it was finally seen again in its entirety.
One of Hutton's costumes, the very first "Wild West Show" costume seen in the film for the reprise of "There's No Business Like Show Business" is on permanent display at the Costume World Broadway Collection Museum in Pompano Beach, Florida.
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