Annie Get Your Gun is a 1950 American musical 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.
Frank Morgan was originally cast as Buffalo Bill Cody but after filming the movie's opening production number, "Colonel Buffalo Bill", he unexpectedly died. Originally, Judy Garland had been cast in the title role. 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 Hutton.
According to Betty Hutton, she was treated coldly by most of the cast and crew because she replaced Garland. 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.
In 1973 it was withdrawn from distribution, owing to a dispute between Irving Berlin and MGM over music rights, which prevented the public of viewing this film for almost 30 years.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.
"At Last On The Screen" reads in the film's poster, but like John Ford's "Horse Soldiers" I discussed earlier, this is one of those films that was released "as is" and was seen by the studios as somewhat of a B production after Garland went down in the lead role, and then "The Wizard" Frank Morgan died in the opening scene of Buffalo Bill Cody. And despite being one of the most beloved and well known American musicals ever, throw in the later dispute over music with Irving Berlitz and it becomes clear that Hollywood never got its grandeouse production and release that would have been appropriate for such a hallmark tale of Americana and the Wild West.
And below is the never before seen footage of Judy Garland's version of "I'm An Indian, Too." It's my favorite song of the musical and I wish Hutton's version was available on youtube but this is pretty special seeing Judy in this role (though for some reason the original audio has been replaced by Iggy Pop and the Stooges (Raw Power 1973) Which I kinda dig, actually, b/c it still matches up pretty well--check out Judy's moves at 1:50, how's that for modern choreography in 1950:
Despite this film being associated with the down-fall of the classic-era Judy Garland, we get another star: a lady like Judy who can sing, dance, act and in addition to being breathtakingly gorgeous was just about the funniest lady alive, but unfortunately, it wasn't until MANY years later that Betty Hutton truly began to receive credit as one of the greatest all around performers of the age. As is, she had to deal with the fact that she wasn't Garland, and this coupled with all of the personal and sociological challenges she would have faced as a woman and mother in Hollywood at this time made her career one of the great tales of true artistic grit, and fortitude.
One of the great early pioneers in screw-ball comedy, Hutton was absolutely a 4-tool performer as were so many of the actresses of the day, and there can be no doubt that studios took this for granted and exploited her much the same they did a performer like Judy Garland.
It's just really sad considering performers like Hutton and Garland represent a style in cinematic AND musical style that was so special and unique to that generation, such a shame the studios would let these ladies fall by the wayside--Garland died early in 1969, of course; but Betty lived until 2007, despite her many trials and tribulations of tyring to balance motherhood and show business and her later years which were wrought with self doubt, depression, and a feeling of unacceptance and alienation from Hollywood and her children alike. The interview that Robert Osbourne did with Betty in 2001 was very touching; Hutton told Osbourne he made her feel accepted for the first time in decades.
And here is Betty, singing one of the all-time 'girl-power' fight songs, "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better"; such a funny lady with a BOOMING voice.
Which I kinda dig, actually, b/c it still matches up pretty well--check out Judy's moves at 1:50, how's that for modern choreography in 1950:
