Yes, Betty is great and some of the songs are bouncy, bouncy fun, but this musical is so sexist and racist it makes me cringe.
shareTotally. I just watched it and was thinking the same thing. It's a really fun show but very, very dated. I saw it on Broadway in 2001 and they toned down some of the stuff which is politically incorrect today.I agree though, Betty was great!
shareyes, would like to respond to the putzs who believe that if it is pre-1965 its a biggoted, rascist, homophobics film. well, I consider white men can't jump to be racist. I consider the commercial where the black man enters into room full of white men who are all shown as greedy, avaice bankers and he is shown who has all the answers to be racsist. in actuallilty, it is the anti-semitsim and racisim by other groups that is the issue today. stop picking on a 56 year old musical to vent polically cowardness on this film.
shareyes, would like to respond to the putzs who believe that if it is pre-1965 its a biggoted, rascist, homophobics film. well, I consider white men can't jump to be racist. I consider the commercial where the black man enters into room full of white men who are all shown as greedy, avaice bankers and he is shown who has all the answers to be racsist. in actuallilty, it is the anti-semitsim and racisim by other groups that is the issue today. stop picking on a 56 year old musical to vent polically cowardness on this film.
We need more sexist and racist bigoted politically incorrect homophobic films like this today. “Annie Get Your Gun” is a great film; zanne-6 and eac1027 are just plain simple-minded fools... You are right on dehayden... Go away zanne-6 or better yet, just drop dead. I am so sick of these simpletons that bring up this racism when we are talking about these old films. There is absolutely nothing wrong with “Annie Get Your Gun” it is not sexist, racist or bigoted. the bigoted ones are people like zanne-6 and eac1027… Why don’t people like you just stick to the new worthless politically correct movies being made today by worthless and dis-honest producers and frauds and cowards. You make me sick.
shareBoy, Dehayden and Sunwestmovies sure read a lot into the comments by Zanne-6 and Eac1027 that wasn't there. They merely stated that by today's standards this film is sexist and racist. That is true. They didn't say that the movie is terrible or shouldn't have been made or shouldn't be shown any longer. They had good things to say about the film as well. I am dismayed that someone who honestly expresses their reaction to a movie should be called a "simple-minded idiot" and told to "drop dead." Methinks Sunwestmovies doth protest too much...
shareI agree that they weren't condemning the movie, just pointing out that the film's sexism & racism are hard to watch. Sexism & racism did exist in 1950 and 1880 or whatever date you want to bring up, but that doesn't make it pleasant to watch.
For me, I was rolling my eyes so hard during the final scene that I could barely see it. The real Annie would never have done that! And the real Frank would not have wanted her to! And that was way before 1950.
One-it was meant as entertainment,not history.Two-racist?Sitting Bull was shown as a good guy.Three- I'll say it aloud-I'm Politically Incorrect and I'm Proud!Acceptable then is acceptable now.The PC kiljoys should shut up and stop undermining normal people's fun.
shareI have to agree, the real Annie would not have acted the way she was portrayed in this movie. That's what made this movie hard for me to watch. I just finished watching this on TCM and I was constantly saying "It's only a movie." I could have switched channels but I kept hoping the movie would improve by the end. Besides that it's been a long time since I have seen a show about Annie Oakley. She's one of my favorite historical figures and you rarely hear any mention of her in this day and age.
shareOh no. Annie purpoesly losing a shooting match to Frank Butler so that he can be the "master" and she the woman who "knows her place" isn't sexist at all. Not in the least. And the protrayal of Native Americans as comic idiots who don't know any better but to start fires inside a train isn't a racist portrayal at all. Not in the least.
shareI don't expect to learn history from movies, but let's look at when this movie is set. Gee, women couldn't vote and Indians were regarded as savages. So let's make a movie that ignores what the attitudes were when the movie was set and instead anticipate the attitudes of Americans in the 21st century so no one will be offended. Sheesh!
The sexism is a major part of the plot - what a great movie this would be if Annie is the head of her local N.O.W. chapter. She would have the lawyers down on Frank and Buffalo Bill so fast they'd be sending all their money to the Hillary for President committee. Isn't that a movie everyone wants to see?
Let's relax and hold our indignation for movies that really are offensive to everyone's sensibilities - like Jackass 2.
This movie does have a lot of sexism and racism in it. That is a fact. Is it an enjoyable film? Yes, it is. Pointing out the sexism and racism is not necessarily indignation. It is pointing out the realities of the period in which the film was made, and hoping that people learn from it. Why is it that whenever someone mentions sexism or racism they are automatically criticized for being "angry" or "indignant" or a "killjoy"? It's about EDUCATING people so that they may think about their words and actions, and that impact that they have on others.
sharePeople need to learn from a movie that was made 70 years ago?😑
Maybe you should realize that this movie is a comedy and most of the supposed racism and sexism was done with a big wink. You have to be EXTREMELY sensitive to find it "hard to watch"...
Perhaps the attitudes back then were right and today's wrong in many ways?
shareexactly...this movie takes place in a time when women didnt have many rights anyways. To claim this movie is sexist would give anyone the right to claim any movie where a woman wins and the man loses as sexist as well. It's too bad that would make 100% of movies sexist.
BAN THEM ALL!
The message that this film sends out is that the most important thing in a woman's life is to get a man, and to do so she must be subordinate to him. That is a sexist message. The time period that the film portrays and the time period in which it was made does not excuse the sexism in it. With that said, I am not telling people they shouldn't enjoy the film, but not to ignore the sexist and racist problems in its plot.
shareThere is no "problem" except for your whining...
shareYes it is "sexist and racist" and George Washington and Thomas Jefferson kept slaves. So what. Haven't you ever heard of the legal doctrine of "ex post facto"?
sharejust watched it for first time its one mgm musical i had never seen before
its a piece of fun set in a differnat time you cant exzpect and nor should it be politically correct
i saw no racism must of missed that it was based loosely on the real people in it and the wild west shows of bill cody provided a lot of money for the indians natives who took part in it touring the whole world my mother remebers seeing some guy and his show in late 50a called tex ritter.
and again this woman in file wanted to get married and bel ike regualr girls and some do today just want thant
thank goodness not all girrls want careers nor all men
PC brigade want us all men and women to do same things,yes we shouls be able to choose and if that means forsaking a career to get a man or woman depdning on yoour untetersts then why not.
my last gf did and still does not want to work but she wanted from day one to get married and kids,not my scene but dont disespcet her for wanting those things
yet some women use to have a go at her for not wanting a career etc
in fact 50 yrs ago and more women actually got more what they wanted and better hapi9iness than todays women do
who do you think run the whole thing "women" us men may of said we were head of house and family vbut in fact its the womene who actually ran it,they just made men think they did
women always have
also i ddi not see homophobic
a show set in a persion musical /comdey or seriouws has to reflect the time it was in and not time it was filled
i hate seeing a film set say in victorian or even 50s london with loads of colorued in it etc or overlty homosexual becasue in those periods very few colored and fewer still overt homosexuals
by putting a token clored/homosexual in or a career woman is actually patronising
a filme set in more recnet history then fine the more career owmen/disabled and differant ethnic mix the better as thats now its not 1950s and before not in some countries anyway
egards paul
"in fact 50 yrs ago and more women actually got more what they wanted and better hapi9iness than todays women do"
RIGHT ON! Most don't know that the bra burning pot smoking "free love" types stole away the very things that most women actually cherish more in life than a high pressure high paying career - a secure relationship and a family. It comes down to that 'happiness' and many women today are unhappy because they chased a man's dream without even realizing it.
People, this movie wasn't made with an 1899 point of view it was made with a 1950 point of view. That's how women were treated then. Indians were portrayed in the same 1950 point of view. Annie Oakley earned her living by shooting game for local butchers before her teens. She did not have an on again off againrealtionship with Frank Butler. As a nother poster said he realized how great she was (better then him) and stepped aside early in their marriage and took care of business matters while Annie did the shooting. She was a tough but petite and lovely woman who charmed people wherever The Wild West went and not the loud mouth uncouth simpleton portrayed by Betty Hutton. I wish Judy Garland had stayed in the movie she would have done a great job.
shareTo the above, throwing out all the Indians doesn't seem like a very fair solution. Let's chop out Betty Hutton too! Then it won't be sexist either.
Also, if you want everything you experience to conform to your modern, prejudiced, notions of Political Correctness you're in for a disappointment. You'll have to skip reading Shakespeare and the Bible, and practically everything else I can think of.
And considering that Sitting Bull is Annie's adopted father and they're supposed to be very fond of each other I don't see where the racism comes in. Indians in the 1880s weren't very well educated in the European sense of the word. How do you want them to portray them?
Pointing out the sexism and racism in a film is NOT saying not to watch the film, or not to enjoy it. There is no either/or here. It's about AWARENESS. What is wrong with being aware of these things in movies of this time period? Do you NOT want the light shown on sexism and racism because it reflects badly on you? How about LEARNING from these films, and doing our best to make our world a better place to live in for all?
shareUnfortunately, when the play is performed nowadays they cut the "i'm and Indian too" number, which I found a lot of fun to do when I did the play.
shareI found it very frustrating to watch. On the one hand, great songs. On the other, most of them were sung by Betty Hutton acting like a hyperactive toddler.
I watch a lot of old movies, and don't spend time getting ticked off by sexism in them. However, I do hate it when they lead character is so unworthy. And I have to say, I blame the performer in this case as much as the script. Watching Betty Hutton act like a blooming idiot for the entire movie really did ruin it for me. If the role had gone to a better actress, someone who could have played Annie as less stupid, the movie would have been much more enjoyable.
Betty Hutton was great in Miracle at Morgan's Creek. But in this movie, she just stunk up the joint.