I watched the film today, and am just adding my voice to those who heard it, very clearly, as "naked," pronounce "nekkid" due to the character's accent.
As for the larger cultural context, the N-word was (and sadly, still is) common parlance in some circles, in real life.
However, in American movies of that particular time, it was actually not all that common - in fact, I'd go so far as to say it was never used. The Motion Picture Production Code forbade it at one point:
http://productioncode.dhwritings.com/multipleframes_productioncode.php
In later films, as the Code was breaking down, it reappeared, uttered by racist white characters. But I can't think of any post-Code instances before the late 1960s. *
It certainly was used in some British films of the time, as mentioned above. But I can't remotely imagine it being used in an American musical comedy film of 1953.
It may seem ironic to us now that racism was so rampant (and institutionalized) then, that portrayals of non-white characters were awful (or non-existant), and that intermarriage was considered so bad it was also forbidden by the Code, but that they wouldn't use that word in an American film.
But it is just part of the way the Code reflected some things about real life inaccurately, attempting the vague goal of cleaning up anything that would offend someone, for fear their offense would stop them from spending their money at the movies.
*ETA -- seeing Intruder in the Dust the other night reminded me that is it all over that film, which was made in 1949. But again, it is in the context of a serious film that condemns racism.
I still stand by my impression that it would never have been used by a loveable character in a light-hearted American comedy, even in those racist times.
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greenbudgie
10 years ago
I saw the movie yesterday. It does sound like she does use the offending N word. Another word I always wondered about. Not an offending one. Is when she is described as a catamount by Bill's friend. I'd never heard that properly before. I see that it is another word for the mountain lion.
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practicepiano
10 years ago
Here is the film, for those who want to check.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zagd1_calamity-jane-1953-full-movie_shortfilms
It's at 34:12.
And I still clearly hear "nekkid," having just listened to it a bunch of times.
Of course, as others have said, the scene is phenomenally racist, since she refers to the pursuing horsemen as naked redskin heathens, and offers them a one-way ticket to the happy hunting ground.
In a 1953 comedy, from a character we are supposed to like, that kind of talk was considered OK -- but not the N word.
Seems weird to modern ears, I know.
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greenbudgie
10 years ago
I just wondered if the word 'nekkid' has been superimposed onto the soundtrack at some point in some regions. I recorded the film. And I've played that point back three times. It does sound as though what Calamity says at the point rhymes with trigger. I better not print the actual word. I'm bound to get deleted. While vulgarities abound on the IMDb boards, I can get deleted and threatened with penalties for asking a reasonable question in perfect English.
'Calamity Jane' is good to listen to good old western vernacular. I wondered what she meant by the word 'copperhead' when addressing that Native American figure in Chicago. I've looked it up and it refers to a snake. While I'm glad that we have got rid of some of the invectives used in former times, language has coarsened generally both in film and everyday life now.
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practicepiano
10 years ago
I clearly hear a "d" sound at the end, not an "r." I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
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