CALAMITY JANE & ME
 |
THE REAL CALAMITY |
Is it just me? Okay it's just me.
Who else is disappointed with the ending of Doris Day's rendering of Calamity Jane in 1953?
 |
CALAMITY JANE'S BEEN TAMED! NOOOOO.....! |
But, unlike the real Calamity Jane, who looked like the back end of a cow in later life, bless her, and almost permanently drunk,
Jeannie is tomboy beautiful in face and figure and truly charismatic, and although she loves her drink and does get drunk easily, she's not prone to being drunk most of the time, which Calamity Jane was, particularly towards the end of her fifty-two years, I think it was.
My Calamity Jane - Jeannie - is bisexual and the fastest gun in the west. I couldn't explain the sexuality part to folks way back when who wanted details about my novel, or the fact that she's embroiled in sexual juicy bits and violence, as does happen in a traditional western in which the fastest gun is always a bloke. She's a woman, and she's entangled in all the stuff that happens to guys in westerns. I was as red-faced embarrassed as a drunken mountain man in the days I was first writing this thing. Nice girls don't write nasty stories like that. Fluffy bunny stories, that's what I was supposed to write. So yes - the Calamity Jane explanation came in very handy, particularly as I'd researched Calamity pretty well.
Ever since hubby took over the process of my becoming self-published, I've written about her on social media and sold a lot of the first book, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl!. Yes, Alias Jeannie Delaney turned into a trilogy, much to my surprise, and has turned out to be really popular, and many readers have quickly pre-ordered Book 2 - The Outlaw's Return, which feels totally surreal. I've grown to accept Jeannie, and my embarrassment has worn away with time. I can even say her name out loud! About time.
Now - Calamity Jane, the 1953 (the year of my birth, coincidentally) musical starring Doris Day as Calamity - is so disappointing. It's great fun at the start, with a buckskin clad Calamity having a ball on the roof of the Deadwood stagecoach and singing the opening number, followed by fun and frolics in the saloon.
She's attractive, funny, cheeky and in a class of her own. I identify far more with Calamity in this instance than I ever did with my Jeannie, who's tough n' rough (although I am her, apparently, according to fans). But the end of the film, when Calamity is dressed in white and driven away by Wild Bill after their wedding #**#!! WHAT?! No way!
So no - I can't watch the film and see Calamity's character cleaned up and tamed into submission. That final scene ruins the whole thing for me. But I guess that's the 1950s for you. So disappointing. I wasn't going to have any 'taming' done in Alias - no siree. Jeannie remains true to herself throughout, although her sometimes overwhelming character is held back for short periods at various, appropriate points in the story. No taming here otherwise!
Tamed? Hah! 😝
 |
AUTHOR'S FEET UP IN HER CABIN! |
Facebook Jo Ballantyne
Alias Jeannie Delaney, my epic western trilogy, follows the life of devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl Jeannie Morgan, who's the fastest gun in the west and a magnificent lover to both men and women. This is her journey to find her true self on the wild frontier throughout deadly confrontations and personal tragedies. Will Jeannie find happiness or will her tomboy beauty, powerful persona and lethal gun ultimately be the death of her? Read the three novels and find out!
Book 2 - The Outlaw's Return
 |
Book |
 |
HERE'S A TASTER OF BOOK 1 |
 |
MY ORIGINAL IMAGES OF JEANNIE |
No comments:
Post a Comment