Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

. . . thoughtful viewers may wonder after taking in ANNIE OAKLEY. About 60 years before RKO Studios released ANNIE OAKLEY, America's Racist Rich People's Party (the same folks who orchestrated the "Inside Job" facilitating the assassination of Abe Lincoln due to his Post-Civil War vision of repatriating kidnapped Blacks to their African Homelands while bringing the many egregious War Profiteers--who murdered hundreds of Union artillery men with their shoddy exploding cannon barrels--to Justice) filled the 1870s U.S. West with Job-Killing Corrupt Capitalist "Indian Agent" Crooks (not unlike Modern Day Child-Catcher Betsy DeVos running her national chain of For-Profit U.S. Charter Dumbing-Down Shacks out of OUR Education Department!) who bamboozled legendary Sioux War Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull into slaying the top Native American Booster they had among U.S. Whites, George Armstrong Custer. Though Crazy Horse, the more Visionary of the Pair, was quickly assassinated like Lincoln (presaging the One-Two Punch of the 1960s, when agents of the Rich People's Party first whacked our Beloved President, JFK, and then gunned down Martin Luther King, Jr.), ANNIE OAKLEY documents how the title character taught Sitting Bull the American Language and Culture. Buffalo Bill was more of a hindrance than a help during this process, in keeping with his Genocidal Role of starving many Tribal Nations to death by gratuitously killing off their meat, so that the only buffalo left were the ones on nickels. If only Annie Oakley had ridden with Custer, America may have gotten rid of the Trilaterals once and for all back then, instead of being left in Her Present Mess.

A little bit of blarney never hurt anyone, so when Brooklyn born Barbara Stanwyck takes on the role of country gal Annie Oakley, it's a curiosity from the start to see how she's going to pull it off. As it turns out, not badly, as the noticeable but not distracting differences in appropriate accents becomes more charming than laughable. Popular but not yet a superstar, Stanwyck gives a sincere performance as the innocent but not stupid country bumpkin who does everything she can to win the affections of handsome Preston Foster, a fictional version of the real Frank Butler, with enough references to indicate who he is really supposed to be. Corny humor on the side, slight references to real incidents in Oakley's life and an all Americana feel makes this a tall tail of a large life with much to recommend it. The film is close to the later hit musical comedy in many ways other than the fictitious names of real characters; Annie Oakley is discovered not to be "Andy", finds herself in a competition with "Toby" (Frank), blows the contest purposely because "he's so purty", joins Buffalo Bill's wild West show, becomes as cultured as a backwoods girl can be, then manages to land her man in spite of their differences.It's fast paced, action packed, often funny and somewhat sincere in its desire to give at least a small impression of what these traveling shows were like, never once disappointing as strict entertainment. Pert Kelton, best known for the role of Marian's mother in "The Music Man" on stage and screen, is obviously playing the equivalent of Dolly Tate, while leading actor Melvyn Douglas takes on the supporting role of Annie's manager. It's a professional job all 'round, and you might find yourself singing Irving Berlin songs from the show even though this isn't a musical.

Don't watch this film expecting to learn anything about the real Annie Oakley. The writers get most everything wrong, excepting the lead character's name and one or two other facts. But if you want to enjoy watching a young Barbara Stanwyck play an authentic American heartland heroine, albeit with a New York accent, this is a film you will enjoy.The acting is good, the direction by George Stevens is quite good, and the recreation of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show is extremely good. Remarkably for a film made in 1935, Chief Sitting Bull (played well by Chief Thunder Bird)is the hero of the piece, engineering the reunion of the separated lovers. The Chief is the butt of a few jokes, but they arise naturally from his outsider status in American culture, not as a stereotypical Indian.On the minus side, we do have to sit through a scene showing two African-American cooks trying to pilfer some quail from hotelier Mac Ivor (Andy Clyde.)Overall, this picture works as entertainment, a love story sprinkled with humor. Recommended.

I've always loved Annie Oakley. I've always loved Barbara Stanwyck too. I'm sure one is related to the other. This used to be one of those old, mid-morning movies that was shown fairly often. If you stayed home from school, (ahem) SICK, you got to see it. Cowboys, Indians, Buffalo Bill, his Wild West Show, sharpshooting, a (yucky) love story, and the charming and beautiful Barbara Stanwyck. Hmmm, what a way to recover enough to return to school!!! Barbara Stanwyck was a liberated woman playing liberated roles long before it was in vogue.Great license is taken with history, but this film was made when heroes were bigger than life and legend ruled. It's a nicely told story, tracing the life of a young girl, from the backwoods to a life of world-wide celebrity (yes, and love too). "Annie's" skills were real, but she had lots of help learning "showmanship". There are a lot of funny moments, warm moments, and selfless (O Henry type) acts. These "flesh" out the story and lead you right into a joyous ending. (AIN'T LOVE GRAND!)Very nicely done, it will please "new" audiences and old-timers alike. The younger crowd should especially like "Annie Oakley". They don't make movies like this anymore. It's a fitting tribute to Annie Oakley, American legend, and folk hero.....PS--- I gave this a 9 out of 10 rating. I was tempted to give it a 10, after all, it was made in 1935 and is still good....