Barbara Stanwyck plays Annie Oakley, a tomboyish, backwoods quail shooter who winds up in a shooting match with the legendary Toby Walker (Preston Foster).
The brash and arrogant Walker is more than a little surprised about that; he thinks he’s shooting against another man.
Annie matches him shot for shot, but can’t stand to beat him, throwing the match because it could cost him his job and because he’s “so darned pretty.”
But her performance wins her a spot in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, in which Walker also performs.
Despite his arrogance, he takes Annie under his wing, teaches her showmanship and falls in love with her. She’s already in love with him.
But his shooting career ends when his eyesight is damaged saving Sitting Bull’s life.
The accident could wind up ending his relationship with Annie as well.
Barbara Stanwyck as Annie Oakley, falling for the man who’s supposed to be her rival in Annie Oakley (1935)
Preston Foster as Toby Walker, a sharpshooter from New York with a streak of arrogance in Annie Oakley (1935)
Review:
Among Western fans, Barbara Stanwyck is best known as ranch boss Victoria Barkley in the 1960s TV show “The Big Valley.”
Here’s a chance to see her at age 28 in a version of the Annie Oakley story that bends the truth for the sake of romance and entertainment.
Heck, at one point, their romance even gets an assist from Sitting Bull. In an odd twist, he’s used for comic relief, baffled by a fold-away bed in one scene and rushing to scalp an actor in the Wild West show in another.
Melvyn Douglas plays Jeff Hogarth, a partner with Buffalo Bill who also falls for Annie. Foster is especially effective as a man whose arrogance alienates him from most of the other crew members, but comes to respect Annie.
Moroni Olsen as Buffalo Bill Cody, meeting Annie for the first time in Annie Oakley (1935)
Melvyn Douglas as Jeff Hogarth, Buffalo Bill’s business partner and the man who discovers Annie in Annie Oakley (1935)
Directed by:
George Stevens
Cast:
Barbara Stanwyck … Annie Oakley
Preston Foster … Toby Walker
Melvyn Douglas … Jeff Hogarth
Moroni Olsen … Buffalo Bill
Pert Kelton … Vera Delmar
Andy Clyde … James MacIvor
Chief Thunderbirth … Sitting Bull
Margaret Armstrong … Mrs. Oakley
Delmar Watson … Wesley Oakley
Adeline Craig … Susan Oakley
Runtime: 90 min.
Chief Thunderbird as Chief Sitting Bull, recruited to be part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in Annie Oakley (1935)
Dick Elliott as Ned Buntline, coming up with another idea for promoting the Buffalo Bill show in Annie Oakley (1935)
Memorable lines:
Sheriff Bixby, when someone comments on Annie’s fine markmanship: “Wish I could shoot that away.”
Townsman #1: “Wish ya could. then we’d have law and order in this county.”
Townman #2: “Sheriff, remember the time you aimed at a chicken thief? And killed the hog?”
Annie Oakley, confessing she missed a shot on purpose in her shooting match with Toby Walker: “I couldn’t beat that fella. I didn’t have the heart to. He was just too pretty.”
Toby Walker to Vera, when she insults Annie Oakley: “Just bustin’ with the juices of human kindness, ain’t ya?”
Jeff Hogarth: “I guess it’s human nature to fight for anything we love, Annie.”
Annie Oakley: “I guess so. But we don’t always win.”
Barbara Stanwyck as Annie Oakley, earning her nickname Little Sure Shot in Annie Oakley (1935)
Pert Kelton as Vera Delmar, a woman in love with Toby Walker, with MacIovor (Andy Clyde), the man who sets up Annie’s shooting match against Toby in Annie Oakley (1935)
Margaret Armstrong as Mrs. Oakley, concerned about her daughter joining a Wild West show in Annie Oakley (1935)
Melvyn Douglas as Jeff Hogarth watching Annie (Barbara Stanwyck) show off for European royalty in Annie Oakley (1935)
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