Gentle Annie

1944
Approved
1h 20m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

411

YOUR RATING

Donna Reed, James Craig, Marjorie Main, and Harry Morgan in Gentle Annie (1944)

Play trailer1:31

1 Video

3 Photos

Classical Western Western

In 1901, an undercover US Marshal is sent to Oklahoma Territory to investigate a string of train robberies and arrest the culprits.In 1901, an undercover US Marshal is sent to Oklahoma Territory to investigate a string of train robberies and arrest the culprits.In 1901, an undercover US Marshal is sent to Oklahoma Territory to investigate a string of train robberies and arrest the culprits.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

411

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 1:31

Official Trailer

Photos

Top cast32

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James Craig

Lloyd Richland

Donna Reed

Mary Lingen

Marjorie Main

Annie Goss

Harry Morgan

Cottonwood Goss
(as Henry Morgan)

Paul Langton

Violet Goss

Barton MacLane

Sheriff Tatum

John Philliber

Barrow

Morris Ankrum

Deputy Gansby

Noah Beery

Hansen
(as Noah Berry Sr.)

Frank Darien

Jake

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Childers
(as Robert Emmet O'Connor)

Chris Willow Bird

Townsman
(uncredited)

Lane Bradford

Barfly
(uncredited)

Jack Rube Clifford

Brakeman
(uncredited)

Victor Cox

Rider in Street by the Train
(uncredited)

Wade Crosby

Brakeman
(uncredited)

Jim Farley

Second Conductor
(uncredited)

Fred Farrell

Townsman
(uncredited)

Director
- Andrew Marton
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
MGM purchased the film rights to the novel by MacKinlay Kantor in February 1942 and production of the movie began in October 1942 with W.S. Van Dyke as director and Robert Taylor, Susan Peters, Spring Byington, Charley Grapewin, Van Johnson, Morris Ankrum and James Craig. The production was halted and finally shelved after Van Dyke became ill following 4 weeks of shooting, and when it was revived in 1944, only Ankrum and Craig remained in the cast, but in different roles.

Goofs
During the shoot out near the end of the film, Tatum fires eight shots with his six shot revolver without reloading. During the start of the gunfight, after his first shot, Tatum points and shoots but the gun does not fire. During the gun fight at the bar door Tatum is not shown and there is the physical fight between Rich and the deputy sheriff during which Tatum could have reloaded. When Tatum leaves the door to track Vi who is moving to the rear using a horse as a shield, Tatum shoots through the window and then is clearly shown reloading his pistol after he points and the gun does not fire, apparently he has run out of live rounds.

Quotes
Annie Goss: [talking to herself and the dog] *Blasted* hens are more trouble than they're worth. Coyotes at night and chicken hawks in the daytime... and they don't know what they're in business for... be glad when we get back to where hens can lay an egg without making a face about it.

Soundtracks
Gentle Annie
(1856) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Foster
Played during the opening credits and often as background music
Played on an offscreen piano in the saloon
Sung a cappella by Paul Langton

User reviews7

Review

Featured review

5/10

Maybe Not So Gentle But Well Loved

Marjorie Main is the title character. This is a Western, basically. But with Main as the lead, it doesn't really feel like one. We already know her as the proprietor of the dude ranch in "The Women" -- hardly a Western -- and (though it came later) as Ma Kettle.

I liked Westerns when I was a child but don't care for them now. Many still do. I think this movie would please the two camps about equally.

It's psychologically quite odd, if watered-down: Main's two sons adore her. And one of them is named Violet. OK.

James Craig is an outsider in town and a central figure in the plot. He was a handsome an underrated actor of this period. I sometimes wonder why certain careers, such as his, didn't take off.

Donna Reed, too, is an outsider. She was very appealing in movies of the 1940s. This one is no exception.

Who knows if it was intentional but the movie is, looking at it now, a little campy. We have the son named Violet. And Main's dog is named Belle. True, she is a daughter of the Confederacy. But it's kind of a grand name for a rancher to give her mongrel dog.