Metro Goldwyn Mayer

Pull! It’s a Technicolor musical extravaganza, featuring Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show — which happily for us, traveled by train back in the day. Annie Oakley (played by Betty Hutton) and Frank Butler (played by Howard Keel) star as a pair of sharpshooters which is based on a true story.

According to Larry Jensen’s “Hollywood’s Railroads, Volume One”, MGM used their ex-Virginia & Truckee 4-4-0 #11 (The Reno) for studio train scenes. Unfortunately, the editors saw fit to only give a glimpse (see above) of Reno’s TENDER with “Transcontinental & Western” script lettering – concentrating instead on a string of bright yellow coaches.

Other train scenes utilized a model train for the credits (see top) and lifted footage of Sierra Railroad #18 directly out of Dodge City 1939 (see bottom).

A well-lit broadside of ATSF #18 (Sierra #18) 2-8-0 Baldwin 1906 pedaling furiously along. Close ups of this engine were used as bridging shots in Annie Get Your Gun.

As the opening credits draw to a close, V&T #11 tugs a string of gold and green coaches across the MGM lot. Frank Butler makes his grand entrance and immediately launches into a number to a gaggle of adoring females.

The crowd stands back from the train, making way for a marching band and a parade of Indians on pinto ponies.

We get our best view of an arch-window coach. How about all those curlicues! Buffalo Bill Cody himself (played by Louis Calhern) rears up ala Hiyo Silver, Away!

Buffalo Bill posters are going up about the Wild West Show out at the Fairgrounds. Charmer that he is, F.B. chats up Mountain Girl Annie who is instantly smitten.

BLAM! At the Fairgrounds, Annie finds herself in a shooting contest (winner gets five bucks). Much to Frank Butler’s dismay, Annie’s a better shot than he is. For a final challenge, Annie shoots down FIVE clay pigeons whilst Frank can only manage three. The crowd goes wild!

The winner! A chagrined F.B. realizes, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. Annie is recruited to join the train-traveling Wild West Show, with all the stars launching into a lusty rendition of, “There’s No Business Like Show Business“.

Annie and her younger siblings are soon off to see the world (or at least Indiana and Illinois). Best view of the model train runby previously seen in the opening credits. Consist for the model train is a replica 4-4-0 (with smoke unit), 4 coaches, 2 flatcars with tarped loads, 2 box cars, 1 red caboose.

To her frustration, Frank’s got multiple cowgirls on his arm and shows no interest in the love-struck sharpshooter mooning in his direction.

The next three cities they visit utilized locomotive close ups from Dodge City 1939:

Along about Rockford, Annie’s brothers and sisters are bored and find great fun in “pulling the pin” on the last car, sending the caboose coasting down the track (MUCH to the astonishment of the Conductor).

She cleans up nicely. Determined to win Frank’s affections, Annie scrubs her face with lemon juice, does a mud pack facial (frightening her kinfolk), gets her hair done and dresses more lady-like. She even takes some elementary reading lessons (note the primer) from her younger brother.

It works. Frank’s visit gives us a chance to look at the “Section Sleeper” accommodations for the cast and crew (probably an MGM set).

So impressed is Mr. Butler, he takes the newly-refurbished “little sure shot” out on the open platform. As the sun sets slowly in the west, Frank warbles a little serenade.

Reaching Saint Paul, Annie is stunned to discover she is now one of the show’s star attractions.

No more train scenes in this movie, but to close, here’s a quartet of Annie/Betty in Red performing a few trick shots on horseback. And showing some leg. Woof!

Here’s what IMDb has to say about Annie Get Your Gun:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042200/

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THE END