Martha Jane Canary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American

frontierswoman A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...

, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits, she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late in her life, she appeared in

Buffalo Bill's Wild West William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...

show and at the 1901

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure. She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire.

Early life

Much of the information about the early years of Calamity Jane's life comes from an autobiographical booklet that she dictated in 1896, written for publicity purposes. It was intended to help attract audiences to a tour she was about to begin, in which she appeared in

dime museum Dime museums were institutions that were popular at the end of the 19th century in the United States. Designed as centers for entertainment and moral education for the working class ( lowbrow), the museums were distinctly different from upper mid ...

s around the United States. Some of the information in the pamphlet is exaggerated or even completely inaccurate. Calamity Jane was born on May 1, 1852, as Martha Jane Canary (or Cannary) in

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...

, within Mercer County, Missouri. Her parents were listed in the 1860 census as living about northeast of Princeton in Ravanna. Her father Robert Wilson Canary had a gambling problem, and little is known about her mother Charlotte M. Canary. Jane was the eldest of six children, with two brothers and three sisters. In 1865, the family moved by wagon train from Missouri to Virginia City, Montana. In 1866, Charlotte died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

along the way, in

Blackfoot, Montana Blackfoot is a census-designated place along the Flatiron and Willow creeks on the Blackfeet Nation in Glacier County, Montana, United States, about west of Cut Bank. U.S. Route 2 passes by the southeast edge of the community. Blackfoot is ...

. After arriving in Virginia City in the spring of 1866, Robert took his six children to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, Utah. They arrived in the summer, and Robert supposedly started farming on of land. The family had been in Salt Lake City for only a year when he died in 1867. At age 14, Martha Jane took charge of her five younger siblings, loaded their wagon, and took the family to Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, where they arrived in May 1868. From there, they traveled on the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

Piedmont, Wyoming Piedmont is a ghost town located in Unita County, Wyoming, United States. It was once a thriving small railroad and timber town, but started to decline when Union Pacific opened a new line that bypassed the town. Geography Piedmont is located ...

. In Piedmont, Jane took whatever jobs she could find to provide for her large family. She worked as a dishwasher, cook, waitress, dance hall girl, nurse, and ox team driver. Finally, in 1874, she claimed she found work as a scout at Fort Russell. During this time, she also reportedly began her occasional employment as a prostitute at the Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch. She moved to a rougher, mostly outdoor and adventurous life on the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

Acquiring the nickname

Jane was involved in several campaigns in the long-running military conflicts with Native Americans. Her claim was that: "Captain Jack" Crawford served under Generals Wesley Merritt and

George Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. During the 1880s, the Apache nicknamed Crook ''Nantan ...

. According to the Montana ''Anaconda Standard'' of April 19, 1904, he stated that Calamity Jane "never saw service in any capacity under either General Crook or General Miles. She never saw a lynching and never was in an Indian fight. She was simply a notorious character, dissolute and devilish, but possessed a generous streak which made her popular." A popular belief is that she instead acquired the nickname as a result of her warnings to men that to offend her was to "court calamity". It is possible that "Jane" was not part of her name until the nickname was coined for her. It is certain, however, that she was known by that nickname by 1876, because the arrival of the Hickok

wagon train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

was reported in Deadwood's newspaper, the ''Black Hills Pioneer'', on July 15, 1876, with the headline: "Calamity Jane has arrived!" Another account in her autobiographical pamphlet is that her detachment was ordered to the

Big Horn River The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the states of Wyoming and Montana in the western United States. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the bighorn sheep he saw along its ban ...

under General Crook in 1875. She swam the Platte River and travelled at top speed while wet and cold in order to deliver important dispatches. She became ill afterwards and spent a few weeks recuperating. She then rode to Fort Laramie in Wyoming and joined a wagon train headed north in July 1876. The second part of her story is verified. She was at Fort Laramie in July 1876, and she did join a wagon train that included Wild Bill Hickok. That was where she first met Hickok, contrary to her later claims, and that was how she happened to come to Deadwood.

Deadwood and Wild Bill Hickok

Calamity Jane accompanied the Newton–Jenney Party into

Rapid City Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

in 1875, along with California Joe and

Valentine McGillycuddy Valentine Trant McGillycuddy (February 14, 1849 – June 6, 1939) was a surgeon who served with expeditions and United States military forces in the West. He was considered controversial for his efforts to build a sustainable relationship betw ...

. In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of

Deadwood, South Dakota Deadwood (Lakota: ''Owáyasuta''; "To approve or confirm things") is a city that serves as county seat of Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. It was named by early settlers after the dead trees found in its gulch. The city had it ...

, in the Black Hills. There she became friends with

Dora DuFran Madam Dora DuFran or Dora Bolshaw (née Amy Helen Dorothy Bolshaw; November 16, 1868 – August 5, 1934) was one of the leading and most successful madams in the Old West days of Deadwood, South Dakota. Biography Dora was born in Liverpool, En ...

, the Black Hills' leading

madam Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for Woman, women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ...

, and was occasionally employed by her.

McCormick claim

On September 6, 1941, the U.S. Department of Public Welfare granted old age assistance to a Jean Hickok Burkhardt McCormick who claimed to be the legal offspring of Martha Jane Canary and James Butler Hickok. She presented evidence that Calamity Jane and Wild Bill had married at Benson's Landing, Montana Territory (now Livingston, Montana) on September 25, 1873. The documentation was written in a Bible and presumably signed by two ministers and numerous witnesses. However, McCormick's claim has been vigorously challenged because of a variety of discrepancies. McCormick later published a book with letters purported to be from Calamity Jane to her daughter. In them, Calamity Jane says she had been married to Hickok and that Hickok was the father of McCormick, who was born September25, 1873, and was placed for adoption with a Captain Jim O'Neil and his wife. During this period, Calamity Jane was allegedly working as a scout for the army, and at the time of Hickok's death, he had recently married Agnes Lake Thatcher. Calamity Jane does seem to have had two or four daughters, although the father's identity is unknown. In the late 1880s, Jane returned to Deadwood with a child who she said was her daughter. At Jane's request, a benefit was held in one of the theaters to raise money for her daughter's education in St. Martin's Academy at Sturgis, South Dakota, a nearby Catholic boarding school. The benefit raised a large sum; Jane got drunk and spent a considerable portion of the money that same night and left with the child the next day. Estelline Bennett was living in Deadwood at that time and had spoken briefly with Jane a few days before the benefit. She thought that Jane honestly wanted her daughter to have an education and that the drunken binge was just an example of her inability to curb her impulses and carry through long-range plans (which Bennett saw as typical of Jane's class). Bennett later heard that Jane's daughter did "get an education, and grew up and married well".

After the death of Wild Bill Hickok

Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after his murderer Jack McCall with a

meat cleaver A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a rectangular-bladed hatchet. It is largely used as a kitchen or butcher knife and is mostly intended for splitting up large pieces of soft bones and slashing through ...

because she had left her guns at her residence. Following McCall's execution for the crime, Jane continued living in the Deadwood area for some time, and at one point, she helped save numerous passengers in an overland

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

by diverting several

Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...

who were in pursuit of the vehicle. Stagecoach driver John Slaughter was killed during the pursuit, and Jane took over the reins and drove the stage on to its destination at Deadwood. In late 1876 or 1878, Jane nursed the victims of a

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

epidemic in the Deadwood area.

Final years

In 1881, Jane bought a ranch west of Miles City, Montana, along the

Yellowstone River The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the Western United States. Considered the principal tributary of upper Missouri, via its own tributaries it drains an area with headwaters across the mountains an ...

, where she kept an inn. According to one version of her life, she later married Clinton Burke from Texas and moved to

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In c ...

, where she once again made an attempt in the inn business. In 1893, Calamity Jane started to appear in ''

'' show as a storyteller. She also participated in the 1901

. Her addiction to liquor was evident even in her younger years. For example, on June 10, 1876, she rented a horse and buggy in

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

for a one-mile joy ride to Fort Russell and back, but she was so drunk that she passed right by her destination without noticing it and finally ended up about away at Fort Laramie.

Death

Jane returned to the Black Hills in the spring (April/May) of 1903, where brothel owner Madame Dora DuFran was still running her business. For the next few months, Jane earned her keep by cooking and doing the laundry for Dora's girls in

Belle Fourche Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the g ...

. In late July, Jane traveled by ore train to

Terry, South Dakota Terry is an unincorporated community in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. History A post office called Terry was established in 1892, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1929. The community took its name from nearby ...

, a small mining village near Deadwood. It was reported that she had been drinking heavily while on board the train and had fallen ill. The conductor, S. G. Tillett, carried her off the train, a bartender secured a room for her at the Calloway Hotel, and a physician was summoned. Jane's condition deteriorated quickly, and she died at the hotel on Saturday, August 1, 1903, from inflammation of the bowels and

. A bundle of unsent letters to her daughter were allegedly found among Jane's few belongings. Composer Libby Larsen set some of these letters to music in an

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...

cycle called ''Songs from Letters'' (1989). The letters were made public by Jean McCormick as part of her claim to be the daughter of Jane and Hickok, but their authenticity is not accepted by some, largely because there is ample evidence that Jane was functionally illiterate. Calamity Jane was buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery, South Dakota, next to Bill Hickok. Four of the men who planned her funeral later stated that Hickok had "absolutely no use" for Jane while he was alive, so they decided to play a posthumous joke on him by burying her by his side. Another account states: "in compliance with Jane's dying requests, the Society of Black Hills Pioneers took charge of her funeral and burial in Mount Moriah Cemetery beside Wild Bill. Not just old friends, but the morbidly curious and many who would not have acknowledged Calamity Jane when she was alive, overflowed the First Methodist Church for the funeral services on August 4 and followed the hearse up the steep winding road to Deadwood's boot hill".

In popular culture

Films

The Plainsman ''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jan ...

'' is a 1936 film starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

as Bill Hickok and Jean Arthur as Jane. In ''

Young Bill Hickok ''Young Bill Hickok'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers. Plot An agent of an unspecified foreign power (John Miljan) plots to take over California during the confusion of the American Civil War. He ...

'' with Roy Rogers (1940), she was played by Sally Payne. She was played by Marin Sais in the 1940 serial ''

Deadwood Dick Deadwood Dick is a fictional character who appears in a series of stories, or dime novels, published between 1877 and 1897 by Edward Lytton Wheeler (1854/5–1885). The name became so widely known in its time that it was used to advantage by s ...

'', by

Frances Farmer Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913August 1, 1970) was an American actress and television hostess. She appeared in over a dozen feature films over the course of her career, though she garnered notoriety for sensationalized accounts of her l ...

in the 1941 Western ''The Badlands of Dakota'', and by Jane Russell in the 1948

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

comedy '' The Paleface.'' In 1949's '' Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'', Jane was played by

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

and Sam Bass by

Howard Duff Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

; both characters were heavily fictionalized. '' Calamity Jane'' is a 1953 musical-Western film from Warner Bros. starring

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

and Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickok. The plot of the film is almost entirely fictional and bears little resemblance to the actual lives of the protagonists. It won the Best Song Oscar for " Secret Love", by

Sammy Fain Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. ...

and

Paul Francis Webster Paul Francis Webster (December 20, 1907 – March 18, 1984) was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated sixteen times for the award. Life and career Webster was born in New York City, United St ...

. In 1961, in a Season 4 episode of '' Have Gun, Will Travel'' (The Cure), she is portrayed by

Norma Crane Norma Crane (born Norma Anna Bella Zuckerman; November 10, 1928 — September 28, 1973) was an American actress of stage, film, and television best known for her role as Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. She also star ...

. Among the liberties taken with the truth was changing her surname to Conroy. In the 1984 TV film ''Calamity Jane'', she was played by Jane Alexander. In the 1995 Disney movie '' Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill'', she was portrayed by

Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her comedy work on ''Second City Television'' (1976–84) and ''Schitt's Creek'' (2015–2020) and in films such as '' After Hours'' (1985), ''Beetleju ...

as a mythic figure, acquainted with Paul Bunyan and John Henry, and as Pecos Bill's jilted sweetheart and as a sheriff or deputy of some sort. In the 1995 film '' Wild Bill,'' Calamity Jane was portrayed by

Ellen Barkin Ellen Rona Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress and a producer. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film '' Diner'', and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as ''Tender Mercies'' (1983), ''Eddie and the ...

. In 1995 in '' Buffalo Girls'', she was played by

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as no ...

. In the 2009 French movie '' Lucky Luke'', Jane was portrayed by Sylvie Testud. ''Calamity Jane: Wild West Legend'', a docu-fiction directed by

Gregory Monro Gregory may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gregory (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Gregory (surname), a surname Places Australia *Gregory, Queensland, a town in the Shire of ...

and released in 2014, inspired French writer and editor Rémi Chayé to create the feature-length animated movie,

Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary ''Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary'' ( French: ''Calamity, une enfance de Martha Jane Cannary'') is a 2020 French-Danish animated family feature film directed by Rémi Chayé. The film is loosely based on the life of the American fr ...

. The film was released in France in 2020 and won the

Annecy International Animated Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...

's Cristal Award for Best Feature in June 2020. Its American premiere took place on the opening night of the 2021 virtual Animation First Festival presented by

French Institute Alliance Française French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) is a 501(c)(3) not–for–profit organization incorporated in the State of New York. Its mission is to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of French and Francophone culture, to increase the knowled ...

Robin Weigert Robin Weigert (born July 7, 1969) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the television series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...

played Jane for three seasons in the series '' Deadwood'' and in the HBO movie '' Deadwood: The Movie'', released in May 2019. Jane in the 2024 film '' Calamity Jane'' was played by Emily Bett Rickards.

Documentaries

''Calamity Jane: Wild West Legend'' directed by

in 2014

Games

She appears as a side character in the computer RPG '' Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams'' (1991). In the

KingsIsle Entertainment KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Round Rock, Texas. Founded in January 2005 by Elie Akilian, the company operates a development studio in Round Rock, Texas, which hosts the majority of its staff. Kings ...

game ''

Pirate101 ''Pirate101'' is a 2012 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by KingsIsle Entertainment. It is a sister game to ''Wizard101,'' set in the same fictional universe of the “Spiral”. The player assumes ...

'', Calamity Jane is one of the Magnificent 7. A character named after Calamity Jane appeared as a side character in the videogame '' Wild Arms'' (1996). In the RPG '' Fallout 3'', the Lone Wanderer references Calamity Jane in a dialogue option when first talking to Megaton sheriff and mayor, Lucas Simms. A character named Calamity Janet appears in the card board game '' BANG!'' ''Calamity: The Natural World'', a line of educational games made in the 1990s for the PlayStation by Lightspan Adventures, stars Calamity Jane. In the first-person shooter '' Hunt: Showdown'', she died during a Wild West show from a mysterious accident. Also, there is a legendary rifle named after her. She appears in the mobile game ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and ...

'' as a limited Archer class servant during the Saber Wars 2 event.

Plays

'' Calamity Jane (A Musical Western)'', an adaptation of the 1953 Doris Day film with additional songs, premiered in May 1961. Productions: ''Calamity Jane: The Play'' by Catherine Ann Jones: Empire State Theatre, Albany, New York; Promenade Theatre, New York, NY, with Estelle Parsons; Santa Paula Theatre, Santa Paula, CA; Wimberley Players, Wimberley, Texas; Plaza Playhouse, Carpenteria, CA. ''Calamity Jane the Musical'' by Catherine Ann Jones: South Jersey Regional Theatre, Somers Point, New Jersey; Ojai Arts Theatre, Ojai, CA; Camino Real Theatre, San Juan Capistrano, CA; One Eyed Man Productions, a touring production (2017–18), Various Cities, Australia, with Virginia Gay.

Literature

Books

Calamity Jane was an important fictional character in the ''

'' series of dime novels, beginning with the first appearance of Deadwood Dick in '' Beadle's Half-Dime Library'' issue #1 in 1877. This series, written by Edward Wheeler, established her with a reputation as a Wild West heroine and probably did more to enhance her familiarity to the public than any of her real life exploits. There is no evidence that she was consulted by Wheeler or approved the Deadwood Dick stories, so the character in the stories was entirely fictitious—as were the events described—but the fictional adventures were muddled in the public mind with the real Jane. Calamity Jane was the title character in a serial published in '' New York's Street & Smith's Weekly'' (1882) under the title, ''Calamity Jane: Queen of the Plains'', by the author "Reckless Ralph". The science fiction writer

A. Bertram Chandler Arthur Bertram Chandler (28 March 1912 in Aldershot, Hampshire, England – 6 June 1984 in Sydney, Australia) was an Anglo-Australian merchant marine officer, sailing the world in everything from tramp steamers to troop ships, but who later tur ...

included a character named Calamity Jane Arlen in his far future novels set on the frontier Rim Worlds, a space analogue of the Old West. A fictitious fight between Calamity Jane and an impostor is depicted in Thomas Berger's novel '' Little Big Man'' (1964). Jane is the central character in

Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.

's book '' Buffalo Girls: A Novel'' (1990). Jane is a central character in

Pete Dexter Pete Dexter (born July 22, 1943) is an American novelist. He won the U.S. National Book Award in 1988 for his novel '' Paris Trout''. Early life and education Dexter was born in Pontiac, Michigan. His father died when Dexter was four and he ...

's novel ''Deadwood'' (1986).

J. T. Edson John Thomas Edson (17 February 1928 – 17 July 2014) was an English author of 137 Westerns, escapism adventure, and police-procedural novels. He lived near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, from the 1950s onwards, and retired from writing due to ...

features Calamity Jane as a character in a number of his books, as a stand-alone character (in ''Cold Deck, Hot Lead'', ''Calamity Spells Trouble'', ''Trouble Trail'', ''The Bull Whip Breed'', ''The Cow Thieves'', ''The Whip And The War Lance'' and ''The Big Hunt'') and as a romantic interest of the character Mark Counter (in ''The Wildcats'', ''The Bad Bunch'', ''Guns In The Night'' and others). An alternative universe version of Jane is a character in the short story "Deadwood" in '' Corsets and Clockwork'' (2011), a

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

anthology. The story also features

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...

. ''In Calamity's Wake'' (2013), a novel of historical fiction written by

Natalee Caple Natalee Caple (born 1970 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian author of novels and poetry who is based at the University of Calgary where she is working on a PhD. As a published author, her latest publication, ''Mackerel Sky'', has enjoyed America ...

, Martha, or Calamity Jane, is one of two main narrators; the other is Jane's daughter Miette. '' Calamity Jane, légende de l'Ouest'', written by

(2010), is the only French biography to this day. Calamity Jane appears in

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...

's novel '' Dragon Teeth'' (2017).

Comics

Calamity Jane figures as a main character in an album of the same name of the Franco-Belgian comics series '' Lucky Luke'', created by Morris and René Goscinny. Also, she features in the album ''Ghosthunt'', created by Morris and

Lo Hartog van Banda Lodewijk Hartog van Banda (4 November 1916, in The Hague – 2 February 2006, in The Hague) was a Dutch comics writer.IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...

, 2017) by and is a biography of Calamity Jane, mostly based on Calamity Jane's Letters to Her Daughter.

Music

Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are featured in the song " Deadwood Mountain" by the country duo Big & Rich. Some of her purported letters were set to music in an art-song cycle by 20th-century composer Libby Larsen, titled " Songs from Letters". Soprano Dora Ohrenstein commissioned five pieces compiled under the title ''Urban Diva'', the second piece, Ben Johnston's ''Calamity Jane to Her Daughter'' is a theatrical setting of selected letters. "Calamity Jane" is a song by Grant-Lee Phillips on "Virginia Creeper" (2004). "Calamity Jane" is a song by Kiya Heartwood on Wishing Chair's ''Underdog'' CD (2005). Alain Bashung, Chloé Mons, Rodolphe Burger released the album ''

La Ballade de Calamity Jane ''La Ballade de Calamity Jane'' ''(The Ballad of Calamity Jane)'' is an album by Alain Bashung, his wife Chloé Mons and Rodolphe Burger, issued in October 2006 on Naïve Records Naïve Records is a French independent record label based in Par ...

'' (2006) based on Jane's letters to her daughter. "Kalamity Jane" is a song by Czech rock band Kabát. "Calamity Jane" is a song by Chris Anderson on his album "The Crown" (2004). The 1953 movie ''Calamity Jane'' with Doris Day and Howard Keel features the song "My Secret Love", which won the 1954 Academy Award for "Best Music Original Song". Calamity Jane is mentioned in the 2016 song "The Lighter" by the French pop-rock band

Superbus Superbus (Latin for superb, proud, arrogant) may refer to: * Superbus (band), a French pop-rock band formed in 1999 * 18596 Superbus, a Main-belt asteroid discovered on January 21, 1998 * Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (before 535 BC – 496 BC), th ...

from the album "Sixtape". Calamity Jane is mentioned in the song "Two Characters in Search of a Country Song" by

The Magnetic Fields The Magnetic Fields (named after the André Breton/Philippe Soupault novel ''Les Champs Magnétiques'') are an American Band (rock and pop), band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocali ...

Radio

Frontier Gentleman ''Frontier Gentleman'' is a short-lived radio Western series originally broadcast on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio network from February 2 to November 16, 1958, initially heard Sunday afternoons at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) th ...

'' is a short-lived radio Western series originally broadcast on the CBS radio network. In the episode "Aces & Eights" broadcast 12 October 1958, the main character encounters Calamity Jane while seeking information for a story on Wild Bill Hickok, and subsequently witnesses Hickok's murder.

Television

The long-running series ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

'' featured Calamity Jane. The episode is available on the Biography website. The name "Calamity" is given to the children's character played by Nancy Gilbert in the 1955–1956 television series ''

Buffalo Bill, Jr. ''Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' is a half-hour western series that aired in syndication starting in March 1955. The last new episode was broadcast in September 1956. The series was produced by Gene Autry's Flying A Productions, and distributed by CBS Tel ...

'', with Dick Jones as the fictitious Buffalo Bill, Jr. and Harry Cheshire as Judge Ben "Fair and Square" Wiley. In the episode "Calamity" (December 13, 1959) of the series '' Colt .45'', Dody Heath is cast as Calamity Jane and

Joan Taylor Joan Taylor (August 18, 1929 – March 4, 2012) was an American television and film actress. Personal life Taylor was born Rose Marie Emma in Geneva, Illinois. Her father, Joseph Emma, from Sicily, was a prop man in Hollywood in the 1920s. Af ...

as Dr. Ellen McGraw. In the story, series character Christopher Colt, played by Wayde Preston, hires Calamity Jane to drive the stagecoach containing Dr. McGraw and the vaccine needed for the smallpox outbreak in Deadwood. Colt is unsure if Calamity can handle the job because miners and Indians seek to steal the valuable medication. In an episode of ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', "Calamity Over the Comstock" (1963),

Stefanie Powers Stefanie Powers (born November 2, 1942) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jennifer Hart on the mystery television series ''Hart to Hart'' (1979–1984), for which she received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

plays Calamity Jane, who visits Virginia City along with

Doc Holliday John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the event ...

. In this primarily comedic episode, she is rescued by Little Joe, who at first thinks she is a male. She becomes infatuated with him, and he receives threats from Doc, who covets Jane for himself. At her urging (and threat), Doc demurs from facing down Joe, and Jane and Doc exit town. No official or unofficial documentation exists suggesting that Doc Holliday and Jane ever met during their lifetimes. It is highly unlikely that they met considering the geographical distances between them during their lives. In an episode of the television show '' Death Valley Days'', "A Calamity Named Jane",

Fay Spain Lona Fay Spain (October 6, 1932 – May 8, 1983) was an American actress in motion pictures and television. Early years Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Fay Spain was the younger of two daughters born to Robert C. Spain and Arminta Frances "Mick ...

plays Calamity Jane as she joins Wild Bill Hickok's ( Rhodes Reasons) show. Her uncouth behavior causes Bill to think he made a mistake, and when Bill tells her she should "act like a lady", he soon realizes he made a bigger mistake. In the 1966 ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'' series, one of the villains in season three was named "Calamity Jan" (played by

Dina Merrill Dina Merrill (born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton; December 29, 1923 – May 22, 2017) was an American actress, heiress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Early life Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, but for man ...

). The television movie ''Calamity Jane'' (1984) featured her life story, including her alleged marriage to Wild Bill Hickok and the daughter she purportedly gave for adoption. Actress Jane Alexander portrayed Calamity and was nominated for an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1985 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Special. The show featured an early performance of

Sara Gilbert Sara Gilbert (born Sara Rebecca Abeles; January 29, 1975) is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner on the ABC sitcom ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and its ...

as Calamity's daughter Jean at age 7. Jane is the central character in

's book '' Buffalo Girls: A Novel'' (1990), and in the 1995 TV adaptation of the same name, Jane is played by

, with Sam Elliott as Wild Bill Hickok. In 1997, the cartoon series ''

The Legend of Calamity Jane ''The Legend of Calamity Jane'' is a 1997–1998 animated television series. The series followed the adventures of Calamity Jane in Deadwood, South Dakota. The episode "I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia" takes place during the opening of the Centenni ...

'' depicted a young Jane (voiced by Barbara Weber Scaff).

played Calamity Jane in the series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and in the HBO sequel '' Deadwood: The Movie'' (2019). In a season two episode of ‘’ Bosch: Legacy’’ (2022–2023) a boat pivotal to a case bears the name “Calamity Jane.”

Movies

In the movie '' Our Brand Is Crisis'' (2015), the leading character is named "Calamity" Jane Bodine.

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

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