It's the 1800s, in a small western town. There is a severe shortage of women in the community, this is most apparent to the Pontipee men. Adam (Keel) the oldest, sets into town to do some trading and to look for a wife. He looks high and low until he finds the woman of his dreams: she can cook and she's a hard worker, Milly (Powell). The whole town knows who he is...and his family history, except for Milly. They marry immediately and return to the family farm where she meets his 6 brothers, who all live on the farm as well. Milly seeks to civilize the family and set up the boys with some local gals.
At the town barn raising the brothers, Benjamin (Richards), Caleb (Mattox), Dan (Platt), Ephraim (d'Amboise), Frank (Rall), and Gideon (Tamblyn) meet the women of their dreams...but have to get past the city boys who they are currently dating. They charm the women, but don't stand a chance until Adam reads them a passage from Plutarch's "Life of Romulus" and the brothers go get their women.
This is my all-time favorite musical. As I watch it for the ump-teenth time I still know all the words to the songs and the majority of the dialog. The scenes at the barn raising are my favorite: the big dance number and the actual barn raising. The cast is amazing. Four of the seven brothers were professional dancers and Tamblyn was an acrobat (with some dancing skills). The two oldest brothers: Richards (a former baseball player turned actor) and Keel were cast for their acting/singing skills while the others were hired for their dancing abilities. I love Howard Keel and this was my introduction to his career and my favorite of his films (although I do love many of his others). The scenery isn't much to look at...and some of the song lyrics are a tad corny (they needed them to rhyme, so there are some fascinating pronunciations), but overall it is great. I love the "Lonesome Polecat" and "Sobbin' Women" songs. I would totally marry any of these men (well I would marry their characters because they are way too old for me).
**fun tips...look at the differences between the Pontipees and the rest of the cast (hint: hair color), in order for the audience to faster distinguish them; along with clothing choices (colors). And watch the staging...I never noticed until recently (i.e. this viewing) how they stage the dance sequences (Benjamin is always in the back because he isn't a dancer) and the songs (some of them don't sing solos at all)**
Dude, it's quotable: I laugh every time I watch this film...and I've seen it live a few times as well...the lines are hysterical if you pay close attention to them, and the songs are catchy
Rent it!: oh yes, it's a classic. How many musicals have manly men? that dance (without seeming gay)? "West Side Story" tried...but those are supposed to be gangs and they failed pretty badly there (although Tamblyn was in it, and he is my favorite character in that film).
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) 102 minutes
Director: Stanley Donen
Starring: Howard Keel as Adam
Jane Powell as Milly
Jeff Richards as Benjamin
Russ Tamblyn as Gideon
Tommy Rall as Frankincense (Frank)
Marc Platt as Dan
Matt Mattox as Caleb
Jacques d'Amboise as Ephraim
Julie Newmar as Dorcas
Nancy Kilgas as Alice
Betty Carr as Sarah Kine
Virginia Gibson as Liza
Ruta Lee as Ruth
Norma Doggett as Martha
At the town barn raising the brothers, Benjamin (Richards), Caleb (Mattox), Dan (Platt), Ephraim (d'Amboise), Frank (Rall), and Gideon (Tamblyn) meet the women of their dreams...but have to get past the city boys who they are currently dating. They charm the women, but don't stand a chance until Adam reads them a passage from Plutarch's "Life of Romulus" and the brothers go get their women.
This is my all-time favorite musical. As I watch it for the ump-teenth time I still know all the words to the songs and the majority of the dialog. The scenes at the barn raising are my favorite: the big dance number and the actual barn raising. The cast is amazing. Four of the seven brothers were professional dancers and Tamblyn was an acrobat (with some dancing skills). The two oldest brothers: Richards (a former baseball player turned actor) and Keel were cast for their acting/singing skills while the others were hired for their dancing abilities. I love Howard Keel and this was my introduction to his career and my favorite of his films (although I do love many of his others). The scenery isn't much to look at...and some of the song lyrics are a tad corny (they needed them to rhyme, so there are some fascinating pronunciations), but overall it is great. I love the "Lonesome Polecat" and "Sobbin' Women" songs. I would totally marry any of these men (well I would marry their characters because they are way too old for me).
**fun tips...look at the differences between the Pontipees and the rest of the cast (hint: hair color), in order for the audience to faster distinguish them; along with clothing choices (colors). And watch the staging...I never noticed until recently (i.e. this viewing) how they stage the dance sequences (Benjamin is always in the back because he isn't a dancer) and the songs (some of them don't sing solos at all)**
Dude, it's quotable: I laugh every time I watch this film...and I've seen it live a few times as well...the lines are hysterical if you pay close attention to them, and the songs are catchy
Rent it!: oh yes, it's a classic. How many musicals have manly men? that dance (without seeming gay)? "West Side Story" tried...but those are supposed to be gangs and they failed pretty badly there (although Tamblyn was in it, and he is my favorite character in that film).
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) 102 minutes
Director: Stanley Donen
Starring: Howard Keel as Adam
Jane Powell as Milly
Jeff Richards as Benjamin
Russ Tamblyn as Gideon
Tommy Rall as Frankincense (Frank)
Marc Platt as Dan
Matt Mattox as Caleb
Jacques d'Amboise as Ephraim
Julie Newmar as Dorcas
Nancy Kilgas as Alice
Betty Carr as Sarah Kine
Virginia Gibson as Liza
Ruta Lee as Ruth
Norma Doggett as Martha
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