Read all my reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a pretty by the books MGM musical. It is based on a book entitled The Sobbin' Women which is in turn based on a Roman story titled The Rape of the Sabine Women. Which, like the title implies is about the kidnapping and rape of several young women who eventually come to 'love' their captors. How someone decided to make a musical out of this one wonders.
The movie is very sexist. The oldest brother, Adam, sets out at the beginning of the movie to find a wife. He doesn't do this because he is lonesome, or loveless, or in need of company. No, he seeks a wife because he lives in the mountains with six brothers and they need someone to cook for them and clean up after them. Even his method of finding a wife is pretty awful. He comes to town on to shop for various goods and reckons to add a wife to that goods list. The remainder of the story focuses on the wife he finds, named Millie, and how she manages to turn the brothers into refined gentlemen. The original story figures in with a kidnapping plot designed to win the hearts of potential brides for the remaining single brothers.
Sexist plot aside Seven Brides really does sparkle as a gem in the musical hat of MGM. This can be mainly attributed to some fine songs by Johnny Mercer (including the hillbilly charm of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide") and some incredible choreography by Michael Kid. The 'Barn Raising' scene is worth the price of the ticket alone. Add to that the subtle beauty of 'Lonesome Polecat' and you have a winner.
I have personal memories of this film being watched in a dormitory lobby in college. Some bubbly friends of mine insisted that we had to watch it immediately after finding I had never seen it. They proceeded to quote most of the lines, sing every song and practically dance along with every scene. They did so with such energy that I was swept along as well, hardly paying attention to the jokes or the plot. Upon viewing it again I couldn't help remember that enthusiasm, but this time I was unable to miss the bothersome plot. In the end one must realize the time and place this movie came from without overlooking what is a pretty disturbing bit of plotting. The songs and the movements will most assuredly win most of the skeptics over though.
More reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com
The movie is very sexist. The oldest brother, Adam, sets out at the beginning of the movie to find a wife. He doesn't do this because he is lonesome, or loveless, or in need of company. No, he seeks a wife because he lives in the mountains with six brothers and they need someone to cook for them and clean up after them. Even his method of finding a wife is pretty awful. He comes to town on to shop for various goods and reckons to add a wife to that goods list. The remainder of the story focuses on the wife he finds, named Millie, and how she manages to turn the brothers into refined gentlemen. The original story figures in with a kidnapping plot designed to win the hearts of potential brides for the remaining single brothers.
Sexist plot aside Seven Brides really does sparkle as a gem in the musical hat of MGM. This can be mainly attributed to some fine songs by Johnny Mercer (including the hillbilly charm of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide") and some incredible choreography by Michael Kid. The 'Barn Raising' scene is worth the price of the ticket alone. Add to that the subtle beauty of 'Lonesome Polecat' and you have a winner.
I have personal memories of this film being watched in a dormitory lobby in college. Some bubbly friends of mine insisted that we had to watch it immediately after finding I had never seen it. They proceeded to quote most of the lines, sing every song and practically dance along with every scene. They did so with such energy that I was swept along as well, hardly paying attention to the jokes or the plot. Upon viewing it again I couldn't help remember that enthusiasm, but this time I was unable to miss the bothersome plot. In the end one must realize the time and place this movie came from without overlooking what is a pretty disturbing bit of plotting. The songs and the movements will most assuredly win most of the skeptics over though.
More reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com