Seven Brides For Seven Brothers-1954
Director Stanley Donen
Starring Howard Keel, Jane Powell
Scott’s Review #711
Reviewed January 7, 2018
Grade: B-
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) is a musical and another in a string of Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer productions, ever so present during the “Golden Age of Hollywood”.
The songs are not quite as memorable as similar musicals of the day, and the film has a sexist slant that is jarring by today’s gender-equal standards. Given the time that the film was made and the timed setting of the mid-nineteenth century, however, things were very different, and the film does contain one semi-strong female character.
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers is a nice film, but in present times quite dated and irrelevant- little more than an ode to yesteryear.
Adam Pompitee (Howard Keel), is a dashing, rugged man, living in the Oregon Territory in 1850. He struts into town and proclaims his desire for a wife- presumably to cook and clean for him and his six younger brothers, all living together in a cabin in the rural mountains.
When he falls head over heels for tavern worker Milly (Jane Powell), they impulsively marry, but she is disappointed to learn she will be caring for seven men- not one. Milly then plots to marry off the unruly bunch to local girls.
Throughout the film, characters partake in song and merriment as the hi-jinks play out.
At its core, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers is meant to be a lighthearted romp, and it succeeds at that. Contains a strong romantic angle and the message of finding one’s soulmate is palpable- Milly is the sensible female counterpart to erratic Adam, and there is chemistry between the actors.
Milly is strong-willed and eventually puts her foot down, but still accepts her role as the domestic and the caretaker.
Fun is how each of the brothers finds the one girl in town meant for him as the duo pairs off in unison. This is a cute aspect of the film- and perhaps a film such as this one is not entirely meant to be over-analyzed.
Humorous, if not slightly overdone, is the luscious red hair that each Pontipee brother has- dyed hair or wigs were used as needed.
The film succeeds when it sticks to the song and dancing numbers, which are far more entertaining than the storyline. MGM used actors who were classically trained singers or dancers, giving the film a more authentic choreography.
Given the fourteen principal characters in the production, this must have been a beast to achieve without things looking ridiculous. Keel, as the main character Adam, was a professional singer, having appeared in several musicals such as Kiss Me Kate and Showboat. Powell, as Milly, holds her own with a gorgeous singing voice and appears in other musicals.
Still, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers contains a bothersome sexist story, and women are treated more as objects for men to conquer rather than real people with feelings or emotions. The overall implication within the film is that women are desperate to get married and should be flattered to be chosen by any man.
This is readily apparent when the brothers accost the girls from their homes and take them unwillingly to the cabin where, predictably, the women succumb to the men’s desires and fall in love with them.
A film to be taken with a grain of salt and a trip back to olden times, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers is a dated picture, but a fun one containing grand production numbers such as “Lonesome Polecat”, “When You’re In Love”, and “June Bride”.
These songs are light and airy and a high point of the film.
For those seeking a liberal-minded affair, this film will disappoint, as the film is very conservative with traditional male/female roles and expectations, as much as one could imagine.
Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (won), Best Cinematography, Color, Best Film Editing
