Just what I expected

Best movie ever!

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the great classic movie musicals, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a must-see for theater fans. I'd heard a bad recommendation of this movie and had put it off until I'd seen virtually every other musical out there, only finally renting it for love of Howard Keel. From start to finish I was pleasantly surprised! Howard Keel starts the movie off, in his brawny masculine splendor, trading supplies in town. He lives very far away and is in search of a wife. He and Jane Powell fall in love at first sight and are married at once, but it isn't until after she leaves her home and travels with him to his that she learns the real story: Howard lives with his six brothers and wants a housekeeper more than a wife. But, as you can tell from the title, there might be more than one woman in the movie. . .One of my favorite scenes was when Jane was brought to the house and ushered into the kitchen, expected to immediately earn her keep. It reminded me of The Color Purple when Whoopi Goldberg sees the state of disarray in her new married home, and it made my heart break for her. She'd been so excited to leave her town with the handsome, charming Howard Keel, and then her hopes and romantic dreams were immediately dashed with no hope of an improvement in the future. Jane made for a very likable heroine, and she had such a beautiful voice I wondered why she hadn't been cast in The Music Man and Oklahoma! instead of Shirley Jones.The most famous number in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide", otherwise known as "Barn Dance". Howard introduces the song to the audience with his big, beautiful voice, and the instrumental theme is repeated several times before the big dance number so the audience knows it's coming. When the town gets together for the barn raising, get ready to watch one of the greatest dances in film history! It's received a lot of hype over the years, but I promise it lives up to the praise. While I absolutely recommend this movie for all musical lovers, there is one condition in my recommendation: Don't make this one the first Howard Keel movie you watch. He has a beautiful voice, but his character isn't at all likable in this movie. You're better off watching Show Boat first so you can forgive his cranky mood in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Why do I date the decline of the MGM musical from this movie? There are some historical issues with it -- it was not kept in repertory and even when you could see it on TV, it was in pan-and-scan, which wrecked its compositions.For me, the real problem is its exquisite choreography by Michael Kidd. featuring the younger Potiphee brothers. This is not the choreography of the movies, showing people who know how to dance for the camera, like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Gene Nelson. Kidd's choreography is not made for a camera that can move and a pace that includes cuts, and the brothers are not terribly adept at playing to that camera's unblinking eye. You can see it in "Lonesome Polecat", as they pose on the sound stage, carefully and unmovingly; and the Barn Raising sequence is far too formal and mannered in its Agnes-Demille way. Even the story itself, like the dancing, is formal. It's the work of people who are out to reform the movie musical, like Christian missionaries out to convert the heathen Catholics in a William S. Hart movie.I don't mean to say that the movie doesn't have its strengths nor that I don't enjoy it. Jane Powell is great and Howard Keel plays his usual singing slab of beef. I love the barn-raising sequence for its stage choreography, the songs are pretty good and there are a lot of pretty young women in their skivvies, including Julie Newmar and Ruta Lee.

It can't be denied that 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" has some... unfortunate... underlying ideas but, gosh darnnit, this film is just so fun to watch. I don't think it really condones the kidnapping of the women. In the film it's obvious that the idea is completely ridiculous but what else would you expect from a bunch of wild men who barely ever see women? And Milly is quick to chastise them and kick them out of the house. We see earlier on in the film that the ladies were already interested in the brothers so it's not completely impossible that they would forgive them and fall in love. Besides, I think that this was done to be ironic and funny rather than realistic. Also, you have to keep in mind that the 1950s were a more innocent time.One of the things I just love about 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' is that it is genuinely funny. I found myself laughing out loud quite often during my viewing. The songs are wonderfully catchy and I had them stuck in my head for days! However 'When You're In Love' seemed to be shoved in at a really awkward time, just after Milly and Adam had fought. "Lonesome Polecat" is just beautiful to watch and hear and I was extremely impressed to see it all done in one take when there were so many things that could have messed it up.The film loses a mark for the cheap-looking sets but I understand that it didn't have a lot of funding and did the best it could with what it had.I was completely mesmerised by the dancing in the barn-raising scene. Often I put on the scene to just listen to the tune but find myself sitting slack-jawed at the grace and skill of the dancers.The plot is fast-paced so I was engaged the whole time and the characters are brilliant. Adam is hilarious and Milly is unusually and delightfully strong for a female character in a 50s film!

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) was directed by Stanley Donen. It's the perfect 1950's musical, at least as far as the dancing is concerned. (The songs are enjoyable enough, but none of them became standards.) The plot is loosely based on Stephen Vincent Benet's short story, "The Sobbin' Women." It's not a great short story, and, thankfully, the scriptwriters just used it as a springboard for a more interesting version, based on Plutarch. This is where the subject gets very tricky. Plutarch does, indeed, write about "The Rape of the Sabine Women." Plutarch is mentioned by name as the source of the plan to kidnap young women from town and bring them up into the hills to provide brides for the six unmarried brothers. Modern scholars say that "rape," in this context isn't the correct term. It's a false cognate. "Rape" really meant "kidnapping" in Roman times. Plutarch tells us that the women weren't raped--they consented to marriages once they had been kidnapped. My thought is, "OK--what became of the women who didn't consent?" In any event, the kidnapped women in "Seven Brides" are safe in the house. "The boys can sleep in the barn." Still, if the thought of a musical comedy based on the acceptance of bride kidnapping doesn't appeal to you, you'll just have to avoid this film. At the beginning of the movie, the oldest brother, Adam (Howard Keel), does indeed marry Milly (Jane Powell). To find out what happens next with the other six women, you'll have to see the movie.As I wrote above, the music in "Seven Brides" is just acceptable, but the dancing really is amazing. (I kept thinking of Kermit the Frog shouting, "Everybody on stage for the big production number.") The big production numbers really work. Who cares if the snow is fake snow, and the backdrops are fake backdrops, and if the Hollywood studio is a thousand miles away from the Oregon mountains? The dancing is real.I saw this film on DVD. It would probably work better in a theater, because of the dancing, not the scenery. However, it's a great musical, and worth seeking out.P.S. Check out the young woman named Dorcas. "Seven Brides" was just the start of her long career.*Additional material* From my friend Myron, the dance maven:I read the Seven Brides/Brothers review. You are right on target. It has little value musically, but the dancing was choreographed by Michael Kidd who, although a "ballet" choreographer, created a decent repertoire of works for the concert and musical stages. I agree that is the highlight of that film.