“Somehow it just don’t seem fitting for a man to spend his wedding night in a tree.”
What’s it all about? Backwoodsman Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel) goes to town for a wife and finds Milly (Jane Powell). She agrees to marry him after a minute-long conversation. Milly is immediately married to Adam and brought back to his cabin in the mountains, where she meets Adam’s younger brothers, all of whom live with Adam. SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS also stars Russ Tamblyn as Gideon, the youngest Pontipee brother.
While growing up, my eldest sister’s favourite movies were FOOTLOOSE and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. They were always somehow on my television, but I have never sat down to watch either movie specifically. They were like background noise in my grade school years. After watching SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN yesterday — arguably the best film musical, full-stop — I had the inkling to return to SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. I am somewhat disappointed in my decision and now question my sister’s taste in entertainment greatly.
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is one backward little musical, consisting of misogynistic sentiment trying to pass itself off as country charm. Even the musical numbers throughout the film are unkind to women, specifically “Bless Your Beautiful Hide”, where Adam Pontipee frames his ideal woman as a prey, and “Sobbin’ Women”, a cheery little ditty about rape. In SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, the basic plot — seven times over — is 1) man sees woman, 2) man immediately claims woman as his, and 3) man then marries or kidnaps woman. After the Pontipee brothers sing that cheerful rape song, they go to town and kidnap six young women to be their brides. When the townsfolk come after them, the brothers try to kill the young women’s rescuers with an avalanche. After succeeding in getting rid of the townsfolk, Gideon (Tamblyn) is still put-out because they forgot the priest — not because he could go to jail for kidnap and attempted murder. If you think the Pontipee brothers are ridiculous, their women are even worse. While kidnapped for at least seven months, they sit around and make eyes at the brothers. They also sing and dance about getting married. In their underclothes.
Favourite Scene: SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is not a very enjoyable musical, but it does feature a spectacular dance sequence during a barn-raising social (see below). Also, Russ Tamblyn (WEST SIDE STORY) is featured in the film as the youngest brother and second male lead. He gets to dance his little heart out, which was really the only reason I wanted to watch SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS in the first place. Thankfully, he’s also the least misogynist of the bunch, and you could argue that he’s peer-pressured by his older brothers. But he does still gleefully kidnap his future bride. So, it’s a wash with Russ Tamblyn, I guess.
Notes: Directed by Stanley Donen; Produced by Jack Cummings; Written by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Dorothy Kingsley, Stephen Vincent Benét; Starring Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Jeff Richards, Matt Mattox, Marc Platt, Jacques d’Amboise, Tommy Rall, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar, Ruta Lee, Norma Doggett, Virginia Gibson, Betty Carr, Nancy Kilgas, Ian Wolfe, Marjorie Wood, Russell Simpson, Howard Petrie; Music by Gene de Paul, Saul Chaplin; Editing by Ralph E. Winters.
