Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) - film review

Adam Pontipee is a woodsman who lives a rough life in the Oregon hills with his six equally rough brothers: Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank and Gideon.   One day, on his next trip into town, Adam decides to go out and get himself a bride.  As luck would have it he finds the perfect mate in Milly, an attractive young thing who is all too willing to be whisked off into the hills by a handsome stranger.  Milly’s illusions are soon shattered when she realises that she has not one man, but one man and six slovenly brothers to scrub and bake for.  Now that Adam is wed, his brothers are just as keen to tie the connubial knot, but first Milly has to civilise them to give them a chance of finding a bride.  At an outdoor fete, the six brothers, now transformed into eligible young bachelors, each finds a suitable wife.  Unfortunately, they disgrace themselves by getting into a fight with the townsfolk during a barn-raising contest.  After this humiliating setback, Adam comes up with an idea that cannot fail.  The brothers must abduct their prospective brides, bring them back to the family home and marry them in the presence of a pastor.  All goes well until Milly steps in and tells the brothers that on no account will they be betrothed to a party of kidnap victims...

As far as film musicals come, they don’t come much better than Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a colourful western-themed romp that stands head and shoulders above most other offerings in the genre.  Once you’ve accustomed yourself to the jarring mismatch between the sumptuous scenic location photography and the children’s storybook studio equivalent the film is a delight, with songs and dances that can hardly fail to please.   Director Stanley Donen had previously performed musical magic with Singin’ in the Rain (1952), aided and abetted by Gene Kelly, and here he is just as inspired, ably supported in his endeavours by the legendary choreographer Michael Kidd.  The chemistry between the principals Howard Keel and Jane Powell is spot on and you wonder why they were never partnered again.

The film is probably best remembered for the famous barn-raising scene, one of the most ambitious sequences ever attempted in a Hollywood musical.  The sheer physicality of the action and dance sequences prompted Kidd to cast a gymnast (Russ Tamblyn) and a professional baseball player (Jeff Richards) as well as professional dancers for the roles of Adam’s six brothers.  Although the film was nominated for five Oscars (including one for Best Picture), it won only one award, in the Best Score category.  The energy, pace and originality of some of the film’s musical numbers are quite unlike anything seen in other MGM musicals, making this a particularly enjoyable piece of escapism.

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