Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
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A backwoodsman and his six brothers kidnap seven women to be their brides in the Oregon Territory.
The story
In 1850 Oregon Territory, backwoodsman Adam Pontipee travels to town to find a bride and marries a hardworking cook named Milly. However, Milly is shocked to discover that Adam has six uncouth younger brothers who expect her to serve them. After a period of friction and reconciliation, Milly begins teaching the brothers manners and romance. During a town barn-raising, the brothers meet seven women who are immediately attracted to them. When the women's original suitors attack the brothers in a brawl, the brothers decide to take matters into their own hands to secure their brides.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1850 Oregon Territory, Adam Pontipee marries Milly, only to reveal he has six uncouth brothers. After Milly teaches them manners, they meet seven women at a barn-raising. Following a brawl with jealous suitors, Adam suggests the brothers kidnap the women. They succeed but become snowed in without a parson. Milly exiles the men to a barn, and Adam leaves to spend the winter alone. During the winter, the women's feelings for the brothers soften. By spring, the couples pair off, but Milly reveals she is expecting a baby. Adam returns, reconciles with Milly, and tells his brothers to return the women. The women hide, but when the women's angry families arrive, the fathers begrudgingly allow a collective shotgun wedding after the women conspire to claim a crying baby as their own.
- First release year
- 1954
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stanley Donen
- Writers
- Albert Hackett · screenplay; Frances Goodrich · screenplay; Dorothy Kingsley · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jane Powell · Milly; Howard Keel · Adam; Jeff Richards · Benjamin; Julie Newmar · Dorcas; Russ Tamblyn · Gideon; Tommy Rall · Frank; Marc Platt · Daniel; Matt Mattox · Caleb
- Genres
- musical; comedy; romance
- Themes
- marriage; family; manners; romance
- Tone and mood
- happy; spirited; exhilarating
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; kidnapping; western; wedding
- Source material / true-story basis
- The short story 'The Sobbin' Women' by Stephen Vincent Benét, based on the ancient Roman legend of the Rape of the Sabine women.
- Reception
- Contemporary reviews were generally positive, praising the music and dancing, though some critics found the acting or production design lacking. It was a commercial success, making a profit of over $3 million and becoming a popular musical in the UK.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · review count: 28
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Scoring of a Musical Picture · win
- Production trivia
- The dresses worn by the female cast were made from old quilts found at the Salvation Army.; The wood-chopping scene in Lonesome Polecat was filmed in a single take.; MGM was less interested in this film than in Brigadoon, which was also filming at the time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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