Ahhh I'm delighted you're watching this! It's one of my all time favourites. Tommy Rall actually passed away recently, and it prompted me to watch it again (even though I will say it's one of my most watched films, because it was my Grandma's favourite). Frank was always my favourite brother and Tommy Rall was a stunning dancer/performer. Donald O'Connor described him as one of “greatest dancers living...above Astaire and Kelly” - he was very respected by his contemporaries and I would super recommend watching some of his other work! RIP Tommy! I will say I like the ending because it's all about the girls using the "game" of marriage/virginity to their advantage. They know they want to marry the brothers, and that their fathers at this point would never let them - so they see the loophole of their fathers thinking they're 'ruined' with the baby and they run with it! I think it's a super quick and fun way to wrap up, and making sure the audience knows the girls are ultimately the ones that decide how the ending goes. And I do think as a modern viewer this musical is way more palatable than people give it credit for when they just read the synopsis - I think the movie wants us to know that Adam is "the villain" for lack of a better word - he's the source of all the bad in the movie, he's the one who has to go on the journey, he has to turn things around. If you watch it knowing the movie wants you to realise Adam is the 'bad' guy who's on a journey to be better, it's so watchable. I think it's a movie about how men should be a bit more open about embracing femininity (which is what Milly represents) to end up more rounded people. Sure, it's very of its time, but it's not as backwards as people think! And a fun fact Howard Keel was so tall and Jane Powell was so small that they struggled to get them in frame together in close up shots!
Tommy Rall and Howard Keel are together in "Kiss Me Kate", which I hope Mia also gets to watch at some point. Great dancing, Cole Porter songs, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller and a very young Bob Fosse, with one of his first onscreen choreography gems.
Wow! I loved your insight! Thank you for explaining the ending! Now that you say it, I love that it was ultimately the women who chose their own ending! So insightful! Wow! Yes, I definitely agree with you that this film is much more palatable than what the synopsis gives it credit for! And the music in this film is so unique and special! I absolutely love this film! Thank you so much for your insight :) btw I pinned your comment because I just really appreciated your explanation of the ending, thank you so much 😊
You can see why this would never make a stage musical! the physical exertions of their contest, as well as making sure that the barn collapsed safely around them every night and twice on matinees.
So nice to know that they were both singing their parts for this movie! Oh I adored Keel’s deep voice! And Powell has such a beautiful voice! So cool!!
Yes, that's Jane's beautiful voice. She's one of the great sopranos Check her filmography - she started making musicals in her teens. In the late 1940s when my Mom was a teen, she saw Jane Powell in concert. Jane's voice was so powerful she had to stand a couple of feet back from the microphone!
All the brothers were played by professional dancers (including a star of the Metropolitan ballet) apart from Benjamin, who is played by an ex-baseball player. If you look closely, he's always in the back during dance scenes because he had 2 left feet!!
The "making of" says that a couple of the brothers weren't dancers, which is why they didn't appear in dance scenes except in the background Gideon was Russ Tamblyn, who was also in West Side Story
@@saturninojosesuarezquintan7476 And she was apparently PISSED she got paired up with the klutz in the film as she was the best and most well-known dancer among the girls.
I'm so glad you loved my favorite musical of all time! Grew up watching it. Some of the kidnappings themes didn't quite age well, but there is accountability and understanding for those actions which really redeem it. Thank you for watching and commenting on this great film!
Adam's demeanor changed after introducing Millie to his brothers because he felt guilty about not telling her up front about what she was marrying into.
I LOOOVE this film!! Milly was such an idol and role model for me growing up. She was strong and pushed through hard ships and took things into her own hands, but also was so caring and considerate.
Best musical of ALL TIME! It's so fun to watch someone see this for the first time. There's a wonder BTS/the making of... of the barn dance. It' was really an intricate dance in terms of original choreography, but the actors were given a lot of leeway to add things they knew how to do (i.e.: the acrobatics.) Lonesome Polecat is my FAVORITE!
I love it! At first I was a bit confused about the ending, but then someone else in the comments really explained the ending and it made me appreciate it so much more 😊 thank you for sharing :)
People just don't understand how powerful "soft" power (power though manipulation and/or peer/social pressure or indirect violence's/authority ie having others do the violence or use the authority for you, usually through manipulation) is. In fact the very fact that most people don't is why in many ways it is even more powerful then "hard" power (direct violence and/or direct control of authority).
Another great old West musical, 1953's 'Calamity Jane" with Doris Day and Howard Keele. Great musical and Doris was fabulous. What an all-around great talent.
Some films to consider are Oklahoma, Meet Me in St. Louis, Harvey Girls, The Good Ol’ Summertime, Easter Parade, An American in Paris, Gigi, and On the Town. There are many more but that is a great start. I’m so happy to see someone reacting to all these movies I love so much. This one is a great pick.
You listed some great musicals. My personal favorite is Meet Me In St. Louis. It's my favorite Judy Garland film with wonderful songs, sets, costumes, and an entertaining family story.
Gee i see we must be kindred hearts.....my favorites sbfsb, Harvey Girls and Meet Me in St Louis.....and as much as people are ratting on themes of the 40/50s.....in all 3 of the above the women reigned supreme. Their wise words and behaviors brought the stories to fruition!
Love watching the lesser known stars. The very tall brunette is Julie Newmar, Catwoman in the TV series. Howard Keel has such a rich voice. It was one of my favorite musicals growing up.
When Millie sings the song about having a home of her own and only taking care of her husband and herself ... Adam is quiet. And the introduction where he is presenting his brothers and seems rather abrupt suggests he's feeling guilty and just getting through the situation.
another one of my all time favorite films! Fun fact for this one. Tommy Rall, the actor who plays Frank was actually acknowledged by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire that Tommy was a better dancer than them. Unfortunately, the higher ups in the film industry didn't believe Tommy could pull off a leading man role in a film so he only showed up in a handful of performances as a supporting actor which in my mind was a terrible crime. Had the looks, the triple threat talent, and charisma. He should have been an A-list actor and performer, but he sadly slipped through Hollywood's fingers. Tommy ftw! edit: and yes, Howard Keel is capital H-A-N-D-S-O-M-E! If you are interested in some of his other musicals, he is also the leads in Calamity Jane, Annie Get Your Gun, Showboat, and Kiss Me Kate
Oh man! Tommy Rall was so handsome, I wish Hollywood would have taken a chance on him! And YES! Howard Keel is so handsome, tall, and talented! I will DEFINITELY be checking out more of his movies!! Thank you for recommending!
Yes, please watch Kiss Me Kate with Howard Keel. His costar is another lovely soprano, Kathryn Grayson. Second leads are Tommy Rall (yes Frank from 7 Brides) and the incredible Ann Miller. Another dancer in Kiss Me is a young Bob Fosse, who was asked to choreograph his segment in the number " From Thus Moment On". Plus comedic gems from supporting actors Keenan Wynn and Stuart Whitmore. Delightful and hilarious Cole Porter score.
Another Howard Keel musical from the 50's is Rose Marie, the third adaptation of the stage musical of the 20's. The second adaptation is the more famous Jeannette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy version. Ann Blythe stars as Rose Marie who is torn between Keel and Fernando Lamas.
Never seen this channel before but decided to randomly look up if people have reacted to one of my all time favorite movies and... well honestly this was really fun to watch. I grew up watching this movie and still watch it at least once a year to this day. My wife to this day gets annoyed that I whistle the tune of the first song (Bless your beautiful hide, wherever you may be) randomly while I'm doing work.
Seven Brides is a very masculine musical which is rather an exception to the rule. A bit of trivia...during the the big dance number at the barn raising the first dancer jumping through the axe on the plank is Michael Kidd the Choreographer for the film.
For me, It’s got such a perfect blend between feminine and masculine attributes, flawed characters (Adam lying to Millie about his brothers for example) etc. As a guy, I actually attribute the brothers at the start of the movie as what you expect from undisciplined children, and the end of the movie has the brothers shaped into men; men who aren’t just tough but polite, wiser, etc. That’s a basic description of what my dad described to me as what a “real man” is like, and how the phrase is usually misused and misinterpreted all around by both men and women alike.
I'm tickled and moved to watch your FIRST REACTIONS to this 10 out of 10 movie, YES JANE POWELL and Howard Keel were truly great singers and they were singing. The lyrics were none other than, JOHNNY MERCER and music by GENE DE PAUL! AND CHOREOGRAPHER MICHAEL KIDD!!!! I'm so grateful you brought this to perhaps a younger crowd, to love and appreciate all the qualities down to the Mary Jane shoes!!! Many many fascinating casting choices, Russ Tambin ( Gideon) became Riff in the originally movie of West Side Story! And Jacques D'Amboise (who played Ephraim) was one of the great ballet dancers with the New York City Baller. Director, Stanley Donen was a genius...with credentials worth exploring. Thank you Mia, you are a doll to have articulated so beautifully, and appreciated so much on your first take! Congrats!
This is the first review where I had to stop the video and just straight up watch the movie before I continue. This is such a fun movie, the music is enchanting with how catchy it is, the men are charming, and that Lonesome Polecat song and choreography just casts a spell with how beautiful and earnest it is
While everyone always talks about the barn raising sequence (which is one of the greatest movie dance sequences ever), Lonesome Polecat is truly remarkable. It is a single track shot.. They tried to do it many times over several days and MGM was complaining about the cost. Stanley Donnan was given one more chance - and he got it in the can!
I remember watching this film with my fiancee on the night before we got married...we were painting the bathroom in our new apartment....it was my late wife's favorite film....mine too. A film will echo you back to when you saw it and with who.....thanks for helping me relive the memory.
It's SO encouraging (2 years after your post!) to watch a younger viewer who REALLY GETS this film! You are absolutely spot-on in citing the "growth", the development of the characters, the depth that they acquire from beginning to end. No surprise that the screenplay-writing duo of Hackett and Goodrich also wrote the screenplay of "It's a Wonderful Life", another immensely emotional film that carefully follows the characters' journey. There are so many telling moments in "7 Brides".....how Adam is JUST ABOUT to tell Millie what's in store for her when she decides to burst into song ("Wonderful Day"), her decision to roll up her sleeves and start to clean the kitchen, Adam's description of his hard life and the role Millie must play, her quick-thinking move at the dance, when she stops Frank (Tommy Rall) from starting a fight and encourages the brothers to court the girls via dancing, her continual disappointments in Adam ("What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife."), AND ESPECIALLY when she tells Adam that Benjamin (Jeff Richards) is going to leave, and her dreams of the family staying close together... ALL of these are crucial to the plot. And your other comments are so insightful..the beauty and novelty of the balletic "axe" dance in the snow ("Lonesome Polecat", one the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written), the fact that the final scene was a bit rushed and needed a bit more explanation between the characters, etc. One has to realize that this film has been POUNCED ON and SAVAGED as "misogynist"..for obvious reasons. But that sort of knee-jerk reaction totally denies the rough, tough, real-world relationship between men and women living in the 1850's wilderness, and thus denies many viewers the true depth, emotion and enjoyment of one of the coolest films ever made. But you REALLY nailed it, and your reaction offers hope that present-day viewers can put aside the preachy nonsense and recognize greatness when they see it. A belated thanks for posting this. PS-- if you don't mind a suggestion: two other films with the same sense of warmth and emotion within a family: 1.) I Remember Mama (1948), long-ish, but it draws you in and never lets go (beautifully directed) and 2.) A tree Grows in Brooklyn (1944) about a New York tenement family and its hardships during the 1890's; it features two absolutely astounding performances by child actors and a Christmas Eve scene that is heartbreaking in its beauty and sadness. Stay well. LR
A somewhat closer themed movie made around the same time was a movie called "Westward, the Women" about a wagon train of Mail-order Brides making there way west to a frontier town of men needing wives. Most of the movie centers on the largely female characters and the dangers they faced and survived some do not on their trek west.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie!! Since I was a little girl! I watched every BTS, bought the sountrack, listened to the musical.... such a beautiful classic. Also, tiny Jane Powell handling 7 grumpy giants is soooo funny XD Btw I love that you see the real insights of the story and not just the simple things; the importance of a mother, the idea of family, the love between husband and wife, the caring of a loved one... omygod I love this movie! Have I said that already?
The part that cracks me up till the very day is when Milly tells Benjamin to stop fighting & he's like "okay" proceeds to finish whooping all they @$$es is all proud of himself & like, "It's stopped😁" & Milley pushed his @$$ right up into the wagon🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The snow "substance" may well have been literal asbestos. I know for a fact it was asbestos in the wizard of oz in the poppy scene. They didn't know the dangers back then and its basically completely resistant to fire and all sorts so it was commonly used as snow on film sets way back when. It's mental.
Fun fact: The lonely polecat number almost did not make it into the film. The producers or censors (can't remember which) thought it was crass, and didn't like it. And when they shot it, it is one continuous shot with no cuts. So they had to do several takes of it to sync up the axe swinging, and tree cutting. They were about to give up, and gave it one last go when they finally got this take that made it into the film. The pattern of Milly's fabric in the barn raising scene is called gingham. And the reason the kidnapping scene is a bit confusing is that it was shot during the day because they didn't have a night time mode for cameras yet. And they used either a filter over the lens, or the film in edit (I think the camera) to make it look dark. I think in this digital age, it's more apparent it was shot in the day. I'm glad you enjoyed it. My baby boomer parents liked musicals, so I got raised watching this one. I made my husband watch it early in our marriage and he liked it. I think it could have been easy to write it off as old fashioned, or that the gender roles are offensive, but all the characters are so strong and likeable. Realistically, unless you got stockholm syndrome, it'd be hard to fall in love with a man that kidnaps you. So the situation is fantastical. But the characters and their growth are so human and believable.
Jane Powell is still alive at age 92.Love her beautiful voice.Love the way Howard Keel as Adam describes her-"Hair the color of wheat and sunshine.Eyes blue as cornflowers".
My biggest regret in life is not seeing this movie sooner. Back in 2012 I had an opportunity to study abroad in France and 11 years later I found out I was only 2 miles away from the dance studio where Matt Mattox taught aka Caleb the 3rd brother.
Haha yes! I love it 😂 The man who played Benjamin was a former Baseball player, which is why they had him in the back during the dancing scenes, but most of the brothers and girls were professionally trained dancers!
Benjamin's match, the darkly beautiful, if unfortunately named Dorkas, was played by Julie Newmeyer, who went on to change her last name to Newmar. After that, she dragged a generation of young men into puberty as Catwoman on the 60's Batman.
Thank you for covering this! I’m obsessed with movie musicals from the Golden Age of Hollywood and it’s so nice to find a RUclipsr dedicated to this era!
I recommend you watch Show Boat (1951), in which Howard Keel is a lead, especially covers some really heavy themes of racial inequality and for the time was pretty rare (especially since its an updated version of an old 1920s stage show and was made into a 1930s movie that did play into stereotypes). However, it is considered the first true musical because the songs were an integral part of the story. It covers the period of the Reformation of the South up into the 1920s. The 1951 movie updates it removing the earlier racial stereotypes and really gives a clearer picture of the plight of black Americans during that time. It was even banned in some Southern theatres.
@@MoviesWithMia My mom, who was born in 1924 and grew up in Montana, told me that one of the reason many old movies will have a scene featuring Black performers oddly isolated from the plot is because segregated Southern theaters would cut that scene out when showing the movie. She found it out because she worked for a while in Georgia, and she would have to find a theater in a Black neighborhood to see the whole film. Luckily, she had Black friends who shared her love of musicals. Show Boat was one of her favorite films.
This has always been one of my favorite musical! Rest in peace Jane Powell who past away in Sept. 2021. Another wonderful musical is " Bye Bye Birdie" with Dick Van Dyke. Then the musical made for television "Cinderella" with Leslie Carron. THE BEST CINDERELLA MOVIE! "In my own little corner in my own little chair" is the best song in that movie. And of course " The Wizard Of Oz".
I just recently learned these facts about Bye Bye Birdie and Dick Van Dyke. Dick had originated the role of Albert Peterson on Broadway. And many of the cast were brought over to be in the movie. Although and Margaret was not on the Broadway cast. There are rumors that the director (I believe it was... Or someone very high up) had a super crush on Ann.. and so they brought out her character much more in the film than she would have been on the stage. And then having Bobby Rydell as Hugo... In the stage version, Hugo hardly even had a few lines. But his section was really added to as well. Because of some of these changes and also a number of the directing decisions that were made that really changed the musical from what it had been on the stage, Mr Van Dyke was very upset with the movie. He would tell people that he knew not to bother going to see it. He wouldn't even endorse the movie cuz he was so upset about it. He said come back and watch it on Broadway but don't go see the film.
Cinderella was with Leslie Ann Warren not Leslie Caron. Leslie Caron was Cinderella in Glass Slipper, a different takes on the story than the Rodgers and Hammerstein one.
WOOO You gave it a 10! This is one of my favorites. I have watched it a hundred or so times and it's one I will happily watch again. The music is so fun, the scenes are bright and the characters actually have depth to them. And even though what the guys do is VERY not right, while it adds some humor to it the story does not condone it and ultimately they try to do the right thing.
This was actually a very popular 50s trope in movies and TV, to show the gals as smart and the guys as incredibly, comically dumb. The more I've watched them, the more I've realized what many of them were doing: showing how stupid stuff like sexism really is. Among the funniest ever was an episode of a western TV show called Stories of the Century, where the female assistant detective Jonesie is captured by a pair of outlaw thugs, and they tell her to "get in that kitchen and make us breakfast". She point-blank tells them to make their own breakfast...and they do! The thugs' humiliation only increases when another woman in the town beats one of them up and allows them to be captured. While many of these depictions were comedy, there were actually some VERY empowering messages and themes in this stuff!
Easily my favorite musical of the era. I saw this as a kid in the 70's at a local theater that played older films. Later on I got it on VHS and showed it to my daughters when they were young. They also fell in love with it and we wore out at least one VHS tape during the 90's and early 2000's. This movie was constantly playing in our house. It's a great film that still holds up.
In the early 1980's there was a tv series based on this film. One of the brothers was played by River Phoenix and another was played by Richard Dean Anderson who would later play MacGyver.
Oh wow! Yeah I definitely want to see that! Joaquin and River had such a rough upbringing! Just hearing their story made me really fall in love with the both of them! I would love to see more of River’s work!
And before that, 1968 to 1972 was another adaptation of the story called “Here Come the Brides” with teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman and David Soul, who played Hutch in the famous TV show Starsky and Hutch
This movie was shot twice over, there was a new screen size in theatres, so they shot it for the old screen size and the new, one after the other. The new size ended up not being used, so when a version for video was edited together, they used footage from both prints. The studio did not expect this movie to do well at the time, so when they asked for a bit more in the short budget, the bosses took more out, for Brigadoon with Gene Kelly, and left them having to be even more clever using what they were left with. The bed was Not broken, the boys, being boys, had undone the fastenings and propped it back together. This was shown on tv in aus when my sister was at high school. The next day all the guys were getting jealous, cause the girls were all talking adout all those cute guys. The guys had never watched it, so were trying to find a way to check out their competition. I don't think they were told those men would have all been grandpa's by then. Their hair was dyed for this, and 4 of the brothers were ballet dancers. Gideon was played by Russ Tamblyn, a street dancer and acrobatic Tumbler, he was a child star in Lost in Space. I saw him in an interview recently, he spoke of helping the choreographer add tumbling etc. The choreographer had asked for tools and building supplies, on a stage, so he could make up something more realistic. The avalanch was corn flour/starch, and used in more movies later on.
Seven Brides is THE greatest original movie musical ever. It was later adapted to the stage with additional songs but this is where it started. Singin' in the Rain is very entertaining and artful but the songs were all old even then and therefore, not "original." The ones here by Johnny Mercer and Gene de Paul may not be well known but that doesn't make them any less clever especially the beautiful "Spring, Spring, Spring." btw if possible, try Amish country in Lancaster County Pennsylvania for barn-raising.
The Barn Dance is the showstopper. But the scene that i remember was Adam's first sight of Hannah. Big man, oldest brother, head of the family...is now intimidated. The boss, is right there in that crib.
It’s snowing here. And while letting my dog out in my yard, I could hear an owl hooting. Which prompted me to look up lonesome polecat. And then what do I stumble upon? This wonderful video. I have not seen anyone react to classic musicals that I grew up watching, so I decided to save this for later. The curiosity got to me, and I was only gonna watch it for a couple of minutes so I could head to bed. 40 minutes later, and I’m reliving old memories and smiling along with you. I absolutely loved your analysis in the story, characters, setting. The themes. I truly did grow up watching this since I was a little girl, and you picked up on things that I have missed. This is absolutely one of my favorite musicals, mainly because of the music, dancing, and the personality of everyone. Thank you so much for this in-depth look and reaction. You really looked at things deeper than I ever thought to and I appreciate that new perspective. I agree with you completely, 10 out of 10. I am now a major fan of your channel. I cannot wait to see what other movies you have, old or classics that I’ve always seen or older classics I will now have to check out after your reaction videos.
Those of us of a certain age will remember her from the 1964-1965 TV show "My Living Doll", where Newmar played Bob Cummings' live-in girl-bot... um "android"... I mean "artificial person". Anyway, she made a big impression.
Just randomly searched this film and your video came up high in the results. My parents had this on VHS in the 80s and I've always loved it. Thank you for sharing your reaction, it was a pleasure to see you watch it for the first time.
This is another musical I watched nearly every year as a kid around the holidays, along with The Sound of Music and the Wizard of Oz! I love this movie. Russ Tamblyn who plays the youngest brother, Gideon, also played Riff in West Side Story in the Classic 1961 movie musical. Russ is the one that does the axe jump which is famous! The dance routines in this movie are amazing!! 💖💖
This is a movie my mother asked us to sit down and watch with her one day and she's since admitted she was surprised we all hung in and enjoyed the movie. I do wish the oldest brother could sing and dance (I don't understand the casting since this is a musical) especially when his partner Julie Newmar did both in the movie. Good enough actor but I'm always conscious that he stands out the dancing scenes. That barn raising scene is solid gold as is the outdoor musical number where they are all missing the girls. I also love how Millie truly becomes all the other brothers' sister. This is one of my favorite musicals.
My all time favorite movie! My mom and aunt introduced us to it when we were real little. They came from a very plain strict background, (similar to the Amish who incidentally, do still do community barn raisings. I was at my cousins barn raising once, it’s really incredible!). So they weren’t allowed to watch television or movies but this one and Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds, they would sneak out to see. In fact my ringtone for both my mom and aunt is Sobbin women. That one and Lonesome Polecat are my favorite songs, the barn raising is my favorite scene. Gideons “meowing” always makes me laugh, and frank is my favorite brother
I got to watch this is band class back in 5th grade. I’m going into 8th next year. When Mr. Sheely put this on, I immediately loved it. I thought it was kind of funny how he was singing about his perfect wife (dream wife, lol). I loved Millie and all the brothers. Gideon will always be my favorite. The best scene in the movie is when Gideon slaps Adam, I love it. This is by far my fav Musical of all time.
Howard Keel was 6'3" and while I don't think he was a football player he did work as a young man as a long haul truck driver. I met Jane Powell a couple decades ago--she was a lovely, enchanting lady, and very petite--like, 5 feet tall.
My mother introduced me to a lot of classics and oldies (I’m a 90s baby). There were only a few that captivated me like Little Shop of Horror and The Rifleman and this movie as well. I revisit them from time to time for nostalgia. I absolutely adore this movie!
I LOVE this movie!!!!!! And in the few movies I've seen Howard keel in ( Kiss me Kate, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, and Showboat) He looks SOOO good in a mustache!!!
I hope more reactions to this movie come up on RUclips soon. This movie is just amazing (this is coming from a 20 year old). Anyways, the song “Lonesome Polecat" was a live performance, I believe. If you listen to the way the men's voices drop slightly when they perform an action, that is due to the fact that when you are singing and moving your body at the same time. This leads me to believe that “Lonesome Polecat" was indeed a live performance.
I've watched this movie countless times and would play it during the holiday season when family wod be in. We knew all the songs and would sing along. I can't tell you how many copies I had o DVD and gave them away. I really appreciated your reaction because there were things you brought up that I hadn't thought about. Well done 🥰
Jane Powell, who only recently passed away in 2021 at the age of 92, actually did her own singing for this movie! However Some of the brother and brides were dubbed.
I put on my headphones for this one because I want the full experience lol also I wanted to add that jane powell is really singing I definitely recommend some of her other movies
Oh that is her! I love it!! She is a BEAUTIFUL singer!!! Also, let me know if the sound is good with your headphones! I kept noticing some sizzling from my mic while editing 😅
@@MoviesWithMia well I’m about 20 mins in and the sound is just fine so no complaints here 👌🏻 also another wonderful soprano who worked with Howard keel is Kathryn Grayson
I love this movie! I watched it years ago with my sister who has special needs. She loves anything with music but her favorite song in this one was "Goin' Courtin'" 😊
Haven’t watched it all yet, but this is my favorite musical of all time. I’ve watched it ever since I was a kid. Edit: Howard Keel was more attractive in Calamity Jane with Doris Day.
Just found your channel! But this was and always be my favorite musical! My aunt always wanted us kids to watch old westerns because they don’t make tv “the way they use too” and I would pick this every time I was at her house. When I finally found it on DVD at Barnes and Noble, I snatched it up fast and still watch it often
This is my Granny's favourite musical and fun bit of family history my Grandad is the seventh of seven brothers and her friends would joke back in the 50's she was living out her dream as they knew "Seven brides..." was her favourite
Ohhh, why did I have to randomly find this...I don't have TIME to watch all your other videos, but now I have to! This is a favorite movie of mine (even though the story is problematic as hell), and you really did it justice. Great job! :)
My mom and her six siblings grew up with this musical, as did I. Some are getting a bit old now, but for a long time I was sure that if prompted my family could act out this entire thing. It would only take seconds to sort out who would play whom then it would be lights up
If you like Howard Keel in this movie, you should watch the 1951 movie "Show Boat", which also stars Joe E. Brown, who you liked in "Some Like it Hot" as Osgood.
Congratulations hitting 500 subs last week. Next stop, 1000! Of course this train will keep going. (It has to stop briefly once in awhile, to catch its breath and load new passengers!) LOL! ✌️😎
En esta maravillosa película hay arte y hay vida, a diferencia del cine contemporáneo, en el que ni hay vida ni hay arte: sólo tecnología, artificios y adoctrinamiento.
Everyone is doing their own singing and dancing. This movie is famous for its long takes. Especially after the barn raising when brothers are depressed.
So that's why there was so much stage work, a B movie, wow, they really under sold it. A great movie. Now i wonder what the film would have been like with the extra budget, as good, better or worse
Around here, where I live in rural Missouri, the Amish still do barn raising gatherings. They all bring food and raise the barn together, but it's not quite as big a fun time as it used to be in the past. When we still had a barn on our farm, we had some barn dances which was pretty fun. I do wish people did more things like that in these modern times 😞
I’ve never watched this one! And I agree, there’s a certain sanitation with 50’s films that makes me wonder if a sort of escapism resulted from the raw, grittiness of the Second World War? Love Singin in the Rain and can’t wait!!! ❤️
The choreographer, Michael Kidd, didn't want the men to dance in a dancey way. So he set out to make the steps grow organically from the woodsmen's movements, such as in dancing with the axe. As to the arduousness of the choreography, I believe there were a lot of injuries on set.
Ahhh I'm delighted you're watching this! It's one of my all time favourites. Tommy Rall actually passed away recently, and it prompted me to watch it again (even though I will say it's one of my most watched films, because it was my Grandma's favourite). Frank was always my favourite brother and Tommy Rall was a stunning dancer/performer. Donald O'Connor described him as one of “greatest dancers living...above Astaire and Kelly” - he was very respected by his contemporaries and I would super recommend watching some of his other work! RIP Tommy!
I will say I like the ending because it's all about the girls using the "game" of marriage/virginity to their advantage. They know they want to marry the brothers, and that their fathers at this point would never let them - so they see the loophole of their fathers thinking they're 'ruined' with the baby and they run with it! I think it's a super quick and fun way to wrap up, and making sure the audience knows the girls are ultimately the ones that decide how the ending goes. And I do think as a modern viewer this musical is way more palatable than people give it credit for when they just read the synopsis - I think the movie wants us to know that Adam is "the villain" for lack of a better word - he's the source of all the bad in the movie, he's the one who has to go on the journey, he has to turn things around. If you watch it knowing the movie wants you to realise Adam is the 'bad' guy who's on a journey to be better, it's so watchable. I think it's a movie about how men should be a bit more open about embracing femininity (which is what Milly represents) to end up more rounded people. Sure, it's very of its time, but it's not as backwards as people think!
And a fun fact Howard Keel was so tall and Jane Powell was so small that they struggled to get them in frame together in close up shots!
Tommy Rall and Howard Keel are together in "Kiss Me Kate", which I hope Mia also gets to watch at some point. Great dancing, Cole Porter songs, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller and a very young Bob Fosse, with one of his first onscreen choreography gems.
Wow! I loved your insight! Thank you for explaining the ending! Now that you say it, I love that it was ultimately the women who chose their own ending! So insightful! Wow! Yes, I definitely agree with you that this film is much more palatable than what the synopsis gives it credit for! And the music in this film is so unique and special! I absolutely love this film! Thank you so much for your insight :) btw I pinned your comment because I just really appreciated your explanation of the ending, thank you so much 😊
@@melenatorr The alley dance between Rall and Fosse in My Sister Eileen is one of my favorites of all time! ruclips.net/video/XE0AvrTjDD0/видео.html
@@kathyastrom1315 Mine too!
@@melenatorr "Kiss Me Kate" has some awesome Cole Porter songs.
The Barn Dance might be the greatest scene in film history
It definitely was one of my favorites! I could not stop smiling as I was watching :)
You can see why this would never make a stage musical! the physical exertions of their contest, as well as making sure that the barn collapsed safely around them every night and twice on matinees.
@@franl155 Well the live version is great too, but in different ways
@@billslim1112 - a live show always has the atmosphere that no film can capture.
It Is.
That is Jane Powell singing. No dubbing necessary for one of MGM"s most talented sopranos. Same for Howard Keel, one of MGM's best baritone singers.
So nice to know that they were both singing their parts for this movie! Oh I adored Keel’s deep voice! And Powell has such a beautiful voice! So cool!!
Howard Keel most recently appeared in Fargo and Saving Private Ryan
Yes, that's Jane's beautiful voice. She's one of the great sopranos Check her filmography - she started making musicals in her teens. In the late 1940s when my Mom was a teen, she saw Jane Powell in concert. Jane's voice was so powerful she had to stand a couple of feet back from the microphone!
I was mistaken Fargo and Saving Private Ryan had Harve Presnell....another 50's 60's musical star
@@rafaelrosario5331 I don’t think so.
All the brothers were played by professional dancers (including a star of the Metropolitan ballet) apart from Benjamin, who is played by an ex-baseball player. If you look closely, he's always in the back during dance scenes because he had 2 left feet!!
Haha! I absolutely love that! Out of all of the brothers, Benjamin was my favorite! I thought he was really handsome and dashing 😊
Maybe he had 2 left feet but her "bride" in the film was Julie Newmar, one of the most beautiful women I have seen in a screen ;-)
The "making of" says that a couple of the brothers weren't dancers, which is why they didn't appear in dance scenes except in the background
Gideon was Russ Tamblyn, who was also in West Side Story
Had to find a tall enough partner for Julie Newmar but because he couldn't dance, she lost an opportunity to do so
@@saturninojosesuarezquintan7476 And she was apparently PISSED she got paired up with the klutz in the film as she was the best and most well-known dancer among the girls.
I'm so glad you loved my favorite musical of all time! Grew up watching it. Some of the kidnappings themes didn't quite age well, but there is accountability and understanding for those actions which really redeem it. Thank you for watching and commenting on this great film!
Adam's demeanor changed after introducing Millie to his brothers because he felt guilty about not telling her up front about what she was marrying into.
Also he could’ve been embarrassed that he has a bunch of immature brothers which is fair
I LOOOVE this film!! Milly was such an idol and role model for me growing up. She was strong and pushed through hard ships and took things into her own hands, but also was so caring and considerate.
And that is why you never take your older brothers dating advice.
I couldn't agree more 😂
Best musical of ALL TIME! It's so fun to watch someone see this for the first time. There's a wonder BTS/the making of... of the barn dance. It' was really an intricate dance in terms of original choreography, but the actors were given a lot of leeway to add things they knew how to do (i.e.: the acrobatics.)
Lonesome Polecat is my FAVORITE!
OH! I've got to see that BTS! and YES Lonesome Polecat was my favorite song as well!
"7 Brides" often gets criticised for the treatment of women. But if you look, it's the women who are in control! As usual!!
I love it! At first I was a bit confused about the ending, but then someone else in the comments really explained the ending and it made me appreciate it so much more 😊 thank you for sharing :)
People just don't understand how powerful "soft" power (power though manipulation and/or peer/social pressure or indirect violence's/authority ie having others do the violence or use the authority for you, usually through manipulation) is. In fact the very fact that most people don't is why in many ways it is even more powerful then "hard" power (direct violence and/or direct control of authority).
Yes domestication, kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome is such an empowering ideal for society
@@whenraindropsfall This movie is a classic stop crying and go shave your armpits somewhere lol.
@@windandcloudshadow158 hahhahaah omg the long armpit hairs the feminists have you made me laugh out loud
Another great old West musical, 1953's 'Calamity Jane" with Doris Day and Howard Keele. Great musical and Doris was fabulous. What an all-around great talent.
Yes it's the best musical for me!!! So amusing and with beautiful music!!!
Love Calamity Jane. To think Doris Day did her choreography in the bar scene blows me away.
That is my favorite of all time.
18:18 Adam brought her up there to clean up the house. And she's doing just that - starting with his brothers.
Absolutely agreed :)
I’m a 63 year old country boy living out in Kentucky and my guilty pleasure is watching this movie - because it’s awesome
I'm so glad you picked this movie. I've always loved it.
Yes! This is now one of my favorites! It was so much fun from beginning to end!
Mia: I wish Adam and Millie had better communication.
Me: Oh girl. Just wait.
Some films to consider are Oklahoma, Meet Me in St. Louis, Harvey Girls, The Good Ol’ Summertime, Easter Parade, An American in Paris, Gigi, and On the Town. There are many more but that is a great start. I’m so happy to see someone reacting to all these movies I love so much. This one is a great pick.
You listed some great musicals. My personal favorite is Meet Me In St. Louis. It's my favorite Judy Garland film with wonderful songs, sets, costumes, and an entertaining family story.
Gee i see we must be kindred hearts.....my favorites sbfsb, Harvey Girls and Meet Me in St Louis.....and as much as people are ratting on themes of the 40/50s.....in all 3 of the above the women reigned supreme. Their wise words and behaviors brought the stories to fruition!
Love watching the lesser known stars. The very tall brunette is Julie Newmar, Catwoman in the TV series. Howard Keel has such a rich voice. It was one of my favorite musicals growing up.
When Millie sings the song about having a home of her own and only taking care of her husband and herself ... Adam is quiet. And the introduction where he is presenting his brothers and seems rather abrupt suggests he's feeling guilty and just getting through the situation.
another one of my all time favorite films!
Fun fact for this one. Tommy Rall, the actor who plays Frank was actually acknowledged by Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire that Tommy was a better dancer than them. Unfortunately, the higher ups in the film industry didn't believe Tommy could pull off a leading man role in a film so he only showed up in a handful of performances as a supporting actor which in my mind was a terrible crime. Had the looks, the triple threat talent, and charisma. He should have been an A-list actor and performer, but he sadly slipped through Hollywood's fingers. Tommy ftw!
edit: and yes, Howard Keel is capital H-A-N-D-S-O-M-E! If you are interested in some of his other musicals, he is also the leads in Calamity Jane, Annie Get Your Gun, Showboat, and Kiss Me Kate
Oh man! Tommy Rall was so handsome, I wish Hollywood would have taken a chance on him! And YES! Howard Keel is so handsome, tall, and talented! I will DEFINITELY be checking out more of his movies!! Thank you for recommending!
Yes, please watch Kiss Me Kate with Howard Keel. His costar is another lovely soprano, Kathryn Grayson. Second leads are Tommy Rall (yes Frank from 7 Brides) and the incredible Ann Miller. Another dancer in Kiss Me is a young Bob Fosse, who was asked to choreograph his segment in the number " From Thus Moment On". Plus comedic gems from supporting actors Keenan Wynn and Stuart Whitmore. Delightful and hilarious Cole Porter score.
Love him in Annie Get your Gun, Calamity Jane, one that he did with Esther Williams.
Calamity Jane was Doris Day's favorite of all her films.
Another Howard Keel musical from the 50's is Rose Marie, the third adaptation of the stage musical of the 20's. The second adaptation is the more famous Jeannette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy version. Ann Blythe stars as Rose Marie who is torn between Keel and Fernando Lamas.
Never seen this channel before but decided to randomly look up if people have reacted to one of my all time favorite movies and... well honestly this was really fun to watch. I grew up watching this movie and still watch it at least once a year to this day. My wife to this day gets annoyed that I whistle the tune of the first song (Bless your beautiful hide, wherever you may be) randomly while I'm doing work.
Seven Brides is a very masculine musical which is rather an exception to the rule. A bit of trivia...during the the big dance number at the barn raising the first dancer jumping through the axe on the plank is Michael Kidd the Choreographer for the film.
Oh that’s pretty neat!!
My toughest brother actually likes this one. That says a lot. He loves the number where the guys are moping.
@@BeeWhistler all the production numbers are good but I guess my favorite is the barn dance sequence.
Oh my gosh! I didn't know that. I definitely am going to go back and watch that scene again just to see him..
For me, It’s got such a perfect blend between feminine and masculine attributes, flawed characters (Adam lying to Millie about his brothers for example) etc.
As a guy, I actually attribute the brothers at the start of the movie as what you expect from undisciplined children, and the end of the movie has the brothers shaped into men; men who aren’t just tough but polite, wiser, etc. That’s a basic description of what my dad described to me as what a “real man” is like, and how the phrase is usually misused and misinterpreted all around by both men and women alike.
I'm tickled and moved to watch your FIRST REACTIONS to this 10 out of 10 movie, YES JANE POWELL and Howard Keel were truly great singers and they were singing. The lyrics were none other than, JOHNNY MERCER and music by GENE DE PAUL! AND CHOREOGRAPHER MICHAEL KIDD!!!! I'm so grateful you brought this to perhaps a younger crowd, to love and appreciate all the qualities down to the Mary Jane shoes!!! Many many fascinating casting choices, Russ Tambin ( Gideon) became Riff in the originally movie of West Side Story! And Jacques D'Amboise (who played Ephraim) was one of the great ballet dancers with the New York City Baller. Director, Stanley Donen was a genius...with credentials worth exploring. Thank you Mia, you are a doll to have articulated so beautifully, and appreciated so much on your first take! Congrats!
One of the best movies in history. This has always been a family favorite, and will be passing it onto the kids. The humor and lightness is perfect.
This is the first review where I had to stop the video and just straight up watch the movie before I continue. This is such a fun movie, the music is enchanting with how catchy it is, the men are charming, and that Lonesome Polecat song and choreography just casts a spell with how beautiful and earnest it is
One of my all time favorite musicals that is so underrated. Thank you for doing a commentary on it.
Hey Anna! Thank you for watching! This was such a good film :)
While everyone always talks about the barn raising sequence (which is one of the greatest movie dance sequences ever), Lonesome Polecat is truly remarkable. It is a single track shot.. They tried to do it many times over several days and MGM was complaining about the cost. Stanley Donnan was given one more chance - and he got it in the can!
I remember watching this film with my fiancee on the night before we got married...we were painting the bathroom in our new apartment....it was my late wife's favorite film....mine too.
A film will echo you back to when you saw it and with who.....thanks for helping me relive the memory.
Oh wow! What a lovely memory. That’s what I love about films, they are like songs, they can hold such sweet memories. Thank you for sharing :)
It's SO encouraging (2 years after your post!) to watch a younger viewer who REALLY GETS this film! You are absolutely spot-on in citing the "growth", the development of the characters, the depth that they acquire from beginning to end. No surprise that the screenplay-writing duo of Hackett and Goodrich also wrote the screenplay of "It's a Wonderful Life", another immensely emotional film that carefully follows the characters' journey. There are so many telling moments in "7 Brides".....how Adam is JUST ABOUT to tell Millie what's in store for her when she decides to burst into song ("Wonderful Day"), her decision to roll up her sleeves and start to clean the kitchen, Adam's description of his hard life and the role Millie must play, her quick-thinking move at the dance, when she stops Frank (Tommy Rall) from starting a fight and encourages the brothers to court the girls via dancing, her continual disappointments in Adam ("What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife."), AND ESPECIALLY when she tells Adam that Benjamin (Jeff Richards) is going to leave, and her dreams of the family staying close together... ALL of these are crucial to the plot. And your other comments are so insightful..the beauty and novelty of the balletic "axe" dance in the snow ("Lonesome Polecat", one the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written), the fact that the final scene was a bit rushed and needed a bit more explanation between the characters, etc.
One has to realize that this film has been POUNCED ON and SAVAGED as "misogynist"..for obvious reasons. But that sort of knee-jerk reaction totally denies the rough, tough, real-world relationship between men and women living in the 1850's wilderness, and thus denies many viewers the true depth, emotion and enjoyment of one of the coolest films ever made. But you REALLY nailed it, and your reaction offers hope that present-day viewers can put aside the preachy nonsense and recognize greatness when they see it. A belated thanks for posting this.
PS-- if you don't mind a suggestion: two other films with the same sense of warmth and emotion within a family: 1.) I Remember Mama (1948), long-ish, but it draws you in and never lets go (beautifully directed) and 2.) A tree Grows in Brooklyn (1944) about a New York tenement family and its hardships during the 1890's; it features two absolutely astounding performances by child actors and a Christmas Eve scene that is heartbreaking in its beauty and sadness. Stay well. LR
A somewhat closer themed movie made around the same time was a movie called "Westward, the Women" about a wagon train of Mail-order Brides making there way west to a frontier town of men needing wives. Most of the movie centers on the largely female characters and the dangers they faced and survived some do not on their trek west.
Someone else mentioned that in the comments! I am definitely going to have to check it out!
I love that move, and so wish RUclips would offer it for free.
Love that movie. Strong women before women empowerment watered the term down.
"How about marrying me?"
"I'd have to finish my chores."
😆
LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie!! Since I was a little girl! I watched every BTS, bought the sountrack, listened to the musical.... such a beautiful classic. Also, tiny Jane Powell handling 7 grumpy giants is soooo funny XD
Btw I love that you see the real insights of the story and not just the simple things; the importance of a mother, the idea of family, the love between husband and wife, the caring of a loved one... omygod I love this movie! Have I said that already?
The part that cracks me up till the very day is when Milly tells Benjamin to stop fighting & he's like "okay" proceeds to finish whooping all they @$$es is all proud of himself & like, "It's stopped😁" & Milley pushed his @$$ right up into the wagon🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The snow "substance" may well have been literal asbestos. I know for a fact it was asbestos in the wizard of oz in the poppy scene. They didn't know the dangers back then and its basically completely resistant to fire and all sorts so it was commonly used as snow on film sets way back when. It's mental.
Fun fact: The lonely polecat number almost did not make it into the film. The producers or censors (can't remember which) thought it was crass, and didn't like it. And when they shot it, it is one continuous shot with no cuts. So they had to do several takes of it to sync up the axe swinging, and tree cutting. They were about to give up, and gave it one last go when they finally got this take that made it into the film.
The pattern of Milly's fabric in the barn raising scene is called gingham.
And the reason the kidnapping scene is a bit confusing is that it was shot during the day because they didn't have a night time mode for cameras yet. And they used either a filter over the lens, or the film in edit (I think the camera) to make it look dark. I think in this digital age, it's more apparent it was shot in the day.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. My baby boomer parents liked musicals, so I got raised watching this one. I made my husband watch it early in our marriage and he liked it. I think it could have been easy to write it off as old fashioned, or that the gender roles are offensive, but all the characters are so strong and likeable. Realistically, unless you got stockholm syndrome, it'd be hard to fall in love with a man that kidnaps you. So the situation is fantastical. But the characters and their growth are so human and believable.
Jane Powell is still alive at age 92.Love her beautiful voice.Love the way Howard Keel as Adam describes her-"Hair the color of wheat and sunshine.Eyes blue as cornflowers".
A movie where every single song is memorable (in the league of "Sound Of Music", "Fiddler On The Roof", "My Fair Lady", "Gigi")
My biggest regret in life is not seeing this movie sooner. Back in 2012 I had an opportunity to study abroad in France and 11 years later I found out I was only 2 miles away from the dance studio where Matt Mattox taught aka Caleb the 3rd brother.
“If you love somebody you go after them okay?”
*me also in tears* ok 😭
Also pretty sure the brothers and girls were all professional dancers
Haha yes! I love it 😂 The man who played Benjamin was a former Baseball player, which is why they had him in the back during the dancing scenes, but most of the brothers and girls were professionally trained dancers!
Benjamin's match, the darkly beautiful, if unfortunately named Dorkas, was played by Julie Newmeyer, who went on to change her last name to Newmar. After that, she dragged a generation of young men into puberty as Catwoman on the 60's Batman.
Thank you for covering this! I’m obsessed with movie musicals from the Golden Age of Hollywood and it’s so nice to find a RUclipsr dedicated to this era!
I love this movie. Saw it years ago when I was little on Christmas day and I loved the movie as well as the music numbers. Very heart warming movie.
I recommend you watch Show Boat (1951), in which Howard Keel is a lead, especially covers some really heavy themes of racial inequality and for the time was pretty rare (especially since its an updated version of an old 1920s stage show and was made into a 1930s movie that did play into stereotypes). However, it is considered the first true musical because the songs were an integral part of the story. It covers the period of the Reformation of the South up into the 1920s. The 1951 movie updates it removing the earlier racial stereotypes and really gives a clearer picture of the plight of black Americans during that time. It was even banned in some Southern theatres.
Oh wow! Yeah I will definitely have to check it out! Thank you for recommending :)
@@MoviesWithMia My mom, who was born in 1924 and grew up in Montana, told me that one of the reason many old movies will have a scene featuring Black performers oddly isolated from the plot is because segregated Southern theaters would cut that scene out when showing the movie. She found it out because she worked for a while in Georgia, and she would have to find a theater in a Black neighborhood to see the whole film. Luckily, she had Black friends who shared her love of musicals. Show Boat was one of her favorite films.
This has always been one of my favorite musical! Rest in peace Jane Powell who past away in Sept. 2021.
Another wonderful musical is " Bye Bye Birdie" with Dick Van Dyke.
Then the musical made for television "Cinderella" with Leslie Carron. THE BEST CINDERELLA MOVIE! "In my own little corner in my own little chair" is the best song in that movie. And of course " The Wizard Of Oz".
I just recently learned these facts about Bye Bye Birdie and Dick Van Dyke. Dick had originated the role of Albert Peterson on Broadway. And many of the cast were brought over to be in the movie. Although and Margaret was not on the Broadway cast. There are rumors that the director (I believe it was... Or someone very high up) had a super crush on Ann.. and so they brought out her character much more in the film than she would have been on the stage. And then having Bobby Rydell as Hugo... In the stage version, Hugo hardly even had a few lines. But his section was really added to as well.
Because of some of these changes and also a number of the directing decisions that were made that really changed the musical from what it had been on the stage, Mr Van Dyke was very upset with the movie. He would tell people that he knew not to bother going to see it. He wouldn't even endorse the movie cuz he was so upset about it. He said come back and watch it on Broadway but don't go see the film.
Cinderella was with Leslie Ann Warren not Leslie Caron. Leslie Caron was Cinderella in Glass Slipper, a different takes on the story than the Rodgers and Hammerstein one.
The dancing in this film is phenomenal 💕 my favorite is the lonesome polecat sequence
Me too!! I loved that song!
WOOO You gave it a 10! This is one of my favorites. I have watched it a hundred or so times and it's one I will happily watch again. The music is so fun, the scenes are bright and the characters actually have depth to them. And even though what the guys do is VERY not right, while it adds some humor to it the story does not condone it and ultimately they try to do the right thing.
This was actually a very popular 50s trope in movies and TV, to show the gals as smart and the guys as incredibly, comically dumb. The more I've watched them, the more I've realized what many of them were doing: showing how stupid stuff like sexism really is. Among the funniest ever was an episode of a western TV show called Stories of the Century, where the female assistant detective Jonesie is captured by a pair of outlaw thugs, and they tell her to "get in that kitchen and make us breakfast". She point-blank tells them to make their own breakfast...and they do! The thugs' humiliation only increases when another woman in the town beats one of them up and allows them to be captured. While many of these depictions were comedy, there were actually some VERY empowering messages and themes in this stuff!
One of my all time favorites! The great Howard Keel. 👍
Easily my favorite musical of the era. I saw this as a kid in the 70's at a local theater that played older films. Later on I got it on VHS and showed it to my daughters when they were young. They also fell in love with it and we wore out at least one VHS tape during the 90's and early 2000's. This movie was constantly playing in our house. It's a great film that still holds up.
In the early 1980's there was a tv series based on this film. One of the brothers was played by River Phoenix and another was played by Richard Dean Anderson who would later play MacGyver.
Oh wow! River Phoenix was so incredibly talented and was too young when he left us 😞 I will definitely have to check it out :)
@@MoviesWithMia There are youtube clips - he looks to be about 12 or so- maybe younger.
Oh wow! Yeah I definitely want to see that! Joaquin and River had such a rough upbringing! Just hearing their story made me really fall in love with the both of them! I would love to see more of River’s work!
And before that, 1968 to 1972 was another adaptation of the story called “Here Come the Brides” with teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman and David Soul, who played Hutch in the famous TV show Starsky and Hutch
@@schenzy oh wow, I have vague memories of that -Bobby Sherman -lol
Had NO idea this was going to be so incredible! Truly has held up well. Very much liked your review style, thank you for this
Thank you so much for watching 😊
I'm excited for "Singin' in the Rain", but I hope you give "The King and I" a glance in the coming months.
Oh for sure! I definitely will check it out!! Thank you for recommending 😊
@@MoviesWithMia Awesome! Thanks for being so open to movie suggestions.
Oh of course! I love discovering these movies :)
This movie was shot twice over, there was a new screen size in theatres, so they shot it for the old screen size and the new, one after the other. The new size ended up not being used, so when a version for video was edited together, they used footage from both prints. The studio did not expect this movie to do well at the time, so when they asked for a bit more in the short budget, the bosses took more out, for Brigadoon with Gene Kelly, and left them having to be even more clever using what they were left with.
The bed was Not broken, the boys, being boys, had undone the fastenings and propped it back together.
This was shown on tv in aus when my sister was at high school. The next day all the guys were getting jealous, cause the girls were all talking adout all those cute guys. The guys had never watched it, so were trying to find a way to check out their competition. I don't think they were told those men would have all been grandpa's by then.
Their hair was dyed for this, and 4 of the brothers were ballet dancers. Gideon was played by Russ Tamblyn, a street dancer and acrobatic Tumbler, he was a child star in Lost in Space. I saw him in an interview recently, he spoke of helping the choreographer add tumbling etc. The choreographer had asked for tools and building supplies, on a stage, so he could make up something more realistic. The avalanch was corn flour/starch, and used in more movies later on.
Seven Brides is THE greatest original movie musical ever. It was later adapted to the stage with additional songs but this is where it started. Singin' in the Rain is very entertaining and artful but the songs were all old even then and therefore, not "original." The ones here by Johnny Mercer and Gene de Paul may not be well known but that doesn't make them any less clever especially the beautiful "Spring, Spring, Spring."
btw if possible, try Amish country in Lancaster County Pennsylvania for barn-raising.
The Barn Dance is the showstopper. But the scene that i remember was Adam's first sight of Hannah. Big man, oldest brother, head of the family...is now intimidated. The boss, is right there in that crib.
It’s snowing here. And while letting my dog out in my yard, I could hear an owl hooting. Which prompted me to look up lonesome polecat. And then what do I stumble upon? This wonderful video. I have not seen anyone react to classic musicals that I grew up watching, so I decided to save this for later. The curiosity got to me, and I was only gonna watch it for a couple of minutes so I could head to bed. 40 minutes later, and I’m reliving old memories and smiling along with you. I absolutely loved your analysis in the story, characters, setting. The themes. I truly did grow up watching this since I was a little girl, and you picked up on things that I have missed. This is absolutely one of my favorite musicals, mainly because of the music, dancing, and the personality of everyone. Thank you so much for this in-depth look and reaction. You really looked at things deeper than I ever thought to and I appreciate that new perspective. I agree with you completely, 10 out of 10. I am now a major fan of your channel. I cannot wait to see what other movies you have, old or classics that I’ve always seen or older classics I will now have to check out after your reaction videos.
Gideon maybe my favorite brother but lord Adam was handsome! A friend of mine got me into the movie some time ago and I love it!
Oh yes! Adam was very handsome! My favorite brother was Benjamin 🥰 I thought he was super handsome!!
@@MoviesWithMia A woman after my own heart.
Fun Fact: Russ Tamblyn is Amber Tamblyn(Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, General Hospital) father.
One of the girls from the town was a very young Julie Newmar, who went on to play the sexy sultry Catwoman who seduces a helpless Batman LOL
Super cool! Yeah I honestly thought she was a model when I first saw her!!
She sings one memorable line from the movie - babysitterin’ ha ha love it
Those of us of a certain age will remember her from the 1964-1965 TV show "My Living Doll", where Newmar played Bob Cummings' live-in girl-bot... um "android"... I mean "artificial person". Anyway, she made a big impression.
My favorite Catwoman in my favorite musical...though the name "Dorcas" (unlike the horrific suggested baby name "Hepzibah") still cracks me up.
She was billed as Julie Newmeyer.
Just randomly searched this film and your video came up high in the results. My parents had this on VHS in the 80s and I've always loved it. Thank you for sharing your reaction, it was a pleasure to see you watch it for the first time.
This is another musical I watched nearly every year as a kid around the holidays, along with The Sound of Music and the Wizard of Oz! I love this movie. Russ Tamblyn who plays the youngest brother, Gideon, also played Riff in West Side Story in the Classic 1961 movie musical. Russ is the one that does the axe jump which is famous! The dance routines in this movie are amazing!! 💖💖
I love this musical and it is definitely one of my favorites having seen it performed live on stage, including a couple times with Howard Keel.
This is a movie my mother asked us to sit down and watch with her one day and she's since admitted she was surprised we all hung in and enjoyed the movie. I do wish the oldest brother could sing and dance (I don't understand the casting since this is a musical) especially when his partner Julie Newmar did both in the movie. Good enough actor but I'm always conscious that he stands out the dancing scenes. That barn raising scene is solid gold as is the outdoor musical number where they are all missing the girls. I also love how Millie truly becomes all the other brothers' sister. This is one of my favorite musicals.
My all time favorite movie! My mom and aunt introduced us to it when we were real little. They came from a very plain strict background, (similar to the Amish who incidentally, do still do community barn raisings. I was at my cousins barn raising once, it’s really incredible!). So they weren’t allowed to watch television or movies but this one and Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds, they would sneak out to see.
In fact my ringtone for both my mom and aunt is Sobbin women. That one and Lonesome Polecat are my favorite songs, the barn raising is my favorite scene. Gideons “meowing” always makes me laugh, and frank is my favorite brother
My son played Mr Bixby in his high school production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The talent in this movie is awesome.
I got to watch this is band class back in 5th grade. I’m going into 8th next year. When Mr. Sheely put this on, I immediately loved it. I thought it was kind of funny how he was singing about his perfect wife (dream wife, lol). I loved Millie and all the brothers. Gideon will always be my favorite. The best scene in the movie is when Gideon slaps Adam, I love it. This is by far my fav Musical of all time.
Howard Keel was 6'3" and while I don't think he was a football player he did work as a young man as a long haul truck driver. I met Jane Powell a couple decades ago--she was a lovely, enchanting lady, and very petite--like, 5 feet tall.
I adore this movie.
Me too :)
My mother introduced me to a lot of classics and oldies (I’m a 90s baby). There were only a few that captivated me like Little Shop of Horror and The Rifleman and this movie as well. I revisit them from time to time for nostalgia. I absolutely adore this movie!
I LOVE this movie!!!!!! And in the few movies I've seen Howard keel in ( Kiss me Kate, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, and Showboat) He looks SOOO good in a mustache!!!
I hope more reactions to this movie come up on RUclips soon. This movie is just amazing (this is coming from a 20 year old). Anyways, the song “Lonesome Polecat" was a live performance, I believe. If you listen to the way the men's voices drop slightly when they perform an action, that is due to the fact that when you are singing and moving your body at the same time. This leads me to believe that “Lonesome Polecat" was indeed a live performance.
As a red head, this was one of my favorite musicals growing up!
Ginger power! Us soulless monsters have to stick together
I've watched this movie countless times and would play it during the holiday season when family wod be in. We knew all the songs and would sing along. I can't tell you how many copies I had o DVD and gave them away. I really appreciated your reaction because there were things you brought up that I hadn't thought about. Well done 🥰
Jane Powell, who only recently passed away in 2021 at the age of 92, actually did her own singing for this movie! However Some of the brother and brides were dubbed.
Love this movie! I remember watching it with my father, good memory for me
That’s awesome! I love when a movie can bring back good memories 😊
thank you for reacting to this film.... its my favourite of all time..... (well this and calamity jane)... love it
I put on my headphones for this one because I want the full experience lol also I wanted to add that jane powell is really singing I definitely recommend some of her other movies
Oh that is her! I love it!! She is a BEAUTIFUL singer!!! Also, let me know if the sound is good with your headphones! I kept noticing some sizzling from my mic while editing 😅
@@MoviesWithMia well I’m about 20 mins in and the sound is just fine so no complaints here 👌🏻 also another wonderful soprano who worked with Howard keel is Kathryn Grayson
@@maddiehope okay perfect! And which film did she work with him on? I really want to watch more of Keel’s films!
@@MoviesWithMia they did a couple of movies together but the one’s that come to mind are kiss me Kate and show boat
I love this movie! I watched it years ago with my sister who has special needs. She loves anything with music but her favorite song in this one was "Goin' Courtin'" 😊
Haven’t watched it all yet, but this is my favorite musical of all time. I’ve watched it ever since I was a kid.
Edit: Howard Keel was more attractive in Calamity Jane with Doris Day.
Oh so cool! Yeah this is now one of my favorite musicals for sure!! I absolutely loved this film!!
Enjoyed Howard Keel, as Frank Butler, in "Annie Get Your Gun", another movie you have to watch.
Just found your channel! But this was and always be my favorite musical! My aunt always wanted us kids to watch old westerns because they don’t make tv “the way they use too” and I would pick this every time I was at her house. When I finally found it on DVD at Barnes and Noble, I snatched it up fast and still watch it often
This is my Granny's favourite musical and fun bit of family history my Grandad is the seventh of seven brothers and her friends would joke back in the 50's she was living out her dream as they knew "Seven brides..." was her favourite
Always loved the barn sequence
NO musical scene can top the barn building sequence! it's above all else!
My go to and favorite musical of all time for over 45 years now. In fact I have a copy sitting right in front of me on my TV stand!
Such a wonderful reaction. So detailed and insightful. Thank you! You’re beautiful! ❤
Thank you! 😊
The barn brawl is one my favorite scenes in film. I love it so much, you almost want to be a part of it!
Ohhh, why did I have to randomly find this...I don't have TIME to watch all your other videos, but now I have to! This is a favorite movie of mine (even though the story is problematic as hell), and you really did it justice. Great job! :)
My mom and her six siblings grew up with this musical, as did I. Some are getting a bit old now, but for a long time I was sure that if prompted my family could act out this entire thing. It would only take seconds to sort out who would play whom then it would be lights up
10 out of 10! For sure. I grew up absolutely loving this movie.
My mom introduced me to this movie in the seventies. I've seen it a dozen times or more and you know more about it than I do.
If you like Howard Keel in this movie, you should watch the 1951 movie "Show Boat", which also stars Joe E. Brown, who you liked in "Some Like it Hot" as Osgood.
This was one of my favorites growing up.
Congratulations hitting 500 subs last week. Next stop, 1000! Of course this train will keep going. (It has to stop briefly once in awhile, to catch its breath and load new passengers!) LOL! ✌️😎
Hahaha! Thanks, Grouchy! Yes, here’s to 1000!
En esta maravillosa película hay arte y hay vida, a diferencia del cine contemporáneo, en el que ni hay vida ni hay arte: sólo tecnología, artificios y adoctrinamiento.
"Lonesome Polecat" is done in one, continuous shot -- amazing song, and some of the best choreography ever (aside from Barn Dance, of course!).
This is one of my favorite musicals. (Alongside Guys and Dolls.) I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. ❤️❤️
One of my absolute favorite movies! Thank you for your perspective! Makes me look at the movie a little differently
Everyone is doing their own singing and dancing. This movie is famous for its long takes. Especially after the barn raising when brothers are depressed.
So that's why there was so much stage work, a B movie, wow, they really under sold it. A great movie. Now i wonder what the film would have been like with the extra budget, as good, better or worse
Yeah! You and me both!! I think it was fantastic, so I could only imagine what magic Stanley Donen could have done with the extra money!!
One of my top 5 musicals. Fabulous!!
Yes! Me too! After watching this, I absolutely love it!
Around here, where I live in rural Missouri, the Amish still do barn raising gatherings. They all bring food and raise the barn together, but it's not quite as big a fun time as it used to be in the past. When we still had a barn on our farm, we had some barn dances which was pretty fun.
I do wish people did more things like that in these modern times 😞
I’ve never watched this one! And I agree, there’s a certain sanitation with 50’s films that makes me wonder if a sort of escapism resulted from the raw, grittiness of the Second World War? Love Singin in the Rain and can’t wait!!! ❤️
Yeah! Very interesting insight! Definitely something to ponder :) I can’t wait for Singin in the Rain!!
The choreographer, Michael Kidd, didn't want the men to dance in a dancey way. So he set out to make the steps grow organically from the woodsmen's movements, such as in dancing with the axe. As to the arduousness of the choreography, I believe there were a lot of injuries on set.