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Saturday, May 16, 2009

Saturday Family Favorite Movie...


This is by far my favorite movie ever!! I first watched it in middle school during chorus class and fell in love with it ever since!! Such a wonderful movie. I recommend it highly!!

The Plot:(Taken from Imdb.com) Adam Pontipee comes into a small mountain town after the winter to get some corn, farming equipment and a wife. He is searching for a woman who is pretty, young, strong, loving and a good cook. Whether he actually loves her doesn't matter; he wants a full time maid more than a wife. Milly works at a local place where the men of the town come in droves to eat her tasty grub and ask her to marry them, but she always refuses with a smile and another helping of food. But she falls in love with Adam the moment he walks through the door, and is soon on her way, much to the trepidation of the town pastor and Milly's aunt, to the Pontipee farm in the mountains. There she finds that Adam has six younger brothers, and that the whole bunch are unmannered lumberjacks with no idea of how to treat a woman. But Milly's tough love soon smooths out some, if not all, of the brothers' rough edges. On a trip to a barn-raising social in town, Adam's six brothers fall in love with six very close and very sought-after young girls, and have a wonderful synchronized dance with them and a dance fight with their suitors. When they return to their farm, they are completely love sick over the girls. Adam is thoroughly amused and Milly is sad for them. But Adam comes up with a somewhat dubious plan to kidnap the six girls to be the brothers' brides! Modeling his scheme on the story of the Romans' kidnapping of the Sabine women, the brothers go into town and kidnap their sweethearts. They take them back to the Pontipee farm, but not before making such a ruckus that they cause an avalanche which snows in the mountain pass leading to the farm. Now, the girls are stuck at the farm all winter. Of course, the girls and Milly are furious with Adam and his brothers. Milly sends the boys off to sleep in the barn "with the other livestock." Adam is so infuriated that he goes off to a hunting cabin to wait out the winter by himself. In the meantime, Milly tells the girls that she is pregnant, and will have a baby in the spring. Over the course of the winter, the brothers gradually fall back into favor with the girls, and by the time spring and Milly's baby come, the couples have all reunited - except for Milly and Adam. Gideon, the youngest brother, goes to Adam's cabin to ask him to come back. Adam learns for the first time that he has a daughter. He eventually returns, and he and Milly make up. After the mountain pass clears, the menfolk from the town make their way up to the cabin to rescue the girls - who now have no intention of leaving their Pontipee beaus. After hearing Milly's baby cry, the pastor asks the girls whose baby he heard. The girls cry out in unison, "Mine!" The last scene of the movie is a (literal) shotgun multiple wedding for the 6 brothers and their brides.



Trivia(Taken from Imdb.com)

*Matt Mattox' singing was dubbed by Bill Lee.

*On the 2004 DVD commentary, Stanley Donen states that the film was originally shot in two versions, one widescreen and another in normal ratio, because MGM was concerned that not all theatres had the capability to screen it. Despite the fact that it cost more than the widescreen version to make, he says, the other version was never used.

*Scenes for the widescreen version were shot in the morning and, for the normal ratio, in the afternoon.

*MGM considered this a B movie - they had higher aspirations for the more expensive "Brigadoon". For this reason, they slashed the budget on "Seven Brothers", forcing Stanley Donen to use painted backdrops instead of location filming.

*Played at the Radio City Music Hall in New York in a slot that was originally intended for "Brigadoon".

*The censors weren't too happy about the line in the song "Lonesome Polecat" where the brothers lament "A man can't sleep when he sleeps with sheep". By not showing any sheep in the same shot as the brothers, the film-makers were able to get away with it.

*Stanley Donen was producer Jack Cummings' first choice for director from the outset, thanks to his success with "On the Town" and "Singin' in the Rain".

*Michael Kidd initially turned down the project. He had just come off a show on Broadway and wanted a rest. He changed his mind after hearing the score.

*Rehearsals for the barn-raising sequence took 3 weeks.

*Shot in only 48 days.

*Only four of the brothers were dancers. Russ Tamblyn (Gideon) was an acrobat, and Jeff Richards (Benjamin) was an actor. Benjamin rarely dances in the movie.

*Jacques d'Amboise had to leave before filming was finished because he was still under contract with the New York City Ballet, so someone filled in for him during the last few days. You can see someone else playing Ephraim in the scene where the brothers are pacing downstairs while Milly is giving birth.

*For the brides costumes, designer Walter Plunkett went to the Salvation Army, found old quilts and turned them into dresses.

*The avalanche was filmed at Corral Creek Canyon, at Sun Valley, Idaho.

*Because there was no way of distinguishing between them and the Town Suitors, MGM decided to make all the Pontipee Brothers red-headed.

*Jeff Richards (a former professional baseball player) was one of the two "brothers" not chosen for his dancing ability. The other being Howard Keel, who was an actor/singer.

*Average Shot Length (ASL) = 12 seconds (CinemaScope version)

*Caleb says, "There was no 'F' names in the Bible, so Ma named him Frankincense, 'cause he smelled so sweet." However, there are in fact three "F" names in the Bible: Felix (referenced in Acts 24:27); Fes'tus (referenced in Acts 24:27, 25:1, 25:4, 25:9, 25:12, 25:13, 25:14, 25:22, 25:24, 26:24, 26:25, and 26:32); and Fortunatus (referenced in 1 Corinthians 16:17).

*The working titles of this film were "Sobbin' Women" and "A Bride for Seven Brothers".

*The story of the Sabine women referred to in the film came from Plutarch's Life of Romulus .

*M-G-M had waited five years to acquire the rights to 'Stephen Vincent Benét''s short story, as Broadway producer Joshua Logan had optioned the story as a potential stage musical.

*Director Stanley Donen said that producer Jack Cummings originally planned to use existing American folk songs for the film's musical numbers. After months spent searching in vain for the right music, Donen recalled, the decision was made to commission an original score.

*M-G-M did not have high financial expectations for the film, and chose instead to allocate its resources to Rose Marie (1954) and Brigadoon (1954)--films that never matched this film's commercial and critical success.

*Reportedly Howard Keel's personal favorite of his movies.



Goofs(Taken from Imdb.com)

*Continuity: In the big fight and dance at the barn raising, the brothers change locations rapidly.

*Revealing mistakes: Obvious stand-in for Ephriam (Jacques d'Amboise) when Milly is giving birth.

*Continuity: Gideon's shirt as he's doing handstands.

*Continuity: Frank's flap on his red shirt changes from a v shape like Ephraim's to a square like Gideon's throughout the same scene.

*Revealing mistakes: In "Wonderful, Wonderful Day" there are live birds flying ont the set, but they clearly were confused by the backdrop and several crash into it (the director acknowledges this in a documentary).

*Anachronisms: The "Cook Wanted" sign shown after Milly leaves is clearly written in permanent marker.

*Miscellaneous: During "June Bride", the icicles on the eaves of the porch are swaying

*Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the final scene, when the six brothers are marrying the girls, Gideon and Alice both look behind them for the approval of the fathers. However, there are only five fathers behind them because Alice's father is the parson and in front of them.

*Continuity: When Adam climbs out of the window to get into the tree, the leg he puts out first changes between shots.

*Audio/visual unsynchronized: During "Going Courting", when Calebs groans, he groans longer than his mouth is open for.

*Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Milly is ringing the bell for dinner, she is striking it with a spoon and steadying it with her right hand. This would have muted the bell, but the sound rings true.

*Anachronisms: In the last scene, after all the brothers are married, and Milly and Adam are kissing, there is a picture of Abraham Lincoln in the background. The movie is set in the spring of 1851.

*Continuity: Milly's white dress is long at the barn raising and when she returns home to minister to the brawling brothers. However, when she's dancing with Frank it's a little above her ankles.

*Continuity: When Adam is showing Milly the house, he opens the front door twice.

*Continuity: During the barn dance, there is a part where Frank, Ephraim and Caleb are dancing with the girls, Frank is dancing with Alice and in the shot immediately after, Alice is standing behind Gideon at the side of the dance floor.

*Continuity: During the barn dance after Gideon's axe jumping, he Daniel and Caleb dance with the girls until three townsmen jump from the roof and take the girls away. In the shot immediately after, Daniel has turned into Frank when they slide underneath the wooden beam.

*Revealing mistakes: When Milly allows Adam to come back in the house he is supposed to be walking on tree limbs to get back in the window, but you can see that he is obviously stepping on flat ground.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Pictures, Images and Photos


Qoutes (Taken from Imdb.com)

Dorcas: I've always wanted to be a June Bride... and have a baby right off, in the spring maybe.
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Milly: Don't you like girls?
Gideon: We ain't never hardly ever seen one.
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Milly: Well, it wouldn't hurt you to learn some manners, too.
Adam: What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife.
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Caleb: Can't make no vows to a herd of cows.
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Milly: Don't just stand there, do something!
Frank: What for? There's only three little ones!
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Caleb: There were no F names in the Bible so Ma named him Frankincense because he smelled so sweet.
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Benjamin Pontipee: [after Dorcas hits him with a snowball] Snowballs with rocks in them! Them poor little dears! Sobbin' buckets o' tears!
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Ephraim Pontipee: [to two women on the street] Care for a chaw of tobaccy?
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Gideon: I guess I got the beginnings.
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Liza: Doesn't it do anything but snow up here? We've had a blizzard every day for the past two months. I'm going crazy, shut up in this house!
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Adam: Love is like the measles. You only get it once, and the older you are, the harder you take it.
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Rev. Elcott: Sounds like Pansy has the croup.
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Milly: Somehow it just don't seem fitting for a man to spend his wedding night in a tree.
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Dorcas: Which of the boys slept in this bed, do you think?
Liza: Dorcas Galen!
Dorcas: What's the matter? Haven't you ever thought of it? That you're sleeping in one of *their* beds?
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Milly: Good morning my brothers. If you're looking for your outside clothes they're hanging up drying on the line. I came in before and got them. I couldn't get your inside clothes so I'll take them now.
Benjamin Pontipee: Our underwear?
Milly: You're winter underwear that you're sleeping in. You might as well hand it over because you're not gonna get your clothes or food or nothing til you get all cleaned up and shaved.
Benjamin Pontipee: Where's Adam? We wanna talk to Adam.
Milly: He's out plowing, he had his breakfast over a half an hour ago. I got hot muffins waiting, crisp bacon, steak, fryer potatoes, fresh ground coffee. Now do I get that winter underwear or do I have to come in there and take it off of you?
Benjamin Pontipee: Don't listen to her. She wouldn't dare.
Milly: Oh wouldn't I?
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Rev. Elcott: [after rounding up the girls] Now we're all fathers and we love you, so don't be afraid to answer. A ways back I heard a wee babe crying in the house. Whose is it?
[girls look at one another]
Rev. Elcott: Whose is it, don't be afraid to tell?
Girls: [all at once and smiling] Mine!
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Mrs. Fred Bixby: [to Adam] Let me tell you something, no woman is gonna go to bear country with you to cook and wash and slave for seven slumachy back woodsmen.
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Milly: [after the barn fight] Frank?
Frank: Kick in the pants.
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Benjamin Pontipee: Come back, Dorcas, don't get hurt!
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Alice Elcott: [concerning Milly's marriage to Adam] Oh, I think it's wonderful; love at first sight.
Mrs. Elcott: Alice! What kind of talk is that!
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Gideon: [attempting to get into the house to see the girls] I got me a stiff neck.
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Milly: Which one is Ephraim and which is Daniel?
Ephraim Pontipee, Daniel Pontipee: Me.
Milly: Y'all live around here?
Caleb: Not round, here.
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Adam: [to Gideon] What's the matter with you? Someone butt you in the bread basket?
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Adam: [on his wedding night] 9 o'clock an hour past your bedtime.
Frank: Yours too.
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Benjamin Pontipee: This isn't exactly how we planned on spending the night: in a barn!
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Milly: Raise your hat. What's the matter, Caleb?
Caleb: My hair ain't combed.
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Milly: Say something nice, Gideon.
Gideon: Nice night for a coon hunt.
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Ruth Jebson: [Caleb is helping her bring food to the table] If you'll just follow me.
Caleb: To the ends of the earth.
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Adam: This is my brother Caleb.
Milly: How are you brother Caleb?
Adam: This is Milly, my wife.
Caleb: Your wife? Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! Hey Dan, he did it, he got married!
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Adam: What do you call her?
Milly: I was thinking of some name like Hannah or Hagar or Hephzibah, picking up where your mother left off.
Adam: Hannah.
Milly: Hannah.
Adam: I got to thinking up at the cabin, about the baby. How I'd feel if someone came creeping in and carried her off. I'd string him up the nearest tree. I'd shoot him down as I would a thieving fox.
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Sam: When are you gonna marry me Milly?
Milly: Oh, next week Sam.
Tom: She's gonna marry me, ain't you Milly?
Milly: What would your wife say Tom?
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Adam: Smells good enough to eat.
Milly: Tastes good too, so they tell me.
Adam: Got any ketchup handy?
Milly: My stew can stand on its own feet.
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Adam: Morning ma'am.
Lem's girlfriend: Morning backwoodsman.
Adam: Nice day for marrying.
Lem: Well, that's a right good idea.
Lem's girlfriend: Oh Lem, I thought you'd never ask me.
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Gideon: Adam, you’re my eldest brother. Now I've always looked up to ya, tried to ape ya. But today I'm ashamed of you. Now I know you can lick me, lick the tar outta me! But I wouldn't hold myself no kinda man unless I showed ya how I felt!
[punches him]
Adam: Why you...!
[throws him on horse, hands him reigns]
Adam: Now, GIT!
[slaps horse]
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Gideon: [after Millie gives birth] I'm an uncle!
[faints]
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Adam: [singing to Gideon about being in love] How can you tell what's in its spell? How can you tell unless you've tried it? Wait for that kiss you're certain of. And let your heart decide when you're in love.
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Adam: You're beating your head against a stone wall, Milly. You'll never make jackadandies out of them!
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Mrs. Fred Bixby: My window!

Clips from the movie I found on youtube.com with background singing by Keith Urban.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hey Jennifer!
I have seen this movie & it's great! I love it!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Have a great day!!!!