February Blogging: Classic Romance

Now, I've never been the biggest romance movie fan, but I do understand the contributions this genre of films has given to the art of filmaking. Don't tune the next month out if you aren't a big romance fan either, because I'm sure there will be at least one film in this bunch you can at least try to appreciate. If not, you really need to get in touch with your sensitive side.

In fact, romance movies often have the greatest costumes and some of the most memorable lines. Most musicals are some brand of romantic comedy, but don't be fooled by the comedic aspect. The majority of romance movies don't end well or with the characters getting together. I will try to do a good mix of romances that end happily and those that don't, though the one thing I can't promise you is finishing all of this up in the month of February, since it is only 28 days long.

A few of the movies I will be featuring this month will be on Turner Classic Movie's 31 Days of Oscar, as a testament to how well-made and wonderful they are. Some of these films are public domain or available online to watch as well. I have tried my best to pick some of the very best films of the genre, though the quality of films is always up for debate. If you are considering doing some sort of movie marathon of your own for February, Valentines Day, or if you prefer, Singles Awareness Day this year.

For a list of great romance movies, there are several places you can access, all of which seem to have a different opinion on the subject. IMDB's list of Top 50 Romances could be helpful and if you're in a bitter spirit, you can take on the Bottom 10 Romances at the bottom of the list. Internetducttape.com provides a list of unordered movies, seventy-six of them to be exact, that will get you in the loving mood. Romancestuck.com has this list of films. And for the big kahuna of lists, you can look to Associated Content, which has a list of over 200 movies, divided up into romance subcategories such as Classic Romance Movies, Guy Gets Girl movies, and Tearjerkers.

So, here's to a month of love and love for great films!

Mary Poppins Lives On

The 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins is not only a great movie for people of all ages, but a cinematic treasure with amazing effects for its time. The film won five academy awards, including Best Actress for Julie Andrews, Best Music and Best Special Effects. No Disney film has won that many awards before or since. It was the top grossing Disney film of the year as well as the top grossing Disney film for the next twenty years. As you can see, it was worth being the most expensive film Disney had produced at the time.

CNN has just produced this great article, an interview with Mary Poppins cast member and funny man Dick Van Dyke about working on the film and the longevity of the movie. It is revealed in the article that Van Dyke's TV show a personal favorite of new first lady, Michelle Obama as well as new information about what it was like working on the Mary Poppins set.

The film is a very condensed version of the book series written about Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers and it was made even shorter by the deletion of dozens of songs. Following in the literary traditions of her famous character, Julie Andrews wrote a book of her own, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.

Its hard to believe its been forty-five years since the original release of Mary Poppins. The film which helped pioneer the fusion of real-life and animated scenes in a spectacular fashion has gone on to influence generations of films after it.

Wanna See Some Great Movies?

For the month of February, Turner Classic Movies puts together perhaps one of the best themed film marathons, in my personal opinion. From February 1st until March 3rd, they put on their 31 Days of Oscar Marathon, saluting some of the most award-winning films, actors, and directors to grace the silver screen.

Rather than dividing the films up into Oscar category, such as Best Director or Best Cinematographer, TCM has come up with a more creative approach. The films are divided into themed or genre segments. For example, the segemnt called "The Southwestern United States" features the films Tulsa, Oklahoma!, and Cimarron. Each day is divided up into "departments", like a college, and the various departments have name like "The Education Department", "The Law Department", and "The Philosophy Department" and each "department" is subdivided from there.

For example, "The Foriegn Language" Department features segments entitled "Introduction to Italian" and "Intermediate French", including foriegn movies like The Four Days of Naples and Mr. Hulot's Holiday whereas the "Dance Department" features segements like "Advanced Tap" and "Introduction to Choreography", featuring various musical and dance films like Royal Wedding and 42nd Street. I'm not sure if this schedule will be better than the old standby, but it may help group together movies that will attract viewers with common interests in all of them.

For more information about what to expect with this year's 31 Days of Oscar, you can read this article twitchfilm.com did with Robert Osborne, who will be emceeing the majority of the event. Monstersandcritics.com has more on the set up of the marathon along with a schedule that will be more easy to access than downloading the pdf schedule from the TCM website. For those of you interested, here is TCM's press release about the event.

So, crack open those schedules and cancel all your plans for the rest of the month because some great films are coming to a television near you!

Mother/Daughter Murder Mystery

A great film noir, the story of Mildred Pierce has everything from romance, intrigue, betrayal, and a family with scores to settle. Based on a novel of the same name by James M. Cain, the drama unfolds over a course of four years and is almost a deadly soap opera in movie form.

The film starts showing Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford ) talking to police about the murder of her husband. It then flashbacks to her life as an unhappy housewife, raising her two daughters Veda (Ann Blyth ) and Kay (Jo Ann Marlowe ) with her unemployed husband Bert (Bruce Bennett ). When Mildred discovers Bert is having an affair with Maggie Biederhof (Lee Patrick ), she divorces him and keeps custody of the two girls. Her eldest daughter, Veda, complains about how they now do not have the financial security her father once provided and Mildred works as a waitress. Veda discovers this and after telling her mother waitressing is beneath her, Mildred opens up a small restaurant. As her restaurant empire grows, real estate agent Wally Fay (Jack Carson ) gives her advice and makes unsuccessful attempts for her affects. Wally introduces her to Monte Baragon (Zachary Scott ) who sells her property help the restaurant chain grow.

Kay, Mildred's sweet daughter, dies of pneumonia, leaving her crushed. Meanwhile, Veda pretends to be having the baby of wealthy Ted Forrester to extort money out of him. Mildred tears up the check and after a fight with Veda, the girl runs off to be a singer in a nightclub. Veda will only return to her mother if Mildred can give her life in the absolute lap of luxury so Mildred marries Monte in exchange for handing over a third of her businesses to him. Monte sells the third of Mildred's business, leaving her bankrupt and it becomes apparent to Mildred that her daughter has seduced her husband. When Mildred confronts Monte and Veda at his beach house, a shot is fired, but who is the killer?

Butterfly McQueen and Eve Arden both appear in the film, adding to the stellar cast. Shirley Temple was one of the actresses considered for the part of Veda Pierce Forrester and the part of Mildred Pierce was offered to Bette Davis, Rosalind Russell and Barbara Stanwyck before given to Joan Crawford. She won the Academy Award for her performance in this film. You can read more about the film itself using this reference guide from filmreference.com, here at filmsite.org, or this article from a website devoted to Joan Crawford.

There are several different reviews of this film, but as with Witness for the Prosecution , I wouldn't read them until after watching the film because they may contain spoilers. There is a great article on the film written by Slate magazine. Other reviews can be read here, thanks to classicmoviefavorites, and here from moviezeal.com. A few other opinions on the film come from The Film Noir Net and the Movie Setal Blogspot. All in all, Mildred Pierce is a great noir film with tons of supsense, thrill, and a whodunnit that will keep you guessing.

Murder Trials Agatha Christie Style

With an all-star cast, based on a play written by legendary Queen of Crime Agatha Christie, and directed by the famed Billy Wilder, the 1957 film Witness for the Prosecution is a film you know is going to be good before you even watch scene one. This is a film so filled with suspense, drama, and surprise after surprise that it even tells you at the film not to spoil the ending for others. Even the Royal Family was sworn to secrecy not to reveal the plot after being screened the film.

After being kicked out of the hospital for bad behavior, barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) returns to London after suffering a heart attack, pestering, badgering nurse Miss Plimsoll (Elsa Lanchester) in tow. A fellow lawyer convinces the ailing Sir Wilfrid to take on the case of Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), a hapless inventor who is accused of murdering wealthy widow Emily French (Norma Varden), who he befriended and may have sent mixed signals to. After French was brutally murdered, it was revealed that she left the majority of her money to Vole, making him look even more suspicious. Vole hopes that his wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich), a German immigrant who he met and married during WWII will help him out of his jam and places all of the hope he has on evading the charges on her. Sir Wilfrid doesn't trust Christine or her testimony. The trial begins and everything you think you knew about the case goes out the window as one shock after another are revealed, leading to a resolution that will have you on the edge of your seat.

It is often mistakenly assumed that Alfred Hitchcock directed the film, since it seems to be just the right plot for the Master of Supsense. Hitch commented on this mix-up, saying that Billy Wilder was often given credit for Hitch's film The Paradine Case. The on-screen camaraderie between Laughton and Lancaster was easy for them to create because they were husband and wife. This was Tyrone Powers' last feature film as he died of a heart attack the following year. Una O'Connor is the only cast member from the original Broadway play to reprise her role in the film. She played Janet McKenzie and also had starred in Bride of Frankenstein with Elsa Lancaster. This was O'Connor's last film as well.

You can watch the film yourself as it is divided into segments on YouTube and can be found here. Afterward, there are some reviews you can check out of the film. I wouldn't do so before because some of them give away spoilers. This review comes from crazy4cinema.com and is a good, brief review. Another review comes from classic film at about.com and is a good overview of the film. The review from apolloguide.com focuses a lot on the directorial side of the film, whereas this review from Marquette University of Law comes at the film from a legal aspect. Finally, this all encompassing review comes from allwatchers.com. So, have fun with all of the twists and turns in this rollercoaster ride of a film.

Of Love Triangles and Elephant Stampedes

The 1954 film Elephant Walk did not receive much critical acclaim when it came out. In fact, most critics panned it. Still, that did not stop audiences from coming to see a love triangle set in the breathtakingly exotic landscape of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. The film was based on the book Elephant Walk by Robert Standish, which is the pseudonym of Digby George Gerahty.

While in a small town in England, John Wiley (Peter Finch) meets the beautiful bookshop clerk Ruth (Elizabeth Taylor) and after only a period of knowing each other, the two marry. Wiley owns a tea plantation in colonial England's Ceylon post World War II and the two move to the estate. The plantation is called "Elephant Walk" because it was built on the path elephants used to use to get to water and a large wall was built to keep the elephants at bay by Wiley's late father, who is buried at the plantation. The house is a glorious mansion and Ruth meets her husband's devoted servant Appuhamy (Abraham Sofaer), who has an unwavering devotion to Wiley and his dead father while he remains suspicious of her. Ruth also meets her husband's American overseer, Dick Carver (Dana Andrews), who tells her not to trust the legacy of Wiley's father. He tells her that Wiley's father "rules Elephant Walk even from the grave" and that local gossip states Wiley Sr. was a factor in his wife's death. Wiley throws a lavish party at which Ruth is the only woman and the men become rough and rowdy while Ruth is upstairs, trying to sleep. Like his father, Wiley is somewhat arrogant and self-involved and he tries to live up to his father's legacy, leading to many confrontation between him and Ruth. Wiley breaks his leg during some rough housing with his friends and Ruth asks Carver to come back to help her husband run his plantation. A romance develops between Ruth and Carver because of her husband's behavior and they plan to leave together, stalled by a cholera outbreak at the plantation. The story takes twists and turns as the love triangle becomes more complicated and the beautiful nature of Ceylon turns deadly.

The film was originally supposed to star Laurence Olivier and then wife Vivien Leigh in the lead roles of John and Ruth Wiley, but Olivier had a scheduling conflict with the film he was working on, The Beggar's Opera. Leigh worked on the film for a brief time but had to quit because she was suffering through a bout with bipolar disorder. There are still some scenes were Leigh can be found in the background. The film was made in Colombo, Ceylon, which is now Colombo, Sir Lanka. The elephants in the movie were trained and borrowed from the Cole Brothers Circus in Chicago.

Though I personally liked this film, reviews of it remain mixed. For a general synopsis, you can read this, thanks to Turner Classic Movies. The original New York Times review can be read here. This brief point based review is from weekly-movie-review.com, and this review was written by Dennis Schwartz on Ozus' World Movie Reviews. If you do not find the film believable, I think you can at least enjoy the beautiful native scenery, ritual, and costuming as well as the glamour of Elizabeth Taylor.

Hitchcock, Psychosis, Romance and Suspense

Another one of Alfred Hitchcock amazingly filmed psychological thrillers is the 1964 film Marnie . Based off of a book of the same name by author Winston Graham, the set of the film reportedly had tons of stress and problems yet remains a classic film and the professed favorite of leading actress Tippi Hedren. The film uses elements of sex, drama, mystery, and cinematic effects to create the thrilling atmosphere Hitchcock is known for.

The film is about Marnie Edgar (Hedren), a psychologically distressed woman who has many unnatural fears including thunderstorms, the color red, and close relationships and the trusting of men. She is also a compulsive thief and has a long history of stealing from the businesses she works for. She persuades Sidney Strutt (Martin Gabel) to give her a job and then ultimately steals everything out of his company safe and leaves. One of Strutt's best customers is Mark Rutland (Sean Connery), a widower who owns a printing company and remembers the young woman who Strutt reports stole the money from him. When Marnie comes to work for Rutland's company, he keeps watch over her and when she steals from him, he tracks her down and blackmails her into marrying him. Living with the Rutlands is Lil Mainwaring (Diane Baker), the young sister of Mark's late wife who is jealous that Marnie married Mark instead of her. She connives to expose Marnie to Mark and to everyone else, which Mark has to keep under wraps. Throughout their strained marriage, Mark is determined to discover what is the reason behind Marnie's deep psychological problems. He tracks down Marnie's mother (Louise Latham), a former prostitute, and at last, a long kept, dreadful tale of murder and intrigue is revealed with Marnie at it's center.

The movie is not considered a financial success though its expressionist style and the cinematic techniques it used are generally considered to be ahead of their time, perhaps the reason the movie was not widely positively received. Diane Baker was not allowed to read the script before signing on to the film, but instead was merely told it was a Hitchcock film with Tippi Hedren in the lead role. Hitchcock wanted Grace Kelly to be the leading lady for this film, but the citizens of her new homeland Monaco were outraged at the thought of their princess playing a psychologically disturbed kleptomaniac. Hitchock then went with Hedren who he had previously directed in The Birds but during shooting, Hedren and Hitchcock had a major falling out which lead to the end of their friendship.

For more opinions on this film, there are a variety of sources you can access. Turner Classic Movies has a synopsis and tons of goodies that can be found here on the film's homepage. Web site thedistractedglobe.com has this article, which reviews, analysis, and gives a brief history of the film. Frank's Movie Log has this short, to the point review. The Movies and Frontier's blog has this review about the lasting quality of the film, and finally, dearcinema.com has this article about how Marnie differs from Hitchcock's other films.

Actors, Muderers, and British Theatre

For his 1950 film Stage Fright, Alfred Hitchcock returned to his native England to create a story of murder, detective work, and deceit in the theatre world of London. The film is based on the thriller short story Man Running written by acclaimed British writer Selwyn Jepson. The film features a marvelously talented cast along with the film debut of Hitchcock's daughter Patricia.

The film stars Jane Wyman as Eve Gill, a British born girl, educated in America, who is now training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) to become an actress. Her friend Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) comes to her with a bloodstained dress, telling her his lover, the marvelously talented and incredibly famous actress Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich) has murdered her husband and pinned the blame on him. Eve is in love with Jonathan and so she agrees to help him, bringing him to her father Commodore Gill (Alastair Sim) to help smuggle him to safely. Then Jonathan destroys the dress, their only evidence of his innocence. To prove Jonathan's innocence, Eve pays off Charlotte Inwood's maid Nellie Goode (Kay Walsh) and uses her acting talent to be the Cockney Doris Tynsdale, replacing Nellie as Charlotte's maid during Nellie's supposed illness. While she is trying to prove Jonathan's innocence, Eve falls in love with Detective Wilfred "Ordinary" Smith (Michael Wilding), who is inches away from solving the case and exposing her. Eve must juggle the roles of being herself, a newspaper reporter, and Doris Tynsdale the maid.

This film uses the extra-long sequences, like many of Hitchcock's earlier film, but also introduces new cinematic ideas. In particular, this movie famed because it calls into question the credibility of flashbacks where in previous cinematic tradition, it was unquestioned that flashbacks were always truthful. Rather than being the absolute truth, the flashback shown at the beginning is a version of events, not the truth. Marlene Dietrich demanded that all of her clothing for the film be made by legendary fashion designer Dior and in turn, Dior demanded a credit in the film.

For some differing opinions on the movie, there are several reviews that can help guide you through. This review comes from screensavour.net, which has spoilers but discusses the historical and cinematic ramifications of the film. The site filmdefrance.com offers a synopsis and critique that will be more beneficial to tried and true Hitchcock fans who want to know more about the film in the context of its director. The website thisdistractedglobe.com offers a variety of kudos and criticisms of the film. For a brief, concise review of the film, look at this one from franksmovieblog. Stage Fright is a great example of a movie that has suspense, drama, a little romance, and some comedy thrown in for good measure.

Love is Color Blind

The phrase "Love is Blind" never rings more true than in Guy Green's 1965 film A Patch of Blue. The film was very controversial since it was made during the Civil Rights Era and it depicts the romance of a black man with a blind white girl. The script for the film was taken from the 1961 book Be Ready with Bells and Drums, written by Australian author Elizabeth Kata. Color was available at the time of filming, but Guy Green chose to film it in black and white, perhaps as a statement on color and race.

The story centers around Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman) who lives with her grandfather Ole Pa (Wallace Ford) and her prostitute mother Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters). Selina was blinded at five years old when her father came home and found her mother in bed with another man. Selina's mother Rose-Ann threw a bottle, intended to wound her husband which instead hit her daughter on the forehead, blinding her. One of the few things Selina remembers from the days when she was able to see is "a patch of blue". Selina is expected to do all of the household chores while Rose-Ann and her fellow prostitute friend Sadie (Elisabeth Fraser) make fun of the girl. Selina helps earn income for the family by stringing beads and loves to do so in the park, where she is dropped off by either Ole Pa or neighbor Mr. Faber (John Qualen). Selina's fortunes change when she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier), a black man who helps teach her all of the things she can do in spite of and to overcome her blindness. She befriends Gordon and together they talk about tolerance, the different meanings of blindness, the time one of Rose-Ann's clients rapes Selina, and life altogether. Things are going great until Sadie spies that Selina is hanging out with a black man and reports back to racist Rose-Ann. Soon, Rose-Ann and Sadie conspire to set up a brothel, using Selina is the main attraction. It is up to Gordon to save Selina and help Selina save herself.

This is a very powerful movie because of its message and the sociopolitical context in which it was first released. Scenes of the movie where Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman kiss had to be edited when the film was screened in the Deep South and the topic of interracial relationships was a very heated one. Shelley Winters was not very pleased with her role as Rose-Ann and was surprised when she one the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance, the second of Winters' two Oscars. The studio also made a short film about the decision to cast relative unknown Elizabeth Hartman in such a powerful role with powerful actors, which was titled A Cinderella Named Elizabeth. Hartman went on to have successful roles in such films as The Secret of NIMH, The Group, and You're a Big Boy Now, but died tragically after jumping from a building in Pittsburgh in 1987 after suffering from psychiatric problems.

A Patch of Blue is still widely lauded for the contribution it gave to both film and society. There are multiple reviews online that you can read to learn a little more about the film. This one comes from the film page at Turner Classic Movies. This review comes from CTDFilmFest.org. Another review can be read here, thanks to filmtracks.com, and yet another can be found here courtesy of wiman.us. This truly is a remarkable film about the power of love to defy all odds.

Consider the Lilies

The 1963 film Lilies of the Field incorporates the drama and humor of race and religious relations against the backdrop of the American southwest. A great inspirational film, it echoes the biblical verse Look at the lilies of the field, they continue to appear beautiful even though they get no payment. The bloom is to honor God, but not to get paid for their work. Verse comes from Matthew 6:28 and was part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) is an itinerant worker who who finds his way onto a small ranch in Arizona, owned by a group of East German nuns who escaped through the Berlin Wall. The head none, Mother Maria (Lilia Skala), hires Smith to do a small repair and then keep him working with them, though all he wants is to get paid and get out. Mother Maria's small group consists of Sister Gertrude (Lisa Mann), Sister Agnes (Isa Crino), Sister Albertine (Francesca Jarvis), and Sister Elizabeth (Pamela Branch) The nuns believe that Smith is an instrument sent to them by God to help them build a chapel on their property since the only chapel around is basically a U-Haul. While he builds the chapel for them, he also teaches English to the nuns and they exchange religious songs. In town, Smith makes friends with local priest Father Murphy (Dan Frazer), and proprietor Juan (Stanley Adams). Smith clashes with Mother Maria at times, but it is his determination to help the nuns build their chapel that involves the whole local community in the task.

Sidney Poitier won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role, the first African-American man to win an Oscar for acting. The film was #46 on AFI's list of 100 Years... 100 Cheers. The film is based on a book by William Edmund Barrett, which was written 1962. After the success of the film, it was turned into a play.

For some marvelous screen shots of this film, you can look here, thanks to the Screen Shot World Blog. For reviews and synopsis of the film, you can hread this review, thanks to movie-page.com, this review thanks to decentfilms.com, this one courtesey of robink.ca/movies, and this one thanks to Soul Food Cinema. Below is the trailer for the film:

Teenagers, Partylines, and Rock and Roll Music

The 1963 musical Bye Bye Birdie is an excellent parody film capitalizing on the success and phenomenon of Elvis. Based on a successful Broadway play, the film casts several already high profile names as well as some up-and-coming stars. This is often known as the film that catapulted Kitten with a Whip Ann-Margret to super-stardom. The next year in 1964, Ann-Margaret would go on to star with the real Elvis in the film Viva Las Vegas .

Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson) is the biggest rock and roll star in the country who has all of the teen girls hot and bothered and all the teen boys and the parents hot headed. Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke) is an aspiring chemist who tries to make his living by writing songs for Bridie in order to gain independence from his mother (Maureen Stapleton) and marry his longtime sweetheart Rosie De Leon (Janet Leigh). Rosie and Albert divise a contest where the winner will give a "Last Kiss" to Birdie before he goes off into the army to serve. The winner is Kim McAffe (Ann-Margaret) of Sweet Apple. Kim has just started going steady with Hugo Peabody (Bobby Rydell), who isn't thrilled that his girlfriend is going to kiss a teen heartthrob on national TV. Likewise, Kim's family of Dad Harry (Paul Lynde) and Mom Doris (Mary LaRoche) aren't excited with the thought of their daughter hanging around Conrad Birdie either. The romantic twists and humorous turns are what make this musical a success. Entertainer Ed Sullivan even makes a classic cameo appearance.

This was the first feature film with Dick Van Dyke, who was also in the stage version of Bye Bye Birdie with Paul Lynde. Van Dyke and Lynde were not happy with the way this film version was produced because of all the focus shifted to Ann-Margaret to make this film her vehicle. The 1995 made-for-TV version of the film is better at following along with the stage production than the 1963 film. In 2011, Adam Shankman, who worked on films such as Hairspray, She's All That, and Bedtime Stories, is slated to do a controversial remake of Bye Bye Birdie. Theatre fans seem very split on whether or not Shankman's version will be wonderful or completely destroy the integrity of more original versions. Bye Bye Birdie continues to have a stage reputation as it and Oklahoma! are the most commonly made high school productions.

For some history and review of the film, you can access this site dedicated to the film or this one, which discusses the history of the film and stage production. You can also read this review thanks to the House of Mirth and Movies blog. For an original trailer of the film, you can watch here. Entertainment Weekly ranked this as one of the Top 50 high school movies. You can read a series of blog entries from the ConradAskland blog on the film as well. With all of its color, dance numbers, and great songs, Bye Bye Birdie is one of my favorite musicals.

Backwoodsmen, Barn Raising, and Shotgun Marriage

When the 1954 classic musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers came on TMC tonight, I knew I had to watch it. I am one of those people that falls into the category of musical-lovers. This is a film I have heard a lot about but never personally seen until tonight.

Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel), a backwoods lumberjack, comes to town in the spring for supplies and to bring home a wife/maid to help take care of him and his six brothers. He finds and meets Milly (Jane Powell) in town and then brings her home to meet his brothers. Milly is startled to meet Benjamin (Jeff Richards), Caleb (Matt Mattox), Dan (Marc Platt), Ephraim (Jacques d'Amboise), Frank (Tommy Rall) and Gideon (Russ Tamblyn). Milly straightens the boys out and then they fall in love with six girls at a barn raising. The boys realize how lonely they really are and its up to Milly and Adam to help the boys win the girls over by kidnapping them. Interwoven in the plot are timeless songs and energetic, acrobatic dance numbers.

The artistry, talent, and importance of this film has been widely recognized. The National Film Registry selected the film for preservation in 2004. It was ranked #21 on AFI's list of best musicals and made Entertainment Weekly's list of Top 25 Musicals.

MGM released Seven Brides and another musical Brigadoon both in the same year, 1954. MGM thought that Brigadoon would be the commerical success and relegated Seven Brides to b-movie status. Vincent Minelli's Brigadoon was given the money and the real location sets while Seven Brides was given only painted backdrops and limited funding. Ironically for MGM, Brigadoon became technically a commerical flop whereas Seven Brides was a commerical success.

Personally, I found the film to be full of talent with great muscial numbers, a great cast, and amazing dance routines. The dancing in particular use a plethora of equipment and props to enhance and make the moves seem more difficult. All of the dances are very acrobatic in nature as well as fast paced. The entire film is extremely colorful, from the costumes to the scenery. Despite the plot device of women being kidnapped, the film actually gives more power to the women in the film. Milly is the boss and what she says goes.

The film was based on Stephen Vincent Benét's short story "The Sobbin' Women", which was based on the Plutarch myth "The Sabine Women". For a history of this film, you can read here or you can read more history and a history of how the movie was made here. History and synopsis of the film can also be found here, courtesey of Classic Film Guide. You can read reviews of this movie here, thanks to rambles.net, here thanks to This To Say blogspot, and this one thanks to the BBC.