It would be difficult, I suspect not to like, "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers". This film boasts an attractive frontier setting, famously excellent dance numbers choreographed by Michael Kidd, powerful Howard Keel as the head of the Pontifee clan and Jane Powell as the lovely girl who is swept off her feet by his charms. Of course when she finds out that he has six brothers, all scruffy backwoodsmen in need of manners and wives, trouble ensues. But all turns out well, with a little help from a lesson in Roman history, hard work, and the willingness of six other local girls to be (finally) swept off their feet. Howard Petrie, Ian Wolfe and such lovelies as Ruta Lee, Julie Newmar and Virginia Gibson contribute to the fun as the girls; the brothers include Russ Tamblyn, non-dancer Jeff Richards and some of the best dancers on the planet. The movie also presents some famous songs including, "Wonderful Day", "I'm a Lonesome Polecat", "June Bride" and, "When You're in Love" as well as "Goin' Courtin'", among others. Well-remembered scenes include the hilarious barn raising, the town dance, the sleigh pursuit and avalanche and the "Spring, Spring, Spring" vocal climax. Forget the acting, which is sometimes a bit potty; the director and the music add to a clearly-defined script a rare sense of frontier life, where taking risks for happiness and facing the precariousness of things where life is less than settled become necessary. Very few films have followed the lead of "Seven Brides" as a frontier or western musical; and none has been as well received nor appreciated. What a pity, its fans say, it was not given an outdoor setting instead of backlot scenery--and an "A" budget...It has a few flaws; but for five decades it has been one of the happiest musical films ever made; and that is quite an enduring achievement.

Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel) lives with his six brothers in a cabin in a remote area of the woods. He goes to town one day and convinces a girl named Milly (Jane Powell) to marry him. They return to the cabin, where she suddenly realizes he has six brothers.

Milly tries to teach them some manners after her initial shock, but they are not entirely keen to change their ways. They are, however, anxious to get wives of their own.

After Adam reads about Roman capturing of Sabine women, he hatches a plan for his brothers - kidnap whoever they want to marry and bring them back to the cabin.

"Seven Bridges for Seven Brothers" is, today, somewhat of a classic; Stanley Donen adapts the screenplay by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley; their combined efforts are superb.

I have grown up on this film and was surprised at the fact that, after having seen it very recently, it continues to hold up as well as it did when I was younger. I recommend it to everyone of all ages - it's funny, charming, sweet-natured and very enjoyable.

In his memoirs Howard Keel said he had a rollicking good time making Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the results certainly do show. If there is a more boisterous musical out there, I haven't found it.

Keel is Adam Pontipee, eldest brother of seven who own a farm way out in a valley that is usually snowed in during wintertime. That fact becomes of singular importance later on in the film. Living with six other brothers in what could be described as bachelor quarters can be mighty stressful. Not to mention certain other needs aren't being met.

So Keel up and decides to get himself a wife and he goes to the nearest town to find one. Amazingly enough he does when Jane Powell decides that with once glance, he's indeed the one.

On the Pontipee Farm she's not only wife to Keel, but a den mother to the other brothers. She's lucky she didn't run into that family of inbreds that Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea rescued Mariette Hartley from in Ride the High Country, they would have expected a lot more.

Those six other brothers see what benefits from married life Keel is enjoying with Powell and decide to take matters into their own hands with a little help from Keel in that Sobbin' Women number. Powell brought up Plutarch's Lives and Keel read about those Sabine women and encourages the Pontipees to be good Romans. At least that's what Plutarch said.

When you think of it Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has one of the silliest plots on record. I mean we are talking about kidnapping and possible rape. But the score is great and the singing and dancing can't be beat. Gene DePaul and Johnny Mercer wrote the music and lyrics for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the following year they would collaborate on Lil Abner on Broadway which would eventually come to Hollywood.

Curiously enough three songs entitled When You're In Love came out at the same time. The one in this version that Keel and Powell both sing, one that Bing Crosby sang in the television musical High Tor and one that Mario Lanza did on one of his albums. For that matter there's an even older song sung by Russ Columbo in Wake Up and Dream from the Thirties. This one however is the best.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers hasn't aged a bit from its first showing in 1954. It's one of those eternal films that will be enjoyed a millenia from now. At least that's what me and Plutarch say.