Spring, Spring, Spring
Our friend Cathy at Sunday Morning Coffee has a lovely post up about my all-time favorite movie, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. She's even got a YouTube link to the movie's trailer. As I commented at Cathy's site, the film's songs "June Bride" and "Wonderful, Wonderful Day" were played by the organist before our wedding. Framed sheet music for "Spring, Spring, Spring" hangs in the same room as the computer I'm using to write this post.
I was fortunate to briefly meet many of the cast members -- including Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar, Ruta Lee, and Tommy Rall -- at a special tribute at the Academy's Goldwyn Theater a number of years ago. A few weeks ago my husband scanned a couple of my autographed stills from the film, but Blogger doesn't like the format and won't let me upload them, so I'll have to try again soon. I have a very extensive collection of stills, lobby cards, and posters from the movie, painstakingly collected over many years from movie memorabilia shops in Hollywood.
Be sure to read this post from last December at The Shelf...a great SEVEN BRIDES story.
Film fans of a certain age know what it was like in the days before video, cable, and DVD, when "old" movies were mostly shown in the middle of the night, edited and filled with commercials. (KABC in Los Angeles used to show SINGIN' IN THE RAIN with most of the songs cut out!) I still can't believe I can watch this movie any time I want. Don't miss the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. SEVEN BRIDES is one of those rare films that was actually shot twice (OKLAHOMA! is another), using two different photographic processes, and the set includes both versions. For a SEVEN BRIDES fan it's great fun to compare the minor differences.
Trivia: Did you know that Richard Dean Anderson of MacGYVER and STARGATE SG-1 played Adam in a one-season TV series very loosely based on the movie? I still have the pilot on a Beta tape stashed away in my video cupboard. The other brothers were all renamed (no more Bible names) and were played by actors including Peter Horton (THIRTYSOMETHING), Drake Hogestyn (DAYS OF OUR LIVES), and River Phoenix.
posted by Laura @ 8:54 PM
4 Comments:
Happy Spring Laura!
Now you have to share your memorabilia collection!! I must see it!!
I was at that screening too. I also saw Seven Brides For Seven Brothers when it was first released. (Yes I'm THAT old!) I met Ruta Lee a few years back for a cable show I was doing about Hollywood homes (hers was at one time owned by Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth) She's a charmer. Michael Kidd's choreography is amazing. And please note that one of the brides is played by "Julie Newmeyer" -- not yet "Newmar."
The barn-raising dance, choreographed by the great Michael KIdd, is one of the all-tiem sublime sequences in film history. And Jane Powell is very amusing in all her scenes with Howard Keel -- who's about five times her size.
As for that TV derivation, it featured a very young River Phoenix.
Happy Spring, Cathy! Would love to find a way to share. :)
Nice to see we have something in common, David. That screening was a special experience. Of course, not only did the film feature Julie Newmeyer, the neat lady you met was, in 1954, billed as Ruta Kilmonis. :) Thanks for sharing.
Happy Spring,
Laura
A postscript regarding the TV series...I remembered today that not *all* the brothers were renamed(grin)...Daniel got to keep his name.
Laura
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