Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Question: When they are singing under a tree full of doves, it looks like they were tied to the tree branches. Is this true?

Answer: Yes it is true. They did this to prevent the birds from flying into the backdrops and becoming injured or killed.

Question: I've seen this movie on television and on DVD. It appears that there are 2 versions in some scenes. One noticeable one is when Adam is in the store asking the clerk if he has a wife under the counter. Are there 2 different versions of some of the scenes?

Answer: Believe it or not, there were actually two original versions of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers filmed simultaneously in the early 1950s. One version was filmed in "CinemaScope" format and the other version was filmed in "Flat Screen" format. They did this in order to accommodate theatres that couldn't run CinemaScope. They would film a scene or scenes in one format in the morning, then film the same scene or scenes in the other format in the afternoon, using the same actors, costumes, sets, et cetera. Naturally, the camera angles, camera movements, performances and even sound recordings are noticeably different from one version to the other. The non-widescreen one wasn't used, but was released on DVD, and there's a chance TV stations might have used it before widescreen became more prevalent.

Question: At the opening of the movie, when it shows the wagon in the river, what is the white thing in the water toward the right of the screen near the bank? At first it looks like rapids, but looking closer it looks more like something rolling in the water.

Answer: A barrel.

Question: What does Jane Powell say when they arrive at the barn raising after she hugs the girls, she brought what?

Answer: She says, "I've brought stuff for the collation pies and such"

Question: Why are all the men dressed in their best clothes for the physically demanding, dirty job of a barn raising? The "Town Men" in particular are in suits and ties.

Answer: No realistic reason. It's a movie artistic choice to contrast the more genteel townsmen with the rugged Pontipee brothers. The active dance sequence emphasizes the rivalry between the two groups, and the different costumes make it easier for the audience to identify the men who are vying for the girls' affections.

raywest

Continuity mistake: In the scene when all the brothers are downstairs waiting when Millie is upstairs having her baby, the brother Ephraim stays in the background, but it is obviously a stand-in and not the same actor.

More mistakes in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

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.

More quotes from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Trivia: Ever notice how Benjamin never dances? It's because the other brothers were recruited from a dance school, Benjamin was just there for eye candy.

More trivia for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.