A movie so nice, they filmed it twice. Just to cover all audience bases, Stanley Donen filmed this dancing extravaganza in both standard and Cinemascope formats, with each scene restaged appropriately. What a bit of work!
Backing up Donen is Johnny Mercer and Gene de Paul with the memorable soundtrack, and the marvelous Michael Kidd choreographing the fancy footwork. Mix in a few professional dancers and leads that are up to the task of singing their own songs, and you’ve got a hit.
And that’s quite a feat when you consider the pitch: mountain men hungry for wives pillage the nearest town of their young women. So you know there’s dancing!
But, oh, the dancing. The barn dance ballet is a fantastic display of skills as the lumberjacks attempt to one-up the city fellas in order to steal their gals. Equally acrobatic and graceful, the moves are both angular and charming. As the Rodeo-like version of “Bless Your Beautiful Hide” gives way to the barn raising brawl, the actors prove themselves as much stuntmen as dancers. Russ Tamblyn (who would logically go on to do "Twin Peaks") is especially winning as the smallest and most lithe.
The “Lonesome Polecat” scene is a beauty. Such a lovely, rhythmic ballet of swishing axes and grinding saws. Their actions slow with the chill of winter, and yet their passions are very much evident through the longing in their voices.
The gents are the most enjoyable to watch dancing, not only because of their impressive abilities, but because it’s almost excruciating to watch the women maneuver in those corsets! I honestly don’t know how they wear them without fainting. And speaking of the gals, keep an eye out for a young Catwoman, in the form of Julie Newmar (here, Newmeyer)—looking far more mature than the others.
This is such a wonderful film and certainly one of my favorites. The story is great (what woman wouldn’t want to be kidnapped by a mountain man?), the songs are lovely and the dancing is fantastic. I confess, the latter always grabs me the most in musicals of this era, and it’s always a pleasure to watch the Pontipee boys jump from beam to beam, flip over their competitors, throw an axe and land beside their girls ready to step in line.
Comments (3)
One of the greats, and worth repeat watching. They, sadly, can't afford to make 'em like this any more. So give thanks to TCM and Netflix.
Posted by Louise | December 21, 2006 7:27 AM
Posted on December 21, 2006 07:27
This was one of the first movie musicals I ever saw. I loved it! The implications of men abducting women and "subduing" them didn't really hit me until years later. Ah well.
side note: Russ Tamblyn also went on to do West Side Story :)
Posted by SharonZ | January 4, 2007 7:15 AM
Posted on January 4, 2007 07:15
I have to shamefully admit - that as a musician, I am painfully squeamish about the movie musical...and westerns...I can't stomach the frivolity.
Posted by Diane | January 9, 2007 7:16 PM
Posted on January 9, 2007 19:16