“A happy, hand-clapping, foot-stomping country type of musical with all the slickness of a Broadway show.” (Variety)

Donen knew how to present dancers on screen, and the naturalistic moves of this talented cast were choreographed by Michael Kidd, who fashioned rousing dance numbers out of such daily frontier tasks as chopping wood and raising a barn. The story centers on a backwoodsman (Howard Keel) who brings his new bride (Jane Powell) home to take care of his houseful of slovenly brothers. After getting over her shock, she sets about trying to help them acquire some brides of their own. There’s a lot to wince about in the plot, given today’s standards, but the unbeatable dance numbers and catchy Oscar-winning score (music by Saul Chaplin and Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer) live on.

Presented in 35mm