The Someday Cinema Series will screen one of MGM’s most enduring musicals, the 1954 romance-musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street, on Sunday, April 7, at 1, 4, and 7 pm.

Tickets are $3, and the 1 pm matinee will be shown with subtitles for the benefit of the hearing impaired.

The story, set in the 1850 Oregon frontier, was adapted from The Sobbin’ Women (playing on “Sabine women”) by Steven Vincent Bené. The film opens as Adam (baritone Howard Keel), eldest brother and mountain man, drives into town for two things: supplies and a wife.

Once he convinces Millie (soprano Jane Powell), the two set off to his remote farm in the mountains, which he shares with his six brothers. Millie is a strong, independent, and capable woman, surprised by how wild the brothers behave. Once they get the idea that they’d also like to find wives, Millie molds them into presentable enough men to be able to woo a woman.

Michael Kidd choreographed the film’s dance sequences, which also include a very complex fight between the brothers and the paramours of the few young ladies in town. Kidd’s involvement in this film was crucial for director Stanley Donen, and his skills are felt throughout the film in stagings born out of the natural movements of the characters, making them appear more natural.

Hit lyricist, Johnny Mercer, was paired with Gene DuPaul to compose nine clever songs for the musical. The film won an Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical, and it was nominated for four others.

In 1954, much to MGM’s surprise, the picture was so appealing, even President Eisenhower urged the public to go see it.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was to be released in wide screen Cinemascope, but since many theaters were not equipped for that format, each scene was re-organized and reshot in the conventional flat format, making two movies at one time. It seems the conventional format was never actually released in theaters.

Persnickety Bride is the sponsor of this month’s film, which was rescheduled from November due to wintry weather.

For the complete schedule with show times, visit tiny.cc/2019somedaycinema and Someday Cinema Series on Facebook. Contact Series Coordinator Jen Rogers with any inquiries about the series at somedaycinemaseries@gmail.com.