Cast and Crew:  Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Dorothy Kingsley (Screenplay); Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar

What It’s About: Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel) comes down to town from the mountains to find himself a wife.  When he sees Milly (Jane Powell), an overworked but spirited waitress/cook/bartender, he proposes on the spot.  Eager to get out of the place she’s in to a place of her own, Milly eventually agrees, but when she arrives she meets Pontipee’s six brothers, even less civilized than he is.  Milly does her best to civilize the boys in the hope that they will be able to find brides in the town, but a trip to a barn raising/dance results in an epic brawl between the jealous men of the town and the brothers.  At the start of the long winter, Adam reads the men Plutrach, specifically the story of the Sabine Women and the boys get ideas….

Why Watch it Today?: Today is the first day of Spring, a pivotal season in today’s film.  Of course, with the mild winter we’ve had this year you may not even notice anything has changed!  Leave it to director Stanley Donen (with help from author Stephen Vincent Brown, who wrote the short story “Sobbin’ Women”) to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of turning the Rape of the Sabine Women into a family friendly musical full of catchy songs and amazing dancing.

Where to Get It: Amazon, iTunes, or Vudu, YouTube, Netflix (DVD only) or your local library.

Other Choices:  Last year we suggested Exaclibur, whose climax features Arthur and his knights literally spreading Spring as they take back their land from the dark forces of Mordred.