One of the best of all the1950s MGM musicals, this film is blessed with danceable original score by Gene DePaul and Johnny Mercer and the inspired choreography of Michael Kidd, which move the story along. Enjoying this move is a guilty pleasure for some people because its take on women makes it politically incorrect these days, even though it is set in Oregon in the mid 19th century. Personally, I always thought the take on men was much more insulting (essentially, they are swine without women). The dance numbers have never been outdone, and what makes them so splendid is the vigor and athleticism of the men and women dancers equally. Howard Keel and Jane Powell star, and they have the voices and vigor to carry the movie. Greater dance sequences have never been filmed. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013
