7 Women is not, in our opinion, a very good film, and the longer it runs, the worse it seems to get.
This is what we disliked:
The Hair. We didn’t know missionaries living in remote Chinese highlands sported carefully-coiffed 1960s hairstyles.
The Bad Guys. Since non-Asian actors wear heavy eye makeup to look Mongolian, we must assume there were no Asian or Mongolian actors, anywhere, in the mid-1960s.
The One-Dimensional Characters. It’s hard to find a sympathetic character this film, and that’s saying something considering the plight of these people.
The Directing. What happened, John Ford? (More on this later.)
You can probably tell we’re grumpy about this film. The premise is Interesting and Important, but the audience is handed a mess. It feels like the ol’ Bait and Switch.
It’s a shame because there are real gems buried here. For example, look at Jane Chang‘s character, a Chinese woman of wealth and influence. When she’s taken prisoner, the male villains “degrade” her, as the film euphemistically suggests. Chang’s role is pitifully small, but she raises a crucial question: Once the white women escape, what happens to those left behind?
We think the story would be more interesting if told from Chang’s point of view, but that would make it a different film entirely, and MGM was closely monitoring time and money Spent.
About the directing: 7 Women was John Ford’s final film. He was 71 years old and in declining health. According to biographer Scott Eyman, Ford was physically unable to finish his previous two films.¹
The making of 7 Women was one of those Grin-and-Bear-It projects. Actress Patricia Neal was initially cast as one of the leads, but she suffered a stroke two weeks into filming. Anne Bancroft was hired as a last-minute replacement, and Ford regretted the choice.
He was also annoyed that screenwriters Janet Green and John McCormick were in Paris during filming and unavailable for script changes. “It’s no good,” Ford reportedly said, “but let’s do it and get out.”²
Eyman notes, tellingly, “Once the picture finished production, Ford disappeared, not even bothering to consult with Elmer Bernstein about his music score.”³
The film was not a critical or box office success. It cost about $2.3 million US to make (around $20.5 million today), and it grossed just under $1 million in worldwide ticket sales.
We’re reluctant to recommend 7 Women, even if you’re a John Ford completist or a fan of Westerns. We feel it is a Wasted Opportunity, but there are many who regard it as an underappreciated film.
7 Women: starring Anne Bancroft, Sue Lyon, Margaret Leighton. Directed by John Ford. Written by Janet Green & John McCormick. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966, Colour, 87 mins.
Sources
¹Eyman, Scott. (1999) Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, p. 519. ²Ibid., p. 521. ³Ibid., p. 524.
Part of me is tempted to watch this, as I am sometimes in the mood for a good derailment of a movie just for the unintended humor aspect, but it sounds like this one might not be worth the effort… 😉
It left me feeling quite sad. It could have been such a great movie, but it was probably one of those weird & frustrating projects where everything works against itself.
I hear you. When a person thinks of classic He-Man Westerns, they often think of John Ford’s movies. And yet, it seems to me, he’s usually sympathetic to the women’s point of view. I wonder if this was the wrong movie at the wrong time.
Mary of Scotland (1936) isn’t a bad movie, it is just a bit lifeless. Frankly, I expected more from the Katharine Hepburn-John Ford combo. I much prefer Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), with Vanessa Redgrave (have you seen it?).
I loved how you mention the hairstyles in this post, my Darlin Husband spotted a waiter with a 70s haircut in a much loved Agatha Christie film that wasn’t set in the 70s.. really annoying isn’t it…
I hate to admit it, but I find modern hairstyles in period films to be so distracting. I find the whole time I’m wondering: Dosen’t this annoy anyone else?
Isn’t it a bummer when you see a film by a director you greatly admire and it disappoints? Still, I’m glad you took one for the team and covered it for the blogathon. They can’t all be winners. Thanks so much for participating!
Thanks, Debbie. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of this film before, and now I know why. But no one hits the ball out of the park every time, right?
Thanks for hosting this tribute to films that ought to be celebrated more often.
At first I was wondering how I’d never heard of this film, being an aficionado of westerns and a fan of many of Ford’s works. But it didn’t take long to realize why. Sounds like I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to add this to my list!
Great review! After reading your take on ‘7 Women’ and publishing my review of ‘The Sundowners’, it seems like a possible trend in ’60s cinematic westerns was incorporating “bait and switches” in their stories. But based on these two films, it doesn’t seem that tactic worked in either movie’s favor. If you’re interested, I’ll provide the link to my review of ‘The Sundowners’.
I’ve noticed the same thing–women in sixties movies always have very coiffed hair and luxurious sixties makeup, especially the false eyelashes. It’s almost funny. 🙂
I agree with you on almost everything. Despite its great cast, 7 Women is a rather dull melodrama. It’s too bad that this was Ford’s last movie. Cheyenne Autumn (1964) would have been a more appropriate swan song.
You’re probably right. I can’t help but feeling this might have been a stronger film if (A) it was made during the production code years in (B) black & white.
What a bummer! I got charged as soon as I saw “A Western With 7 Women,” and even more so at the notion of Anne Bancroft. Alas, I shan’t be hunting this one down. I sure en joyed reading about it, though!
Not having seen this movie, I decided to watch it. For me, it was a rather gloomy and disheartening production and one I would not watch again. I thought Anne Bancroft did a good job with the material she had to work with.
Silver Screenings 
Part of me is tempted to watch this, as I am sometimes in the mood for a good derailment of a movie just for the unintended humor aspect, but it sounds like this one might not be worth the effort… 😉
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It left me feeling quite sad. It could have been such a great movie, but it was probably one of those weird & frustrating projects where everything works against itself.
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I’m sincerely fond of John Ford but cannot picture him directing an all-women cast…
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I hear you. When a person thinks of classic He-Man Westerns, they often think of John Ford’s movies. And yet, it seems to me, he’s usually sympathetic to the women’s point of view. I wonder if this was the wrong movie at the wrong time.
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Good observation. Ford’s Mary of Scotland (1936) wasn’t very good either.
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I’ve not yet seen that one, but, strangely, I’m keen to see it after having seen 7 Women.
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Mary of Scotland (1936) isn’t a bad movie, it is just a bit lifeless. Frankly, I expected more from the Katharine Hepburn-John Ford combo. I much prefer Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), with Vanessa Redgrave (have you seen it?).
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Haven’t seen the 1971 film either. I have a lot of Royalty film watching to catch up on! 🙂
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I loved how you mention the hairstyles in this post, my Darlin Husband spotted a waiter with a 70s haircut in a much loved Agatha Christie film that wasn’t set in the 70s.. really annoying isn’t it…
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I hate to admit it, but I find modern hairstyles in period films to be so distracting. I find the whole time I’m wondering: Dosen’t this annoy anyone else?
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I agree, it really does take you out of the movie.
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Not a film I’m familiar with, but intrigued to check it out, especially to see those quirky hairstyles that look so out of period!
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Haha! The hairstyles are something else. Plus the flawless studio makeup.
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Isn’t it a bummer when you see a film by a director you greatly admire and it disappoints? Still, I’m glad you took one for the team and covered it for the blogathon. They can’t all be winners. Thanks so much for participating!
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Thanks, Debbie. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of this film before, and now I know why. But no one hits the ball out of the park every time, right?
Thanks for hosting this tribute to films that ought to be celebrated more often.
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At first I was wondering how I’d never heard of this film, being an aficionado of westerns and a fan of many of Ford’s works. But it didn’t take long to realize why. Sounds like I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to add this to my list!
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Yeah, I wouldn’t drop everything to watch this one. If you do see it, I think it’s best to go in with lowered expectations.
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“It’s no good, but let’s do it anyway.” Words to live by–I wonder how many Hollywood movies had appeared at the box office under that heading!
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Haha! Probably quite a few.
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Great review! After reading your take on ‘7 Women’ and publishing my review of ‘The Sundowners’, it seems like a possible trend in ’60s cinematic westerns was incorporating “bait and switches” in their stories. But based on these two films, it doesn’t seem that tactic worked in either movie’s favor. If you’re interested, I’ll provide the link to my review of ‘The Sundowners’.
https://18cinemalane.com/2022/06/05/take-3-the-sundowners-1960-review/
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Thanks for dropping by! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Sundowners, and I’m looking forward to your review.
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This is not a film I’m familiar with, but thanks to your fab review I know exactly what I’m in for if my curiosity gets the better of me!
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Not even the stellar cast can save this film, sadly. But let me know what you think if you ever do see it.
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I’ve noticed the same thing–women in sixties movies always have very coiffed hair and luxurious sixties makeup, especially the false eyelashes. It’s almost funny. 🙂
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You’re right – it is almost funny. I shouldn’t get annoyed by it.
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Oh, it’s OK–I get annoyed at the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice, and I like that movie. Victorian costume on Jane Austen’s women? Yipe. 🙂
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Haha! I hear you, girlfriend.
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I agree with you on almost everything. Despite its great cast, 7 Women is a rather dull melodrama. It’s too bad that this was Ford’s last movie. Cheyenne Autumn (1964) would have been a more appropriate swan song.
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You’re probably right. I can’t help but feeling this might have been a stronger film if (A) it was made during the production code years in (B) black & white.
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What a bummer! I got charged as soon as I saw “A Western With 7 Women,” and even more so at the notion of Anne Bancroft. Alas, I shan’t be hunting this one down. I sure en joyed reading about it, though!
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Not even Anne Bancroft can save this film, I’m sad to say.
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Not having seen this movie, I decided to watch it. For me, it was a rather gloomy and disheartening production and one I would not watch again. I thought Anne Bancroft did a good job with the material she had to work with.
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I wouldn’t watch it again either. The whole thing is too bad because it’s a really interesting story.
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