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HelpThey were born in the 20s
One of my favorite movies is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers , which won best picture in 1951. Most of the actors and actresses were born in the 1920s.
I have listed the main characters below, followed by their stage name, then their real names.
Milly . . . Jane Powell - Suzanne Lorraine Burce
Dorcas . . . Julie Newmar - Julia Chalene Newmeyer
Alice . . . Nancy Kilgas - Nancy Blanche Kilgas
Sarah . . . Betty Carr - Elizabeth Carr
Liza . . . Virginia Gibson - Virginia Gorski
Ruth . . . Ruta Lee - Ruta Mary Kilmonis
Martha . . . Norma Doggett - Norma Doggett
Adam . . . Howard Keel - Harold Clifford Kell
Benjamin . . . Jeff Richards - Richard Mansfield Taylor
Caleb . . . Matt Mattox - Harold Henry Mattox
Daniel . . . Marc Platt - Marcel Emile Gaston LePlat
Ephraim . . . Jacques d'Ambroise - Joseph Jacques Ahearn
Frank . . . Tommy Rall - Thomas Rall
Gideon . . . Russ Tamblyn - Russel Irving Tamblyn
*Russ Tamblyn was sometimes known as Rusty Tamblyn too.
Any thoughts on the names? Especially those who changed their names for the stage?
Emile, Gaston, Lorriane & Irving all stand out to me.
I have listed the main characters below, followed by their stage name, then their real names.
Milly . . . Jane Powell - Suzanne Lorraine Burce
Dorcas . . . Julie Newmar - Julia Chalene Newmeyer
Alice . . . Nancy Kilgas - Nancy Blanche Kilgas
Sarah . . . Betty Carr - Elizabeth Carr
Liza . . . Virginia Gibson - Virginia Gorski
Ruth . . . Ruta Lee - Ruta Mary Kilmonis
Martha . . . Norma Doggett - Norma Doggett
Adam . . . Howard Keel - Harold Clifford Kell
Benjamin . . . Jeff Richards - Richard Mansfield Taylor
Caleb . . . Matt Mattox - Harold Henry Mattox
Daniel . . . Marc Platt - Marcel Emile Gaston LePlat
Ephraim . . . Jacques d'Ambroise - Joseph Jacques Ahearn
Frank . . . Tommy Rall - Thomas Rall
Gideon . . . Russ Tamblyn - Russel Irving Tamblyn
*Russ Tamblyn was sometimes known as Rusty Tamblyn too.
Any thoughts on the names? Especially those who changed their names for the stage?
Emile, Gaston, Lorriane & Irving all stand out to me.
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One of my all time favourite movies! I think I probably know it word for word and always thought about naming a DD Milly because of the character from the movie. I'm a big fan of both Jane Powell and Howard Keel. He was such a gorgeous spunk of a man! As far as the names go, I like/love:
Milly
Jane
Dorcas
Alice
Nancy
Sarah
Elizabeth
Ruth
Mary
Martha
Benjamin
Caleb
Henry
Daniel
Marcel
Emile
Ephraim
Joseph
Frank
Thomas
Gideon
Russell
Milly
Jane
Dorcas
Alice
Nancy
Sarah
Elizabeth
Ruth
Mary
Martha
Benjamin
Caleb
Henry
Daniel
Marcel
Emile
Ephraim
Joseph
Frank
Thomas
Gideon
Russell
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I've always liked Suzanne - though not as much as Susanna. I can't quite understand why Suzanne Powell could not have served as well as Jane Powell.
Virginia and Julia are lovely - Julie is sweet and sassy and I suppose Julia was considered too prim and proper, but I think it would have served just as well.
What a completely different image Jeff Richards presents compared with his rather impressive real name.
I like Gallic names and love the grand-sounding Marcel Emile Gaston combo - it's rather ironic that Marcel LePlat's stage name toned down the Frenchness while Joseph Ahearn took a fake French moniker.
Nancy and Norma and Ruta are all unappealing to me.
Virginia and Julia are lovely - Julie is sweet and sassy and I suppose Julia was considered too prim and proper, but I think it would have served just as well.
What a completely different image Jeff Richards presents compared with his rather impressive real name.
I like Gallic names and love the grand-sounding Marcel Emile Gaston combo - it's rather ironic that Marcel LePlat's stage name toned down the Frenchness while Joseph Ahearn took a fake French moniker.
Nancy and Norma and Ruta are all unappealing to me.
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I loved this movie when I was little! I'm not entirely sure why it captivated me so much, but to this day I can still remember half the lines. Now Adam singing "Bless your beautiful hide" is stuck in my head. :)
Each of the sons have a Biblical name in alphabetical order. Frank's full name was Frankincense because his mother couldn't think of an F name from the Bible. I think she could have named Felix which is a name in the Bible albeit not from a sympathetic character.
I think Jane Powell's birth name Suzanne is my favorite from the list with Virginia coming in second. With the exception of Jacques d'Ambroise, many of the actors seem to have adopted the nick names from their original names and picked an Anglicized last name.
Each of the sons have a Biblical name in alphabetical order. Frank's full name was Frankincense because his mother couldn't think of an F name from the Bible. I think she could have named Felix which is a name in the Bible albeit not from a sympathetic character.
I think Jane Powell's birth name Suzanne is my favorite from the list with Virginia coming in second. With the exception of Jacques d'Ambroise, many of the actors seem to have adopted the nick names from their original names and picked an Anglicized last name.
This message was edited 12/3/2014, 6:35 PM
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I sing that song (or hum it) almost daily. I was pretty obsessed with the movie as a child.
I didn't realize how much until I made DH watch the movie. As soon as Mr. Keel starting singing, he goes "Oh! Hey! That is the song you always sing... NOW I know where you got it!".
I adore Suzanne as well. Looking up the info for this post actually reminded me how much.
I didn't realize how much until I made DH watch the movie. As soon as Mr. Keel starting singing, he goes "Oh! Hey! That is the song you always sing... NOW I know where you got it!".
I adore Suzanne as well. Looking up the info for this post actually reminded me how much.
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Glad to see someone else likes Dorcas.
I actually really like the name and wish the negative connotation wasn't there. Society totally ruined this one.
I actually really like the name and wish the negative connotation wasn't there. Society totally ruined this one.
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That is a very very entertaining movie! :)
Milly - So cute, I love Milly as a nickname for Amelia or Matilda
Jane Powell - Suzanne Lorraine Burce - WHAT? Why trade Suzanne for Jane. So said.
Dorcas - The "dork" part is just no good. I'm guessing back then dork was not an insult yet.
Julie Newmar - Julia Chalene Newmeyer - I guess Newmar is "easier" than Newmeyer? I like Newmeyer better. Is Chalene a type-o for Charlene?
Alice - Not a big fan of Alice
Nancy Kilgas - Nancy Blanche Kilgas - Nancy Blanche feels kind of story-book-ish
Sarah - Fine, ordinary, uninteresting
Betty Carr - Elizabeth Carr - My Oma was an Elizabeth nn Betty, so I have a soft spot for that one
Liza - Nice. Although I like Eliza much more.
Virginia Gibson - Virginia Gorski - Gorski doesn't sound that attractive, I'd probably drop it too.
Ruth - growing on me lately
Ruta Lee - Ruta Mary Kilmonis - Ruta is nice. Ruta Lee is sweet.
Martha - I don't mind it. I wonder if it will come back.
Norma Doggett - classicly old-lady name that could gladly go away. :)
Milly - So cute, I love Milly as a nickname for Amelia or Matilda
Jane Powell - Suzanne Lorraine Burce - WHAT? Why trade Suzanne for Jane. So said.
Dorcas - The "dork" part is just no good. I'm guessing back then dork was not an insult yet.
Julie Newmar - Julia Chalene Newmeyer - I guess Newmar is "easier" than Newmeyer? I like Newmeyer better. Is Chalene a type-o for Charlene?
Alice - Not a big fan of Alice
Nancy Kilgas - Nancy Blanche Kilgas - Nancy Blanche feels kind of story-book-ish
Sarah - Fine, ordinary, uninteresting
Betty Carr - Elizabeth Carr - My Oma was an Elizabeth nn Betty, so I have a soft spot for that one
Liza - Nice. Although I like Eliza much more.
Virginia Gibson - Virginia Gorski - Gorski doesn't sound that attractive, I'd probably drop it too.
Ruth - growing on me lately
Ruta Lee - Ruta Mary Kilmonis - Ruta is nice. Ruta Lee is sweet.
Martha - I don't mind it. I wonder if it will come back.
Norma Doggett - classicly old-lady name that could gladly go away. :)
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- I agree about Suzanne, so much more oomph than Jane.
- Chalene was the maiden name of Julie Newmar's mom. No typo, just an early use of surnames as first names.
- I like Elizabeth / Betty too. A friend just used this for their baby.
- Was wondering the same about Martha. I am not sure I would use it, but there is nothing wrong with it. I happen to like Marsha and Marcia... so why not Martha too?
- Strangely, Norma Doggett was the least famous of the bunch, she disappeared from the entertainment industry ten years after the movie. I think her middle name started with L though. I hope it was more interesting than Norma. Though, I can see a hipster using this name today.
- The Harold v. Howard thing intrigued me too. I mean, what was the huge difference? Maybe he didn't like being called Harry.
- I like Marc from Marcel too, though slightly favor Marcel. Gaston was the real gem in this though. I have trouble imagining it outside of the cartoon world... but would love to see it!
- Chalene was the maiden name of Julie Newmar's mom. No typo, just an early use of surnames as first names.
- I like Elizabeth / Betty too. A friend just used this for their baby.
- Was wondering the same about Martha. I am not sure I would use it, but there is nothing wrong with it. I happen to like Marsha and Marcia... so why not Martha too?
- Strangely, Norma Doggett was the least famous of the bunch, she disappeared from the entertainment industry ten years after the movie. I think her middle name started with L though. I hope it was more interesting than Norma. Though, I can see a hipster using this name today.
- The Harold v. Howard thing intrigued me too. I mean, what was the huge difference? Maybe he didn't like being called Harry.
- I like Marc from Marcel too, though slightly favor Marcel. Gaston was the real gem in this though. I have trouble imagining it outside of the cartoon world... but would love to see it!
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