''7 Women'', also known as ''Seven Women'', is a 1966

Panavision Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company founded in 1953 specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses dur ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

and starring

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two ...

, Sue Lyon,

Margaret Leighton Margaret Leighton, CBE (26 February 1922 – 13 January 1976) was an English actress, active on stage and television, and in film. Her film appearances included (her first credited debut feature) in Anatole de Grunwald's ''The Winslow Boy'' ( ...

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

Mildred Dunnock Mildred Dorothy Dunnock (January 25, 1901 – July 5, 1991) was an American stage and screen actress. She was twice nominated for an Academy Award: first ''Death of a Salesman'' in 1951, then '' Baby Doll'' in 1956. Early life Born in Baltimor ...

, Betty Field, and

Anna Lee Anna Lee, MBE (born Joan Boniface Winnifrith; 2 January 1913 – 14 May 2004) was a British actress, labelled by studios "The British Bombshell". Early life Anna Lee was born Joan Boniface Winnifrith in Ightham, (pronounced 'Item'), Kent, th ...

, with

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

Mike Mazurki Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990) was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. His 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) presence and face had him typecast as often brainless athletes ...

, and

Woody Strode Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. Aft ...

. Made by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

, it was produced by Bernard Smith and John Ford, from a screenplay by Janet Green and John McCormick, based on the short story "Chinese Finale" by

Norah Lofts Norah Lofts, ''née'' Norah Ethel Robinson, (27 August 190410 September 1983) was a 20th-century British writer. She also wrote under the pen names Peter Curtis and Juliet Astley. She wrote more than fifty books specialising in historical fi ...

. The music score was by Elmer Bernstein and the cinematography by Joseph LaShelle. This was the last feature film directed by Ford, ending a career that spanned 53 years.

Plot

In rural China, in 1935, all but one of the white residents of a remote Christian mission post are women. The strict Miss Agatha Andrews (Margaret Leighton) is the head of the mission, assisted by the meek Miss Argent (Mildred Dunnock). Charles Pether (Eddie Albert) is a mission teacher who always wanted to be a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

; his peevish, panicky, self-centered and domineering middle-aged wife Florrie (Betty Field) is pregnant for the first time. Emma Clark (Sue Lyon) is the only young staff member, whom Miss Andrews treats as if she were her daughter. The mission is elated to learn that a much-needed doctor is arriving, but they are shocked to discover that Dr. Cartwright (Anne Bancroft) is a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

woman who smokes, drinks alcohol, swears, wears pants, has short hair, disdains religion and sits before grace. Miss Andrews and she are soon at odds. Emma, who has led a very sheltered life, is fascinated by the newcomer, much to Miss Andrews' dismay. After she has settled in, Dr. Cartwright urges Miss Andrews to provide money to send Florrie Pether to a modern facility, as her age means that giving birth is high risk, but Andrews refuses. Meanwhile, rumors arise of atrocities committed by the militia of Mongolian

warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

Tunga Khan (Mike Mazurki). Miss Andrews is certain that the mission will be safe, as they are American citizens. After a nearby, even poorer British mission is sacked by Tunga Khan, Miss Andrews reluctantly accepts survivors Miss Binns (Flora Robson), Mrs. Russell (Anna Lee), and Miss Ling (Jane Chang), but only for a short time, as she is unwilling to harbor those of any other denomination for long. Immediately after the arrival of the survivors, a cholera outbreak erupts. Dr. Cartwright quickly takes command, treating all the Chinese of the area. Miss Andrews's initial hostility to her subsides when Emma gets sick and she implores Dr. Cartwright to save her life. After the emergency is over and Emma is well again, the relationship between Andrews and Cartwright starts to soften. but deteriorates when Cartwright shows up drunk in the dining room with a bottle of whiskey, and tries to make all the pious women drink, as well. One night, Charles and Cartwright see a fire on the horizon and hear gunfire. The next morning, the Chinese soldiers of the nearby garrison evacuate in a hurry, as Tunga Khan and his men are believed to be approaching. Miss Andrews is still convinced the mission is untouchable, but Charles is now determined to be assertive. Kim, an English-speaking male Chinese mission staff member, and he drive out to investigate the situation, while urging everyone else to be prepared to leave the mission, despite Miss Andrews's opposition. After a while, they hear the car's horn, but once the gate is opened, bandits on horseback charge in, firing their guns, and quickly take over the mission. Before being executed by the bandits, Kim tells the women Charles was murdered when he tried to rescue a woman being assaulted by Tunga Khan's men. Then Miss Ling, coming from a powerful Mandarin family, is taken away to act as Tunga Khan's young wife's servant, while the seven white women are herded into a shed. They watch as Tunga Khan has every Chinese in the mission executed, women and children included, to Emma's shock. Tunga Khan comes into the shed and tries to take Emma. Realizing that they are mostly American women, he decides to ask for a ransom. With Miss Andrews panicking and Florrie in labor, Dr. Cartwright asks for her desperately needed

medical bag A medical bag (doctor's bag, physician's bag) is a portable bag used by a physician or other medical professional to transport medical supplies and medicine. Traditionally, the medical bag was made of leather, opened on the top with a split- ...

. Tunga Khan offers to exchange it for her sexual submission to him. The doctor agrees, and helps Florrie give birth to a baby boy. After Cartwright goes to fulfill her end of the bargain, an increasingly deranged Andrews vilifies her, calling her "whore of Babylon". The others, however, understand the sacrifice the doctor has made and why. In the evening, the Mongols gather in a circle and organize wrestling matches for entertainment, with Dr. Cartwright watching the spectacle at Tunga Khan's side, as his new concubine. When the lean warrior (Woody Strode), who had been ogling Cartwright all evening, steps into the ring to face the winner of a bout, Tunga Khan insists on accepting the challenge himself and breaks the man's neck. Cartwright manages to convince Tunga Khan to let the other women go, including Miss Ling. Before Miss Argent leaves, she sees the doctor hide a bottle that she had earlier called poison. She urges Cartwright not to do what she is planning, but to no avail. With the others safely away, Cartwright, now in a ''

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female J ...

'' outfit, goes to Tunga Khan's room and secretly poisons two drinks. She subserviently offers a cup to Tunga Khan, as she utters, "So long, ya bastard." After Tunga Khan drinks, he immediately keels over dead. Then, after a moment's hesitation, Cartwright drinks from the second cup.

Cast

as Dr. D. R. Cartwright * Sue Lyon as Emma Clark, Mission Staff *

as Agatha Andrews, Head of Mission *

as Miss Binns, Head of British Mission *

as Jane Argent, Andrews' Assistant * Betty Field as Mrs. Florrie Pether, Charles' pregnant wife *

as Mrs. Russell, Mission Staff *

as Charles Pether, Mission Teacher *

as Tunga Khan, Bandit Leader *

as Lean Warrior * Jane Chang as Miss Ling, Mission Staff * Hans William Lee as Kim, Mission Staff * H.W. Gim as Coolie *

Irene Tsu Irene Tsu (; born November 4, 1945)Cf. Lisanti & Paul (2002), p.293 is a Chinese American actress who made her debut in the film adaptation of ''Flower Drum Song'' in 1961, and has had many subsequent roles in TV and films. She was featured playi ...

as Chinese Girl

Accolades

The film also appeared in several lists: * Most Misappreciated American Films of All Time (1977,

Andrew Sarris Andrew Sarris (October 31, 1928 – June 20, 2012) was an American film critic. He was a leading proponent of the auteur theory of film criticism. Early life Sarris was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Greek immigrant parents, Themis (née Katav ...

) * Most Misappreciated American Films of All Time (1977, Pascal Bonitzer) * Most Misappreciated American Films of All Time (1977,

Serge Daney Serge Daney (June 4, 1944, Paris – June 12, 1992) was a French movie critic. He was a major figure of ''Cahiers du cinéma'' which he co-edited in the late 1970s. He also wrote extensively about films, television, and society in the newspaper ''Li ...

) * Most Important American Films (1977, Enno Patalas) * Most Important American Films (1977, Luc Moullet) * Genre Favorites: Adventure (1993) * Alternative Choices to Sight and Sound's 360 Films Classics List (1998) * 100 Essential Films (2003–Present, Slant Magazine) * Favorite Films (1975, Syndicat Francais de la Critique de Cinema) '' Cahiers du cinéma'' voted it the sixth-best film of 1966 and

rated it the third-best of 1966 (only being beaten by ''

Blow-up ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemming ...

'' and '' Gertrud''). The film is currently ranked number 784 on the ''They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?'' list of the 1000 greatest films of all time. The list is based on a poll of 1,825

film critics Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...

, scholars, and cinephiles, as well as a culling of over 900 existing "greatest film" lists.

Production

The original story, "Chinese Finale", was presented as an episode of '' Alcoa Theatre'' in March 1960 with

Hilda Plowright Hilda Plowright (29 November 1890 – 9 October 1973) was a British actress. Biography Plowright was born in Swaffham, Norfolk, England. Following a career on the stage in Britain she came to the United States and obtained work and a Social S ...

as Miss Andrews and

Jan Sterling Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling ...

as Dr. Mary Cartwright. John Ford considered both Katharine Hepburn and

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...

for the role of Dr. Cartwright, and

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

lobbied for the part, but eventually

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

was cast. Ford began the film on 8 February 1965 on the MGM back lot, but after three days of filming, Neal had a stroke. Anne Bancroft took over the role of Dr. Cartwright, but Ford was unhappy with Bancroft and called her "the mistress of monotone". Ford originally considered

Carol Lynley Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones; February 13, 1942 – September 3, 2019) was an American actress known for her roles in the films '' Blue Denim'' (1959) and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972). Lynley was born in Manhattan to an Irish ...

for the role played in the film by MGM contract star Sue Lyon, on whom the studio insisted. Shooting finished on April 12, six days behind schedule. Ford chose

Otho Lovering Otho Lovering (December 1, 1892 – October 25, 1968) was an American filmmaker with about eighty editing credits on feature films and television programs. Biography Born in 1892, he was the son of Frank Lovering, a stenographer, and Georgie Lov ...

to edit the film; they had first worked together on '' Stagecoach'' (1939). Lovering edited most of Ford's feature films in the 1960s. The film was not released until 1966.

Analysis

As Ford was a devout Catholic, the film shows the difference between the claim of being moral and the act of morals; the stark contrast between compassion and sacrifice to the austere holier-than-thou philosophy.

References

External links

* * * * {{John Ford 1966 films 1966 drama films 1960s English-language films 1960s Mandarin-language films American drama films Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films directed by John Ford Films based on short fiction Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films set in 1935 Films set in China 1960s American films