"The moment I saw him smile, I knew he was just my style. But he doesn't know I exist. No matter how I may persist." (Martin and Blaine, 1944)

These poignant lyrics encapsulate the essence of unrequited love in movie musicals and are a recurring theme in the selected films.

In Part Two of The Search for Love, some of our favorite characters follow this path, whether strolling up 5th Avenue (Easter Parade), riding through the prairie and corn fields of Oklahoma, or living in the mountains of Oregon (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers).

Welcome to the Spring - Summer 2025 Edition ~ A One-Sided Love Affair.

As the Guidebook opens with these films, all the principal characters grapple with disappointment in love.

In Easter Parade, Don loves Nadine, Nadine loves Johnny, Johnny loves Hannah, and Hannah loves Don. This complex web of unrequited love is reminiscent of the J. Giles Band Anthem, 'You love her, but she loves him, and he loves somebody else.' The song's lyrics mirror the characters' entangled emotions.

In Oklahoma, Laurie and Curley hide their feelings by commenting on the other's ability to sing, tell jokes, or impress each other.

In Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Millie is an independent woman who falls in love at first sight with a "backwoodsman" (Adam) who is "shopping for a wife."

As each story progresses, it is clear that each character is fiercely independent, driven by personal goals and ambitions. In this landscape of dreams and aspirations, romance often takes a backseat, quietly lurking beneath the surface. When love does present itself, it can be challenging to recognize amidst the noise of these other pursuits, whether it be fame or settling the vast open spaces of new states and territories. Moreover, realizing unrequited feelings adds another layer of complexity, as yearning for someone who doesn't reciprocate can be a painful, isolating experience.

Each character navigates their path, discovering that the search for love can sometimes feel like a misaligned compass, leading them toward heartbreak rather than fulfillment.

Perhaps Hannah articulates the feeling best when she responds to Johnny's declaration of love:

"I'm in love with Don, and it's nothing like I thought it was going to be. It never is. You know, l used to dream that when I'd fall in love with a man, he'd send me flowers, sweep me off my feet, take me in his arms. It's nothing like that with Don. When he sweeps me off my feet, it's during a dance number. When he sends me flowers, it's because it's good for business. Oh, he's taken me in his arms, but there've never been less than seven hundred people watching. Oh, it's not his fault. It's mine. When they were passing out the wishes - - I wished for him."

Hannah's declaration contains some valuable nuggets of truth for Millie and Laurie. It highlights the disparity between romantic expectations and reality, the role of personal responsibility in relationships, and the painful realization that real love doesn't always conform to the love we wish for or fantasize about.

When Adam lays out the business-like marriage proposal ("I got a farm up the mountain, a house on it too, there are sheep, milk cows, fifty acres of wheat, and timberland. The only thing it ain't got? It ain't got a woman. How 'bout it? How 'bout marryin' me?" Millie accepts with an equally matter-of-fact response ("I have to finish my chores first"). Her wedding bouquet is not fancy flowers but practical and natural sorrel, which makes "real nourishing soup."

Laurie discourages Curley from offering bouquets and flattery, indicating that such behavior would lead people to say, "We're in love."

While 'people' may sense the love simmering beneath the surface among couples, the main characters do not. Each woman, deeply in love with the object of her affection, also grapples with significant feelings of jealousy, sadness, and, at times, anger.

Hannah becomes emotional as she confides in Johnny about Don's behavior, saying, "He doesn't even know I'm alive half the time!" She resents him when she suspects Don wants to join the Ziegfeld show simply to return to Nadine, exclaiming, "The experiment worked! You can teach anyone to dance! Now go on back to Nadine and her Russian wolfhounds!" These complex emotions add depth and richness to the storytelling.

Laurie faces disappointment for herself and Curley when she refuses to break her date with Judd for the Box Social, which leads to jealousy when she sees the Cummins gal linking arms with Curley at the event.

Millie's anger is palpable when she confronts Adam about the kidnapping of the "brides." She lashes out, saying, "You got no feeling, you got no understanding! You think because I said yes to you, I didn't make you court me and coax me that that's all there is to it!" Adam's blunt response ("We'll get a parson up here someway.") does not recognize Millie's emotions or the bride's fears.

These angry, jealous, and tearful exchanges lead all the couples to separate. Don leaves Hannah behind a closed door, Curley searches for Judd to see "what's so special about him that makes all the girls want to go to parties with him," and Adam retreats to the trapping cabin while Millie awaits the Birth of their child.

While the ladies wear their emotions on their faces and in their voices for all the world to see, it takes almost the entire film for their men to acknowledge and return their lady's love. Curley proposes to Laurie after Judd has frightened her; Don realizes his love for Hannah ('Why didn't you tell me I was in love with you?') after she sings a beautiful reprise of It Only Happens When I Dance with You. Adam returns to Millie after the Birth of his daughter, confessing, When You're in Love.

As all the ladies pursue or settle into the love relationship, they may not get the romance they long for, but ultimately, they get what they wished for -- him.

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~~~Lori