Oscar-winning filmmaker John Ford capped his legendary 53-year career behind the camera with the release of historical drama 7 Women. As the film approaches its 60th anniversary, it made its way onto Blu-ray in August for the first time by way of the Warner Archive Collection. The new 1080p HD master is sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative and presented in color in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a DTS HD-MA 2.0 MONO soundtrack. For what it’s worth, this version of 7 Women runs 87 minutes in length and doesn’t include the 6 minutes of footage that found its way into a TV broadcast that aired during the 1970s.

In 1935 rural China, a remote American Christian mission is run almost entirely by women under the strict Miss Agatha Andrews (Margaret Leighton), aided by the timid Miss Jane Argent (Mildred Dunnock). The mission’s male teacher, Charles Pether (Eddie Albert), is married to the domineering, first-time pregnant Florrie (Betty Field), while the young Emma Clark (Sue Lyon) quietly observes. Order is disrupted when Dr. D. R. Cartwright (Anne Bancroft), a brash female doctor from Chicago, arrives—smoking, drinking, swearing, and wearing pants. Her modern ways clash with Andrews’ rigid values, while Emma is fascinated by her boldness. Cartwright immediately urges medical caution for Florrie’s risky pregnancy, but her advice is ignored.

After nearby British missionaries fall victim to the Mongolian warlord Tunga Khan (Mike Mazurki), survivors arrive, unwittingly bringing cholera. Dr. Cartwright takes charge, enforcing hygiene and vaccinations, while Emma herself falls ill. The crisis intensifies tensions: Cartwright’s unconventional lifestyle shocks the women, especially the prudish Andrews, but her competence proves vital. Cartwright candidly shares the sacrifices of being a female doctor, including heartbreak and betrayal, highlighting the stark contrast between her independence and the mission’s sheltered environment.

When Tunga Khan attacks, Charles tries to intervene but is killed, leaving the women at the mercy of the bandits. Florrie goes into labor under the looming threat, and Cartwright negotiates with Tunga Khan, offering her body in exchange for the medical supplies needed to deliver the baby. Andrews’ moral rigidity drives her into hysteria, vilifying Cartwright even as the other women recognize the doctor’s courageous sacrifice. Cartwright safely delivers Florrie’s son and positions herself close to the warlord to protect the others.

In 7 Women’s tense finale, Cartwright maneuvers close to Tunga Khan, negotiating the women’s release. Once they are freed, she secretly offers him a poisoned drink. Tunga Khan collapses and dies, with Cartwright taking a cautious sip herself, ensuring the mission and its survivors are finally safe from the warlord’s grasp.

I’m not particularly a fan of Cartwright essentially killing herself in the final moments of 7 Women. I understand poisoning Khan to save the mission, but why go so far as to kill herself? Make it make sense! Still, it’s not lost on me how Joseph LaShelle’s cinematography lights those final moments almost as if it were a stage production.

John Ford was known throughout his career for making Westerns, though The Grapes of Wrath is one of the rare films that doesn’t fit his traditional mold. And in 7 Women, the filmmaker famous for Westerns ends his career with an “eastern.” This isn’t the only departure. Ford—often labeled a “man’s man” director, especially with how often he worked with John Wayne—finishes his career with a film led not by men but by seven women. If that’s not enough, his final film is confined to the walls of an isolated mission rather than the wide-open outdoor settings he typically favored.

Anne Bancroft was not Ford’s first choice to play the doctor in 7 Women. He preferred Katharine Hepburn or Jennifer Jones. The role ultimately went to Patricia Neal, who suffered a stroke three days into production. Bancroft stepped in, much to Ford’s chagrin, and the Oscar winner does her best with the material.

John Ford may have thought 7 Women was a masterpiece at the time, but it hasn’t aged particularly well nearly 60 years later. I understand the desire to restore it—Ford is an iconic filmmaker, and this is his final film—but to each their own, I suppose.

7 Women marks an ambitious, unusual coda to John Ford’s legendary career, with strong performances—especially from Anne Bancroft—but its story choices and dated sensibilities make it a curiosity rather than a classic.

Bonus Features

• Production Featurette John Ford’s Magic Stage
• Animated Short Subject The Dot and the Line
• Original Theatrical Trailer

DIRECTOR: John Ford
SCREENWRITERS: Janet Green and John McCormick
CAST: Anne Bancroft, Sue Lyon, Margaret Leighton, Flora Robson, Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field, Anna Lee, with Mike Mazurki, Woody Strode, Jane Chang, and Eddie Albert

MGM released 7 Women in theaters on January 5, 1966. Grade: 3/5

Please subscribe to The Solzy Report and visit Dugout Dirt.