Seven Alone

(aka HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS)
(1974, U.S.) color 80 / 97 minutes
Doty-Dayton Releasing
Story: Honoré Morrow (from her novel "On to Oregon")
Screenplay: Eleanor Lamb, Douglas G. Stewart
Music by Robert O. Ragland
Theme song performed by Pat Boone ("Only a Dream Away")
Lyrics by Arthur Hamilton
Film editing by Dan Greer
Casting by Henry Rackin
Cinematography: Robert W. Stum
Produced by Lyman D. Dayton
Directed by Earl Bellamy

With: Dewey Martin (Henry Sager), Aldo Ray (Dr. Dutch), Anne Collings (Naome Sager), Dean Smith (Kit Carson), Stewart Petersen (John Sager), James Griffith, Dehl Berti, Bea Morris (Sally Shaw), Scott Peterson ( Francis Sager), Debbie van Orden (Catherine Sager), Diane Peterson (Matilda Sager), Suzanne Peterson (Louisa Sager), Julie Peterson (Elizabeth Sager), Christy Clark (Anna Sager), James Griffith (Billy Shaw), Ann Seymour (Narrator, as adult Catherine)

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Plot: In 1842, Henry Sager and his family live on a farm in Missouri, but the lure of the west, specifically Oregon, serves as a symbol of the promised land. After pulling a prank on his siblings, John Sager, the eldest of Henry and Naome Sager’s six children, is relegated to dealing with the livestock, and during this task, he spots a wagon train heading west. Excitedly, he informs his father, who, like his son, desires to move to a better life in Oregon. Naome, however, has no interest in a potential transfer of the Sager brood westward, but after some prodding from Henry and John, agrees to uproot the family. During the initial part of the journey with several other Oregon-bound settlers, the Sager family grows by one as Naome gives birth to a daughter and thus, the family is now comprised of two adults and seven children. John’s relationship with his dad has deteriorated and he decides to run away, but fate intervenes. After being robbed by an Indian, John is saved by the legendary western figure Kit Carson who returns the prodigal son back to the Sager family. Meanwhile, the Indian who took John’s clothing and other belongings arrives with more of the tribe to pillage the Sager family campsite, but Henry, with the help of Kit Carson, battles the intruders and ultimately prevails, but the cost is great. Henry is stabbed, and eventually perishes en route to his dream destination. Likewise, Naome dies from dysentery along the Oregon Trail, and now John must accomplish his father’s goal of building a homestead out west. It will be challenging as the seven children must endure selling the family possessions, being burglarized by another Indian tribe, crossing a raging river, and climbing a mountain range through intolerable winter weather conditions. The united clan, however, succeeds and makes it to the Whitman cabin on the Oregon border. There, they are reunited with Kit Carson, and plan their future which will come to fruition soon enough that spring.

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Synopsis: Perseverance serves as the foundation for an exceptional kiddie matinee and family movie, Seven Alone. Shot on location in and around Cokeville, Wyoming, the 80-minute in length film had me cheering for the Sager family during their adventurous trek west along the Oregon Trail. Based on Honoré Morrow’s book, On to Oregon, Seven Alone begins innocently enough with an older child’s prank conducted on his five younger siblings. John Sager, played by Stewart Peterson, then receives the wrath of his father, Henry Sager, portrayed by Dewey Martin for the childish shenanigans. Dad punishes his oldest son by making him manage the family livestock, a dirty job, for the afternoon. While performing this chore, John sights a wagon train heading west and immediately brings it to his father’s attention. Henry admits to his wife Naome, played by Anne Collings, of his deep-down desire to build a homestead in Oregon. Meanwhile, the covered wagons pass by the Sager farm in Missouri, and Henry discusses with some of the trail riders assisting the caravan about moving west. Billy Shaw, portrayed by James Griffith, tells Henry to think about joining the next wagons west in one year. With the seed planted in his mind, Henry must now try to convince Naome to head to Oregon. It, however, will not be an easy task.

Nevertheless, a pregnant Naome, who is happy living in the Sager’s Missouri farmhouse, and constantly admires the stained glass window, a family heirloom, in the edifice, suddenly switches gear and agrees to obey her husband and head west. The Sager clan joins the Oregon caravan, and soon thereafter, trouble begins. One of the Sager children, Catherine, played by Debbie van Orden, has her leg broken when John mistakenly fails to notice her near the vehicle stuck in a rut, and a wagon wheel rolls over her lower limb. Once again, Henry chews out his eldest son for his lack of responsibility. Dr. Dutch, portrayed by Aldo Ray, also yells at a dejected John for demonstrating a lack of concern for his younger sister. Fed up, John decides to run away from the Sager campsite. The next morning, an Indian wakes him up, and steals his rifle, food, and clothing. Help, however, shows up in the form of Kit Carson, performed by Dean Smith, who returns the boy back to his family. Meanwhile, Naome gives birth to a girl, and now the Sagers have seven children.

On the other hand, there is no time to welcome the prodigal son back, as the same Indian and his group, have opted to attack the Sager wagon. Kit and Henry successfully fend off the intruders, but the Sager dad is stabbed. Carson tells John his dad is one of the bravest men he has known, and then he (Carson) gallops off. As they continue the journey on the Oregon Trail, Henry succumbs to blood poisoning. Prior to his death, Henry provides a pep talk to John about seeing the family dream through. Naome also discusses with John about the importance of now being the father figure in the family, especially to the Sager’s newest edition, Anna. John takes on his new leadership role with vigor and is determined to get his clan to Oregon. A few miles down the road, more heartache occurs. Dysentery impacts the caravan, and Naome dies. The Sager children, Seven Alone, must now head west without their patriarchs. Billy Shaw’s wife Sally, played by Bea Morris, helps take care of Anna and another of the youngest children, Matilda, as the wagon train heads to the next stop of Fort Hall.

During this layover, the westward group is told to hunker down at the site because winter is approaching, and it would be too dangerous to cross the Blue Mountains into Oregon. Undaunted, John is ready to press, but Kit Carson enters the scene again. His timing is impeccable. After much discussion with Billy Shaw, Kit goes against rational thinking, and agrees to help John and his siblings head to the Whitman cabin on the Oregon border before the onset of winter. Carson trades some of the Sager’s livestock and supplies (including the covered wagon) to some local Indians for foods and other necessities for the kids. Kit’s assistance is brief, as he leaves the children on the trail and tells John he will see him soon at the proposed Sager homestead in Oregon.

The Sagers continue on, but problems continue to arise, as Anna (kidnapped by John from the Shaws’ tent along with his sister Matilda) needs nourishment. As luck would have it, the seven come upon an Indian campsite complete with teepees, and a squaw willing to assist with Anna’s cry for food. John and his siblings camp the night, but awaken to find some of their livestock and other belongings taken by the tribe. Nonetheless, John’s leadership abilities continue to sharpen, and the Sagers march on. When they encounter a river too deep to cross, the eldest Sager child builds a raft, and the clan makes it to the other side. Their horses and livestock soon join up with them. They then encounter Billy and Sally Shaw, as well as Dr. Dutch, who now suffer from dysentery. The Sager children help nurse the ailing three, and then its back on the road again. They also meet up with another portion of the wagon caravan who, like the Shaws and Dr. Dutch, wanted to continue to Oregon. John is told he and his family are now in California and will have to backtrack 20 miles to get back on the right trail to Whitman’s cabin and on to Oregon. An Indian guide with the group leads John and his siblings in the right direction, but only agrees to do so if John will give him Henry’s watch. John does, but the Indian’s pace is too fast for the Sagers’, so the seven kids, cold and hungry, continue their journey solo to Whitman’s cabin.

Winter has arrived, and how much longer can the seven youngsters survive with little food and poor morale. Ever the cheerleader, John rallies his brood, but chasing his father’s dream is slowly fading. While crossing the mountains, the Sager kids watch as one of their beloved mules dies in the snow, and now only one of their cows is left. While on a scouting mission, John finds the Indian he had given his dad’s watch to has died in the snow. He returns to his siblings, who, at this point, have given up the dream, and tell John they do not want to continue. John perseveres alone, and while trekking through knee-deep snow, he comes across the Whitman cabin. Finally, through thick and thin, the Sager children have made it. In the warm confines of the Whitman’s log home, they again meet up with Kit Carson who tells John that he has allocated 200 acres of pristine land in Oregon for the Sager kids’ to build their parents’ dream. The film ends with a shot of the beautiful acreage, and all seven Sagers running in their new home.

The scenery in Seven Alone is magnificent, and significantly adds to this film’s charm. In addition, Robert O’ Ragland’s soundtrack provides a steady musical balance during the Sager family’s rollercoaster adventure to Oregon. Likewise, Pat Boone’s theme song, Only A Dream Away, played in the beginning and end credits, is one of his finer performances.

All in all, Seven Alone is a highly-recommended kiddie-matinee and family film.

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Notes: Director Earl Bellamy died on Nov. 30, 2003, in Albuquerque, N.M., at age 86. He directed more than 1,600 episodes for various television programs from the 1940s through the 1980s including Trapper John, M.D., Hart to Hart, Love Boat, CHiPS, The Partridge Family and Then Came Bronson.

Dewey Martin (Henry Sager) played roles in the televison series’ Police Story, Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five-O and The F.B.I., as well as in other TV programs from the 1940s through the 1970s.

Anne Collings (Naome Sager) performed in episodes of the 1970s NBC-TV series Emergency! and appeared in the 1981 television show, Concrete Cowboys.

Stewart Petersen (John Sager) acted in the 1970s films, Where the Red Fern Grows, Against a Crooked Sky, and Pony Express Rider.

Aldo Ray (Dr. Dutch) played roles in several TV series including Love, American Style, Bonanza, Marcus Welby, M.D. and Falcon Crest.

Robert O’ Ragland has provided the music to such films as Mountain Family Robinson, Grizzly, The Daring Dobermans and Where’s Willie?

Pat Boone is a noted singer, actor, and author who is known for his popular song hits from the 1950s and early 1960s such as Love Letters in the Sand and Moody River. He appeared in the films Mardi Gras, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and State Fair. In the late 1960s, Boone served as co-owner of the American Basketball Association’s Oakland Oaks franchise. In the 1970s, he formed a Christian recording label, Lamb and Lion Records.

- Michael P. Kleiman