Seventh Heaven

Talkie remake of the silent classic about the romance between a sewer worker and an abused woman in WWI-era Paris. The original is one of my favorite silent films, with beautiful performances by Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, and excellent direction by Frank Borzage. This one is good on its own but it's lacking the magic the first film had.

Some are going to balk at Stewart playing a Frenchman but it was common for American actors back then not to attempt accents when playing foreign parts. It doesn't bother me. I never really get that criticism anyway. How is using an accent but speaking English instead of French any better or more authentic? Stewart does a fine job. Not one of his best performances but nothing to be embarrassed about. Simone Simon is one of the most beautiful women to ever appear on film. The camera is absolutely in love with her. She's also great in this role, bringing sensitivity and gentleness to the part like few other actresses of the time could have done. Jimmy and Simone, while individually appealing, don't have much romantic chemistry. Still, I defy anyone's heart not to melt when Simone gets the soft light treatment & begs Jimmy to say sweet things to her. The supporting cast is good. Gale Sondergaard, Jean Hersholt, Gregory Ratoff, J. Edward Bromberg, John Qualen, and Sig Ruman are among the top-notch actors in this.

It's an entertaining movie with a lot to like about it. It probably helps if you haven't seen the original, which is just perfect. Still, I adore any movie with Simone Simon so I definitely recommend you check this out for her, if nothing else.

This movie has stuck with me since seeing it late at night on television 26 years ago. I became a Simon Simone fan and was already a Jimmy Stewart fan. An up lifting story showing that even the seemingly lowest people on the social scale can be courageous, serve a higher purpose, overcome hardships and past mistakes, and have a happy life shared with a true love. I have to admit to being a sucker for these types of movies though. This movie is similar to Cannery Row (Nick Nolte and Debra Winger) and The World Of Suzie Wong (William Holden and Nancy Kwan). I have never been able to find this movie showing on television since or on DVD or VHA. Wish I could find this one on DVD or VHS since I would love to share watching it with my wife.

A unique film - strangely haunting. Beautiful sets. I thought about this film for a long time after first seeing it. I've never seen another film quite like it. The story was very sweet, but also compelling, and unpredictable. I was frequently surprised by the plot which held my attention from beginning to end. Excellent acting and memorable characters. Recommended viewing.

My mother, whose stage name was Donnie Gay, was an actress in the 1930's and early 1940's, and was Simone Simone's stand-in and double. So, in "7th Heaven", when the Diane character is getting slapped around and otherwise disrespected, that was my Mother. They were both indeed beautiful women. They lost touch after WW II began, and my parents left Hollywood for the war effort. I did do some research some time back, and I believe that Miss Simone returned to France in the 1960's, I believe, and died there in the 1980's or the 1990's. I wouldn't swear to this: it's been a few years since I did this research, and those papers were probably lost in a house fire in 2002. At the time "7th Heaven" was made, my Mother was still married to her first husband, Charles Hansen, who ran a dance studio in Hollywood similar to Arthur Murray. In fact, I believe the dance studio was still in existence in the 1970's or 1980's. For what it's worth, my Mother passed away right before Christmas in 1980. I will check to see if I still have a copy of the research that I did on Miss Simone.

-HWM

Watching this movie, I can't understand why Simone Simon didn't become a great star. In this movie she's luminous on a level with Ingrid Bergman & Audrey Hepburn. Watch the scene where Jimmy Stewart really look at her for the first time as she turns her face to his with the melody of 'Diane' playing softly; movie magic!

She made two other well-known movies: Cat People & Curse of the Cat People, then her career dwindled into nothingness. Perhaps if she'd had more charismatic co-stars like James Stewart to play off against. She should have been James Cagney's unrequited love in "The Roaring Twenties" instead of that insipid Priscilla Lane (or was it Rosemary Lane?)

James Stewart is superb as Chico. He's awkward, gruff, reluctant to get involved with other people yet his core decency compels him prevent Diane's mistreatment and stop her suicide attempt. Stewart was probably that way in real life. I don't agree that he's miscast or that he should have a French accent. There are people like that in all countries. It's not about France or French people. Any urban setting like London, Rome, New York etc. would have done equally well.

I found the character played by J. Edward Bromberg rather disturbing. He kept showing up to rain on Diane's parade with those strange eyes. I kept hoping Diane would give him a beating like she did to Gale Sonergaard.