Seventh Heaven

I thought it was a very sweet movie. It made me believe in true romance, that there is such a thing as making love without...you know what I mean. It was uplifting because bravery and heaven were big in this movie. "Chico, Diane, Heaven" for example. That phrase kept me hanging on. Their bravery helped them achieve their heaven.

Simone Simon glowed. She was inspired by James Stewart's character. Her character was lit up by Chico whose pure innocence and positive attitude overshadowed any shortcomings of her character. Stewart came across so well that I could not stop watching the film even though he lacked a French accent. This movie must be seen by all of Jimmy Stewart's fans. It's as if Stewart's star quality is irrepressible. Its as if his personal good character comes across better than the script can tell;therefore,I can accept this story. I have to admit I have seen many of his movies before I saw this one, including many times "Its a Wonderful Life". But, in this film "Seventh Heaven" he allows Simone Simon to make the story work. The two actors are at their best in this old fashioned melodrama. This is a rare instance where the actors pulled the story to a much higher plain. Perhaps that is why it's called "Seventh Heaven".

Being a younger Jimmy Stewart fan, I of course am prone to relish in his early works because of how dashing and handsome he was. Just like any other Jimmy Stewart film, you will not be disappointed and if you do not like the movie in all its entirety you will definitely find something that you did like to take with you. Seventh Heaven turned out to be exactly what I expected from the title. Simone Simon was beautiful and wonderful in her role and Jimmy Stewart was charming and endearing as always. It is true that this film is dated...it was made in 1936 but the message it carries of true love will remain timeless. It was very uplifting and if you are a Jimmy Stewart fan esp. of his romances from earlier years this is a great, seven star film to watch. It will give you a great dose of Jimmy Stewart and a good sprinkle of faith to believe that true love does indeed conquer all.

Seventh Heaven from 1937 is a remake of the popular film from 1927 starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell.

This time the roles of Chico and Diane are played by Jimmy Stewart, on loan to 20th Century Fox from MGM and Simone Simon.

I believe this role was intended for Tyrone Power, as he was a favorite of director Henry King and made a sort of splash with Simone in Girls Dormitory. Although he only had a cameo, one of the gossip columnists sat through the film twice to get his name.

I suspect Zanuck traded another actor with MGM.

It is France 1914. And let's get "Jimmy Stewart doesn't use a French accent" out of the way. They're in France, speaking French, perhaps with different dialects. They are not speaking English with a French accent.

Chico works in the sewers with ambition to become a street washer. He saves Diane from being arrested when the club she works in is cleared out by claiming she is his wife.

Now he's stuck because the police say they will check on them. So he brings Diane to his apartment which is seven flights up. It's a neat set - very open - a board outside his large window provides a walkway so that one can walk to the other apartments.

Chico and Diane fall in love and want to marry. However, on the day of their wedding, Chico receives a draft notice and must leave immediately. He promises Diane that he will be with her spiritually at 11 am daily.

Later, Diane is told that Chico is dead. She refuses to believe it.

This is a lovely film about the power of love, faith, courage, and miracles. Stewart is very boyish and funny. Simon is adorable. She returned to France to make films, but came back and was a huge hit in Cat People, reappearing as the same character in Curse of the Cat People. Ultimately she left the States for good. My mother told me she disappeared. No, she just went home to work.

Zanuck didn't have much luck with building up French actresses. He brought the French star Annabella over, only to have her fall in love with Tyrone Power. Zanuck then tried to send her back to break them up; when she wouldn't leave, he blacklisted her.

Good film, good cast.

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