Seven Sweethearts

This wartime musical comedy is very charming, in part due to its unusual story line. Credit to director Frank Borzage and the writers for including many whimsical elements.

Songstress Kathryn Grayson plays the youngest daughter (Billie) of a Michigan family and carries the biggest load due to her vocalizing. When a New York photojournalist (Van Heflin as Henry Taggart) comes to their small town to cover the local tulip festival, he is caught off guard by the innkeeper's seven daughters, each a stunning beauty.

"Cuddles" Sakall is the father who runs his inn in an unconventional manner, but still clings to traditions. He is a lovable character with plenty of personality.

Though the story has its conflicts, it never feels heavy. This is a quirky film that is fun to watch.

If I called 'Seven Sweethearts' not a bad little film I would be damning it with faint praise and that is not my intention. It is a nice film. It is slow and enjoyable, a pleasant fantasy for wartime with a happy ending for everyone. On the other hand: Kathryn Grayson is no Deanna Durbin, not by a long chalk. Her soprano is too thin for my taste; I could have done with less of her singing. Van Heflin tries too hard to be the tough newspaper man; as a result he comes across as distinctly unlikeable. Then again, S. Z. Sakall gives a convincing anxious father. On balance, there are more up- than downsides to this film - but only just.

An American man from NYC arrives in a small town where Dutch people live.This is a very strange place to be ,predating Minnelli's "Brigadoon" .A place where time stood still:you do not pay when you are staying at the hotel,the girls all bear boys' name -cause dad wanted boys-and they can 't get married till the eldest does.By no means one of multi-talented Borzage's greatest achievements (most of them were behind him at the time),his movie retains freshness , a "Carpe Diem" spirit ,a good antidote to stress .My favorite scene takes place in the church.Good performances by the whole cast,particularly Van Heflin who learns to like another way of life.

Seven Sweethearts has Van Heflin as a news reporter sent on a puff assignment to cover the famous Tulip Festival in Delft, Michigan. Then as now Michigan has a large Dutch population, at the time it was represented in the US Senate by Arthur Vandenberg. But this particular town has turned into a veritable Dutch Theme Park.

All presided over by the local innkeeper S.Z. Sakall whose hotel staff includes his seven lovely daughters and Louise Beavers. All have some kind of talent, but Sakall wants to keep them near. The oldest daughter is Marsha Hunt and Sakall if he has to lose them wants them married off in descending order. He pushes Heflin and Hunt together who just wants to get out of Delft and go on the stage.

But Heflin has eyes for Kathryn Grayson. The plot premise is the same as in the Fred Astaire/Rita Hayworth classic You Were Never Lovelier being done the same year at Columbia. It's a much better film than Seven Sweethearts, having those two as leads and a Jerome Kern score give it an insurmountable boost over this film.

Not that Seven Sweethearts isn't bad. It's the kind of romantic tale that Frank Borzage loved and while this isn't one of his classics it's passable enough entertainment. Kathryn Grayson sings some nice melodies nothing special though. And Van Heflin is a favorite.

Seven Sweethearts is old fashioned, but still good entertainment.

Van Heflin is a roving photographer and story writer for a New York paper. He writes color pieces. He thinks he has found a suitable subject in New Delft in Michigan, where Dutch traditions survive. They are strongest in the eccentric hotel run by widowed S. Z. Sakall and his seven daughters, all of whom have boys' names. Heflin is initially annoyed by all the color, but soon falls in love with youngest daughter Kathryn Grayson. But an MGM feature needs some complications.

It's Joe Pasternak's first production for Metro, and it's his standard collection of schmaltz and sentiment under the direction of Frank Borzage -- who was getting tired of the tight rein on directors at the company. Pasternak clearly saw in Miss Grayson a chance to offer some competition to the Deanna Durbin machine he had been in charge of at Universal, and Miss Grayson gets a variety of songs to sing that show off her operatic voice. Cinematographer is in charge of lighting her, and does his usual impeccable job. It's good to see Heflin get a sympathetic lead for a change, and the usual MGM gloss is applied to a cast that includes Marsha Hunt, Cecillia Parker, Peggy Moran, Isobel Elsom, Donald Meek, and Louise Beavers. The highlight is the ensemble dance number in costume choreographed by Ernst Matray.