Seventh Heaven (1937)

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Movie
German title In the seventh heaven
Original title Seventh Heaven
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1937
length 86 minutes
Rod
Director Henry King
script Melville Baker
production Darryl F. Zanuck
music David Buttolph ,
Cyril J. Mockridge
camera Merritt B. Gerstad
cut Barbara McLean
occupation

Seventh Heaven (Original title: Seventh Heaven ) is an American film drama from 1937. Directed by Henry King , Simone Simon and James Stewart star. It is a remake of the silent film Das Glück in der Mansarde (1927). Both films were based on a play by Austin Strong .

action

Paris 1914: Because the anxious Diane rejects the advances of a guest in her sister Nana's shabby café, Nana throws her on the street of the slum and beats her. The sewer cleaner Chico intervenes and forces Nana to let go of Diane, who is lying on the floor. Chico then sits down on a curb with his friends Boul and Sewer Rat and announces that he has become an atheist, as his prayers for a better life have so far remained unanswered. At the entrance to the local church, Father Chevillon notices him and offers him a job as a street cleaner, if in return he believes in God again and also takes care of the helpless Diane. Finally a better future in sight, Chico agrees.

The rejected cafe visitor has meanwhile called the police. While Nana is being taken away, Chico presents Diane as his rightful wife to a gendarme. The gendarme asks to find out his address and threatens to drop by them to check Chico's statement. Chico is therefore forced to let Diane live with him. On the way to his attic apartment on the seventh floor, Chico tries to infect Diane, who had just wanted to kill herself, with his newfound optimism. Once in Chico's modest but clean place to stay, Diane feels like she is in heaven. It's already late and Chico lets Diane sleep in his bed while he spends the night with his neighbor, the astrologer Aristide.

The next morning, shortly after Chico left for his new job, the gendarme came by and Diane, who was cooking, opened the door for him. The gendarme is relieved to see that Diane apparently really is Chico's wife and assures her that everything is fine now and that he will not come back again. When Chico returns home and he wants to celebrate his new job with his neighbors, the Gobins, Diane can't bring herself to tell him that the gendarme has already been there. While Chico is going to get a bottle of wine, neighbor Aristide comes in through the window and reprimands Diane for not telling Chico about the gendarme. After all, she had promised that after his visit, Chico would not be lying on the bag again. Plagued by guilt, Diane leaves the attic. However, Chico is concerned about Diane's sudden disappearance and goes in search of her. He finds her in a restaurant where an older man is making advances to her. Chico pushes the man to the ground and brings Diane back home. He assures her that she is a decent person and that she can stay with him.

In time, Diane overcomes her fearfulness and Chico eventually proposes to her. But now the First World War has broken out and the men are called to the front. On the day they want to get married, Chico also receives his draft notice. Before he leaves, however, they declare themselves husband and wife in front of God and promise to think of each other at 11 a.m. every morning. When Chico is gone, Nana appears in the attic and tries to force Diane to go back to work in her café and be of service to men. Diane, however, refuses to put up with Nana anymore and hits her angrily. Nana finally runs away.

After four years of war, Chico is still fighting in the trenches while Diane tends to injured soldiers in a hospital. They think of each other every day at 11 a.m. When the war ends, Diane hopes Chico will return soon. Neighbor Gobin, who fought with Chico at the front, and Aristide too, are convinced that Chico died. But it is only when Father Chevillon gives her a medallion that the injured Chico had entrusted to him on the battlefield, does Diane begin to believe that Chico actually perished. She is heartbroken when suddenly the bell strikes 11 o'clock and she feels inside that Chico is still alive. She rushes up to the attic and sees Chico standing by the window. An explosion has cost him his eyesight, but they happily hug each other and thank God that they are reunited.

background

Austin Strong's play Seventh Heaven was performed 704 times on Broadway from 1922 to 1924 . In 1927 it was filmed for the first time by the Fox Film Corporation under the title Das Glück in der Mansarde . Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell , directed by Frank Borzage, starred in this silent film . The film was extremely successful at the box office and received three Oscars in the categories of Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the first Academy Awards .

In the mid-1930s, 20th Century Fox decided to film the story again. The Chico should play Tyrone Power first . However, producer Darryl F. Zanuck preferred to cast him in Der Liebesreporter (1937), because he wanted to build star power with romantic comedies. Don Ameche and John Carradine were also in discussion for Jean Hersholt's priest . Filming began in early December 1936 and was finished in late January 1937. William S. Darling was responsible for the film construction, assisted by Thomas Little as an outfitter. Gwen Wakeling designed the costumes.

Seventh Heaven premiered on March 25, 1937 in the United States .

Reviews

Variety found that Simone Simon's performance was "mixed and sometimes disturbing". You always notice a certain uncertainty in her. However, there are "several scenes that are excellently interspersed with heartbreak and humor". Above all James Stewart with his “unshakable understanding of his role” and Henry King's direction contributed to the success of these scenes.

Henry King's remake of Borzage's film has "a lot of sensitivity, but little persuasive power," judged the TimeOut film guide . The main problem is James Stewart's "insurmountable American style". His “exuberant optimism”, with which he “shows Simones Diane the way to the stars, teaches her to overcome her fears and to believe in love”, make him appear like “an overzealous boy scout”. Nevertheless, it is a "touching story".

The film critic Leonard Maltin came to the conclusion that Henry King's film with a "Gallic Stewart and a bland script" does not come close to the quality of the famous silent film by Frank Borzage.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Seventh Heaven in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
  2. ↑ cf. Notes on tcm.com
  3. ^ "Simone Simon's is a mixed, and at times disturbing, performance. Frequent impression is that she's uncertain of the character. [...] There are several scenes brilliantly mixed for poignancy and humor. Major credit for this is due James Stewart's firm grasp of his role and to Henry King's direction. " See Seventh Heaven . In: Variety , 1937.
  4. ^ "Henry King's remake of Borzage's incandescent romance is a film of some sensitivity but little conviction. [...] But the real problem is James Stewart's ineradicably American persona: the ebullient optimism with which his Chico shows Simone's Diane the way to the stars, teaching her to shed her fear of life and to have faith in love, makes him sound like a gung ho boy scout. An affecting little tale, all the same. " See Seventh Heaven on timeout.com
  5. ↑ "Famous silent film of poignant lovers in France doesn't do as well this time, with Gallic Stewart and soggy script." Leonard Maltin : Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2006 . Signet 2005, p. 1146.