Seventh Heaven *** (1937, James Stewart, Simone Simon, Jean Hersholt, Gregory Ratoff, Gale Sondergaard, J Edward Bromberg, John Qualen, Sig Ruman) – Classic Movie Review 7540

The Seventh Heaven theatrical release poster by Joseph A Maturo.

Director Henry King’s 1937 romantic drama Seventh Heaven is an intriguing but mostly unsatisfactory remake of the 1927 silent film classic 7th Heaven with Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. This time James Stewart is improbably cast as Chico, an atheist worker in the Paris sewers who rescues the waif Diane (Simone Simon) in a rough neighbourhood of Paris in 1914.

First Chico rescues Diane from being beaten by her sister Nana (Gale Sondergaard) for neglecting an older patron in Nana’s tacky dance hall. Then he saves Diane from committing suicide and claims she is his wife when a policeman tries to take her into custody. He takes her home to his garret, hopefully to find bliss together on the seventh floor – she says ‘it is heaven’. But then Chico is drafted off to fight in the First World War and fights at the front for four long years…

Unfortunately, by 1937 this rather soppy romantic tale, based on Austin Strong’s 1922 play, seems to have strayed way out of its time. However, it does have some charm, and there is some fascination watching the talented cast of professionals going through their paces, with Stewart working hard, J Edward Bromberg excellent as his friend Aristide the Astrologer and Gale Sondergaard a welcome presence as Diane’s sister Nana.

Henry King directs capably and tidily on 20th Century Fox’s grand Paris set at the Fox Studios, 10201 Pico Blvd, Century City, Los Angeles.

Also in the cast are Jean Hersholt as as Father Chevillon, Gregory Ratoff, John Qualen, Sig Ruman, Victor Kilian, Mady Christians, Rollo Lloyd, Rafaela Ottiano, Georges Renavant, Edward Keane, Irving Bacon, John Hamilton, Will Stanton, Adrienne D’Ambricourt, John Bleifer, Eugene Borden, Joseph de Stefani, Alphonse Martell, Constant Franke, Marcelle Corday, Frank Puglia, Gene Massett, Leonid Snegoff, John Picorri, Evelyn Selbie and Paul Porcasi

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