''Seventh Heaven'' is an American

romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

released in 1937 by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, directed by Henry King and starring Simone Simon and

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

. The supporting cast features

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is most famous for starring on the CBS radio series '' Dr. Christian'' from 1937–1954, which later inspired a TV se ...

Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was best known for his role as producer "Max Fabian" in ''All About Eve'' (195 ...

Gale Sondergaard Gale Sondergaard (born Edith Holm Sondergaard; February 15, 1899 – August 14, 1985) was an American actress. Sondergaard began her acting career in theater and progressed to films in 1936. She was the first recipient of the Academy Award ...

, and

John Qualen John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was a Canadian-American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Early years Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, ...

. The film is a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

of the classic 1927 silent film of the same name directed by

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

and starring

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American actress. She began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later 20th Century-Fox) in 1926, she ...

and Charles Farrell. Both versions were based on the play '' Seventh Heaven'' by Austin Strong.

Plot

In a rough neighborhood of Paris in 1914, atheistic sewer worker Chico rescues a young woman named Diane being beaten by her sister Nana for not being nice to an older man, a patron in the sister's disreputable dance hall. Father Chevillon is determined to convert Chico. Chevillon learns from Boul, Chico's taxi driver friend, that Chico gave God a chance, but nothing came of it. The priest grants Chico's first prayer, getting him a promotion to street washer. He then gives Chico two religious medals for protection. Chico is amazed to discover that they are made of real silver; a price tag reveals they are worth twelve francs - exactly the cost of two candles he purchased in church for his prayers. Chevillon also gives him responsibility for Diane. Chico scoffs and goes off with his friends to celebrate his promotion, but returns just in time to stop Diane from committing suicide. When a policeman tries to take Diane into custody, Chico claims that she is his wife. Unconvinced, the policeman says he will check up on them, so Chico takes Diane home to his

garret A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally small with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a building, at the very to ...

, up seven flights of stairs. The first time she sees the place, she says, "it is heaven." Chico gives her his bed and goes to sleep with his neighbor Aristide, an astrologer. The next morning, Chico finds his place has been tidied up and Diane has prepared him a good breakfast. After Chico leaves, the policeman checks up on Diane; convinced she is indeed Chico's wife, he states he will not trouble her again. Diane starts to leave, but just then Chico and his neighbor and coworker Gobin arrive; Chico has passed his probationary test with flying colors, so Chico invites Gobin and his wife to dinner. When Chico asks Diane if anybody came by, she tells him no. After Chico leaves to get more food and drink, Aristide chastises Diane for lying to Chico and says that she may "drag him down, rob him forever of the greatness he might have known." Upset, Diane goes to a bar, where she lets a man buy her a drink. Chico finds out all about the confrontation from Aristide. He finds her and takes her out of the bar, pushing the other man back over a table when he objects. When she begs him to let her go, that she is as wicked as Aristide said she was, he tells her, "Chico said you were a fine, good girl, and therefore you must be one." When war breaks out, many of Chico's friends and neighbors are drafted, including Gobin and Chico's "Sewer Rat" friend, but not him. Chico gives Diane a present: a wedding dress. She asks him if he wants to marry her for love or out of pity. After an unsuccessful try or two, he finally says, "Chico ... Diane ... Heaven", making her very happy. Before they can marry, however, Chico receives his draft notice. With no time, they marry themselves before Chico leaves. Diane's sister comes to take Diane back by force, but Diane drives her away. For four years, Chico fights at the front, and Diane works as a nurse. Every morning at 11 o'clock, they each recite "Chico ... Diane ... Heaven." Diane feels her husband's presence then; he had promised to be with her somehow. However, one day, she abruptly cannot sense him anymore. He falls victim to a poison gas attack. Just before he is evacuated, Chico encounters Father Chevillon. He gives the priest his religious medal (Diane has the other one) to give to Diane. With the war almost over, a young officer Diane tended tells her that Chico has been listed killed in action, but she refuses to believe him, sensing his presence every day at 11. She goes to Father Chevillon, who gives her the medal Chico gave him. Heartbroken, she renounces her belief in God, but then she feels her lover's presence, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: the end of World War I. She rushes home, through the wild celebrations, and finds a blind but alive Chico. The couple embrace and Chico affirms his faith in God.

Cast

* Simone Simon as Diane *

as Chico *

as Father Chevillon *

as Boul *

as Nana * J. Edward Bromberg as Aristide *

as Sewer Rat *

Victor Kilian Victor Arthur Kilian (March 6, 1891 – March 11, 1979) was an American actor who was Hollywood blacklist, blacklisted by the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s. Early life, career, and homicide Born in J ...

as Gobin * Thomas Beck as Brissac *

Sig Ruman Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann (October 11, 1884 – February 14, 1967), billed as Sig Ruman and Sig Rumann, was a German-American character actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypically Teutonic officials or villains in ...

as Durand (as Sig Rumann) *

Mady Christians Marguerita Maria Christians (January 19, 1892 – October 28, 1951), known as Mady Christians, was an Austrian-born German-American actress who had a successful acting career in theatre and film in the United States until she was blacklisted dur ...

as Marie * Rollo Lloyd as Mateot (Matoot in credits) *

Rafaela Ottiano Rafaela Ottiano (March 4, 1888 – August 14, 1942) was an Italian-American actress. She was best known for her role as Suzette in '' Grand Hotel'' (1932) and as Russian Rita in '' She Done Him Wrong'' (1933). Early life Ottiano was born on Ma ...

as Mme Frisson * Georges Renavent as Sergeant Gendarme * Edward Keane as Gendarme * John Hamilton as Gendarme *

Paul Porcasi Paul Porcasi (1 January 1879 – 8 August 1946) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than 140 films from 1917 to 1945. Biography Porcasi sang with the Metropolitan Opera. One of his early non-operatic productions was ''The Country B ...

as Gendarme * Leonid Snegoff as Officer * Adrienne D'Ambricourt as Nurse

Production

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

was originally assigned to portray Chico, but he was cast in ''

Love Is News ''Love Is News'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film starring Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Don Ameche. The movie was directed by Tay Garnett and was the first film for which Power had top billing. The picture was remade in 1947 as '' ...

'' instead, and had to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts.

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

withdrew from the role of Father Chevillon for the same reason.

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later J ...

shortly replaced him, until eventually

was cast.

References

External links

* * {{Darryl F. Zanuck 1937 films 1937 romantic drama films American black-and-white films Remakes of American films American romantic drama films American films based on plays Films directed by Henry King Films set in Paris Films set in the 1910s Films set in 1914 Films set in 1918 Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck Films with atheism-related themes Sound film remakes of silent films 20th Century Fox films Western Front (World War I) films Films set on the French home front during World War I 1930s American films