‘Seventh Heaven’ (1937) (Film)

‘SEVENTH HEAVEN’ (1937)

Please feel free to comment on my review.

James Stewart falls in love with Simone Simon

This is a black-and-white romantic drama film that I find reassuring in troubled times. 🙂

It’s interesting to talk about 1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’. When my Dad purchased the DVD, he purchased the Spanish edition, as the film was currently unavailable in a United Kingdom edition. I’m not sure if it’s available in a US edition, but it’s so interesting my Dad purchased the Spanish edition.

The reason for me purchasing ‘The Moon Stallion’ German edition DVD was that Germany was the only avenue to purchase it, despite the production being made in the UK. I find it fascinating that a UK edition of 1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’ wasn’t available at the time my Dad bought the film on DVD from Amazon.

At least, I assume it was Amazon he purchased the DVD from. The UK Amazon, I might add. The Spanish edition has the film soundtrack in English as well as Spanish. The Spanish subtitles would have to be switched off when watching the film in English. I’m glad the film has the English option. 🙂

I’m also glad that a page in English provided by the supplier was included in the DVD my Dad bought, describing what the film is like. It would have to be a pain to check out the film’s front and back cover and decipher what the text translated out to be from Spanish to English. Also, it’d be a hassle.

The page in English also has instructions on what to do when viewing the film in its English soundtrack. Whether you purchase the film in its Spanish edition or not, it’s always good to have such helpful instructions, especially when you’re not fluent in Spanish like my Mum, Dad and I are. 🙂

I’m surprised a film like 1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’ isn’t available on Disney+, since the film was released by 20th Century Fox. Nowadays, 20th Century Fox (20th Century Studios as it’s now called) is owned by Disney. I’ve not come across many black-and-white films on Disney+ as of 2022 so far. 😐

Going back to the film itself, 1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’ happens to be a remake of the classic 1927 film. As with checking out 1944’s ‘Gaslight’, I’ve not seen the previous film that is considered the original – e.g. the 1940 ‘Gaslight’. I didn’t even know there was a silent film of ‘Seventh Heaven’ in 1927. 😐

Mind you, that film was labelled ‘7th Heaven’ instead of ‘Seventh Heaven’ in the 1937 film. The 1937 ‘Seventh Heaven’ film was directed by Henry King and it stars James Stewart and Simon Simon. I’ve come across James Stewart a number of times, as he’s done many films in his long and varied career.

He’s done films with Frank Capra like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and he’s worked with Alfred Hitchcock in films like ‘Vertigo’, 1956’s ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, ‘Rope’ and ‘Rear Window’. He also played Glenn Miller in ‘The Glenn Miller Story’ 1954 film. There’s no denying he’s a talented actor. 🙂

This film was the first time I came across Simone Simon, a French actress no less. I could tell she was French, especially with the film being set in Paris in 1914 during the First World War years. She comes across in speaking really good English, especially after doing quite a number of French films. 🙂

The chemistry between James Stewart and Simone Simon is really good when watching them as a romantic couple in the film. This is hardly surprising, as Simone Simon comes across as a sweet, petite and beautiful woman. It’s no wonder that James Stewart’s character fell for her in the film. 😀

The film’s story has James Stewart playing an atheist named Chico. It should also be noted that both the 1927 silent film and the 1937 talkie film are based on a 1922 stage play. This I didn’t know about. Through watching the 1937 film again, it’s clear that it has a really theatrical atmosphere throughout.

Chico is a lowly Paris sewer worker who has abandoned his faith in God. He doesn’t have much hope for a brighter future or romance, since his prayers haven’t been answered yet. Chico soon meets Simone Simon as Diane (pronounced Dee-ane, I think), a prostitute under the thumb of her sister. 😐

I find it interesting that Diane is a prostitute in the film, considering it’s revealed she has her faith in God compared to Chico who claims he’s an atheist. Diana clearly doesn’t enjoy working for her sister, who’s cruel to her, as well as being a prostitute, especially when men take advantage of her. 😦

When Diane’s sister, Gale Sondergaard as Nana kicks her out in the street and beats her up with a belt, Chico saves Diane from her sister as well as the authorities. Chico claims to the authorities that Diane is his wife and he takes her to his run-down, seventh floor slum apartment to give her shelter.

For most of the film, Chico comes across as acting like he doesn’t care and doesn’t know why he doesn’t do good things for people, including saving Diane’s life and giving her shelter at his apartment. Diane grows to love Chico during the time he spends with her and he does so in return. 🙂

It’s nice to see how Chico and Diane grow to love each other in the film, especially when they’re soon joined by their faith in God for each other. It’s something I don’t often see in films nowadays and I like how Chico and Diane maintain their love for each other as well as their faith in God in this.

This is clearly emphasised when Chico ends up fighting in the First World War, somewhere in Belgium, I believe. Maybe Chico met Hercule Poirot from 2022’s ‘Death on the Nile’ in Belgium. 😀 At around 11 o’clock each morning, Chico and Diane get to see each other for a moment via their faith.

Even when the war is over and hope seems to be lost for Diane once the possibility that Chico might be dead comes to her, she still maintains her faith that she can still see Chico and that he’s still alive. It all builds up to a heart-warming moment, as Diane gets to be reunited with her husband by the end. 🙂

The film’s cast also includes Jean Hersholt as Father Chevillon, a local priest who meets the cynical Chico and helps him out with getting a better job as opposed to being a lowly Paris sewer worker. He also helps Chico with finding the self-respect he needs as well as considering to be married to Diane.

There’s also Gregory Ratoff as Boul, Chico’s taxi driver friend who tells Father Chevillon that Chico prayed to God but nothing came of it. There’s also John Qualen who plays the Sewer Rat in the film. No joke! That is what he’s credited in the film. Surely this film could’ve given the guy a decent name!

Gale Sondergaard would go on to be in ‘The Spider Woman’ with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes as well as ‘The Spider Woman Strikes Back’. Her character of Nana is pretty cruel to Diane in the film. I’m very pleased Diane was able to stand up for herself and fight back against Nana later on the film.

There’s also J. Edward Bromberg as Aristide, who is Chico’s neighbour and an astrologer; and there’s Victor Killian as Gobin, another neighbour of Chico’s and his co-worker when Chico becomes a street cleaner, thanks to Father Chevillon’s influence. There’s also Mady Christians as Marie, Gobin’s husband. 🙂

There’s Sig Rumann as Durand, Rollo Lloyd as Matoot (or is it Mateot), Rafaela Ottiano as Mme Frisson, and George Renavent as a Sergeant Gendarme. There’s also Edward Keane, John Hamilton and Paul Porcasi playing Gendarmes; Leonid Snegoff as an officer; and Adrienne D’Ambricourt playing a nurse.

On the Spanish edition DVD of 1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’, there are special features including a data sheet containing information about the film; filmographies about director Henry King, James Stewart and Simone Simon; and a list of other titles of films from the black-and-white days. Mind you, it’s rather difficult to tell what the text pages say on the DVD, as they’re all in Spanish and not in English.

1937’s ‘Seventh Heaven’ is a heartwarming black-and-white film featuring James Stewart and Simone Simon where they play a romantic couple that maintain their faith in each other through God, especially during the First World War. It’s a really endearing film that I have been touched by. 🙂

It’s one of those films that’s especially good to watch during troubled times. I’m sure my parents and I saw this film when the Covid-19 pandemic happened in 2020. This film is good as a source of hope during wartime, especially when a war is occurring in 2022 at the time that I’m writing this review. 🙂

‘Seventh Heaven’ (1937) rating – 8/10

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