7th Heaven

7th Heaven has the distinction of being the most nominated and most decorated film in the first-ever Academy Awards. It did not, however, manage to secure the win for Outstanding Picture. That honor went to Wings, a film that has a grander scope and spectacle but is not necessarily a better picture overall. Three films were nominated for Outstanding Production in the first Academy Awards: 7th Heaven, The Racket, and Wings. There was a secondary category titled Best Unique and Artistic Picture that had three other films nominated. Some include those in the Best Picture nominated list, but as the Academy Awards do not recognize the winner in that category as a Best Picture winner, neither do I. Once I have watched and reviewed all the Best Picture nominations, I may tag on the three films from this secondary category for completionism’s sake; I will decide that when I get there. 

All three of this year’s nominations were silent films, the only year that would be the case. 7th Heaven stands out amongst the three because, on top of it being a beautiful love story, it also has a spiritual message that can still resonate in this day and age when more and more people are turning away from faith and religion and professing to be atheists. This is a subject matter that could easily come across as preachy, but the film deftly sidesteps that pitfall and winds that aspect of the story naturally into the narrative. 

The scope of the picture hides that this is based on a stage play. A lot of the early stage adaptations betray their origins by being confined to a few set-pieces and talky, small in their scope because of the limitations of the stage. This film cleverly disguises that by giving us multilayered sets that span from the sewers of Paris to the top floor of an apartment house that overlooks the city and the stars in the sky. There is an impressive shot early on that follows the stairs going floor by floor up to the top story, all seen in a single camera move. Later, we will get eloquently staged war scenes that may falter compared to something like All Quiet on the Western Front but are impressive for a film like this that isn’t focused specifically on the war. There are some hilariously obvious miniature works being done in this part of the story, but it looks good for a film of this time. 

The plot is about two people, both from the poor side of Paris. The first of these is Chico (Charles Farrell), a man whose job is to clean the sewers of the city. He works underneath the streets but dreams of a day when he can arise above that and be a street cleaner instead. That opportunity presents itself after a meeting with the priest of a nearby church who, based on his recommendation, secures the job for him. Chico is grateful for the opportunity but professes to be an atheist because when he tested God by buying prayer candles and praying for the street job, it didn’t happen. 

Diane’s (Janet Gaynor) situation is far more dire. She and her older sister, Nana (Gladys Brockwell), have been living in absolute squalor ever since their parents died. Things start to look up for them, though, when a rich aunt and uncle arrive from the South Seas and wish to take them in. However, Diane cannot deny that the two have had to resort to prostitution to survive, and that news turns the aunt and uncle away, leaving them to fend on their own. Incensed by her sister’s honesty, Nana attacks her, chasing her into the streets and nearly strangles her. But Chico, alerted by the commotion, intervenes and threatens to kill Nana if she ever attacks Diane again. 

Chico initially looks down on Diane. She is a pitiful creature, lying unconscious in the street, dressed in worn-out clothes. He revives her but says that she isn’t worth saving. Yet when Nana is arrested a few minutes later and, out of spite, tells the police that Diane is just as bad as she is, Chico lies to them, saying Diane is his wife. Because the police want to stop by later to verify this story, Diane comes up with the idea that she will stay with him just until that happens, then she will be on her way. This will save Chico from losing his new job if the cops find out he lied. This arrangement works for the benefit of both of them, and when the police do finally stop by, Chico stops her from leaving, saying that if she wants to stay on, she is not in the way. Eventually, he shows up with a wedding dress and offers to marry her. She has already fallen in love with him but wants to hear him say he loves her, too. But he finds himself unable to say it, finding the whole notion to be silly. 

All of this is leading up to the beginning of The Great War, something that would have only been a few years in the past at the time this film was made. People in attendance would have still had deep, painful memories of that war. At the time, this war was considered the war to end all wars, and no one knew that it wouldn’t be too much longer before an even bigger war came along. The emotional impact felt between Chico and Diane as he is enlisted to fight in the war would have been something audiences in 1927 felt and had empathy for. Sadly, when bad news comes back from the frontlines, that emotion would be all too familiar, too. 

This emotional stake was helped on by the very real on-screen chemistry shared between Gaynor and Farrell. This isn’t just my opinion, either. They were so popular as an on-screen couple that they were paired in that capacity in a dozen films. No other romantic duo was paired so often outside of movie series such as Blondie or Andy Hardy, not even WIlliam Powell and Myrna Loy. Even Kathrine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy only made nine together. Audiences loved the combined screen presence of Gaynor and Farrell and kept flocking to theaters to see them together.

Janet Gaynor was young and mostly unknown at this time in her career. She had been acting, primarily uncredited, for three years in Hollywood before getting cast in 7th Heavenand Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans in the same year. During the first Academy Awards, the rules for nominations focused on that year’s body of work, not one specific performance, so her nomination and win were for both films, not just this one. I have not seen Sunrise, so I cannot judge her win based on that film. In 7th Heaven, she is just perfect. This is a silent movie, which requires a very specific gift for pantomime, and she is able to do it effortlessly. When the aunt and uncle show up and start going on and on about them being good girls, you can see the conflict in her eyes. She knows that if she admits what she and Nana had to do to survive, they will not only lose out on a better life but that Nana will take it out on her. Nana has been an abusive, bullying presence in her life, and Diane knows what it will mean if she speaks up and takes a life of luxury away from her. But Diane also knows that not only is it the right thing to be honest, but a lie will eventually be found out anyway. All of this we see on her face as she weighs what to do. 

After she is taken in by Chico, there is a bit of uncertainty over what might happen. She doesn’t know this man, and therefore it is not out of the question that he might take advantage of the situation. Surprisingly, it is he that warns her not to take advantage of their arrangement. Later that evening, as she is in her skivvies and under the blankets in a bed that must have looked amazing compared to what she is used to, he comes into the room. She believes that he may be preparing to hop into the bed alongside her, and she pretends to be asleep. But he is just there to offer her a nightshirt he rounded up somewhere. Instead of getting into bed with her, he takes a pillow and a blanket from the bed and camps out under the stars by the open window in the other room. When she sees him there, asleep on the floor, her heart begins to melt towards him, realizing that she has found a genuine gentleman. 

Chico is an interesting character to dissect. He presents himself as an atheist, professing that he performed two definitive tests to prove God doesn’t exist. On two separate occasions, he went to the fanciest church in Paris, spent five francs each on prayer candles, and asked God for something. The first time was for the street cleaning job, and the second time was for a beautiful blonde wife. What he fails to realize is that God doesn’t work that way. He may or may not answer a prayer, but never in your time, always in His. Because of this, when those answers come, Chico fails to recognize those answers. He gets both of those wishes. First, the priest arrives and lets him know he has the new job, even stating flat out that now he and God are more or less even. And while Diane is not a blonde, she is indeed beautiful and becomes totally in love and devoted to him. It’s not until Chico literally loses his eyesight in the war that his eyes are metaphorically opened to what God has done for him.

7th Heaven is a beautifully made film with a story that still resonates. It has been remade several times over the years, including a version in 1937 starring James Stewart. None of these versions has lived up to the original. The worst offender, though, was a stage musical adaptation that was so poorly received that it closed down after less than fifty performances. Whether you like silent pictures or not; whether you like black-and-white films or not, this movie can’t fail to move you. The romance is universal, and the emotions are still relevant. All other things are simply cosmetic. 

Academy Award Nominations: 

Outstanding Picture: Fox Film

Best Director: Frank Borzage (won)

Best Actress: Janet Gaynor (won)

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Benjamin Glazer (won)

Best Art Direction: Harry Oliver

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Release Date: May 6, 1927

Running Time: 110 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, and Ben Bard

Directed By: Frank Borzage