The 1927 film, "Seventh Heaven", starred Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. Had it been a talking picture, they would have been all wrong for the parts--with their very American accents. But, the public didn't need to hear them playing Parisians and the film worked...and helped lead to Gaynor receiving the Best Picture Oscar. However, when it was remade in 1937, some dunderhead thought casting Jimmy Stewart as a French Atheist was a GOOD idea!!! Now I'll admit that Stewart hadn't yet fully developed him 'Aww, shucks' persona (and even played a villain in a couple of his early films), he was so dreadfully wrong for this film. His accent, his manner, his meanness, his looks--all so very wrong! That's almost as bad as John Wayne playing Genghis Khan in "The Conquerer"! On the plus side, at least Simone Simon was a good choice for the other lead--though her strong natural French accent served to make Stewart's lack of one all the more apparent!
The film begins in a poor section of Paris among the lowest of the low. Stewart works in the sewers (sort of a French Ed Norton) and Simon plays a virgin who works in a whore house!! After she is beaten by the Madame because she won't put out, Stewart comes to her rescue. But, when the police want to charge her as a 'professional girl', Stewart lies and tells them she is his wife. And, to make sure they don't discover he's lying, she moves into his loft apartment. While they are together purely by circumstances, you KNOW that eventually they will be head-over-heels in love...it's obvious and inevitable.
The plot is a bit silly and the film seems very awkward. Some may find it romantic or fun--I just thought it was obvious, poorly cast and in need of a re-write. Not among Stewart's or Simon's finer moments.
The film begins in a poor section of Paris among the lowest of the low. Stewart works in the sewers (sort of a French Ed Norton) and Simon plays a virgin who works in a whore house!! After she is beaten by the Madame because she won't put out, Stewart comes to her rescue. But, when the police want to charge her as a 'professional girl', Stewart lies and tells them she is his wife. And, to make sure they don't discover he's lying, she moves into his loft apartment. While they are together purely by circumstances, you KNOW that eventually they will be head-over-heels in love...it's obvious and inevitable.
The plot is a bit silly and the film seems very awkward. Some may find it romantic or fun--I just thought it was obvious, poorly cast and in need of a re-write. Not among Stewart's or Simon's finer moments.