Reviews

Its great that Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire were able to dance together in at least one film. The Cole Porter music such as "Begin the Beguine" for the finale is perfect. George Murphy supported well throughout this movie. When such talent as Astaire,Powell,and Murphy is displayed with terrific music, the story does take a backseat. Still,Frank Morgan was great as a befuddled producer partner for this musical. At the end of the movie I only wanted to see more. If only Fred and Eleanor could have made another film together. Eleanor lights up the screen with her wonderful smile and her terrific eyes. Then add Fred's uplifting demeanor to their exquisite tap dancing,the chemistry is there for a heart warming experience.

With deference to Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier,Louis Jourdan was given the part of his life in the film "Gigi". As a fan of good movies and the MGM type musical,I celebrate an actor who never shined brighter as a star. It is a mark of excellence that the material in this film gave Louis Jourdan the chance to be remembered as long as this film exists. If only every actor who had the ability was given such a script. Equally delightful,the music is a natural part of the story.For example,Maurice Chevalier's rendition of the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" in the finale is magic. Brilliant in a supporting role is Hermione Gingold. With her English accent she shines in a film painted in a French scenario. She also supported superbly in the musical "Music Man". Many years have passed since I watched "Gigi" the first time. The emotion of the story drew me in again as if I had never seen it before. It was even better because I have matured. The French background in that time period gave me the ability to appreciate the atmosphere even more. The French painters Renoir,Monet,and the other impressionists have seasoned my mind with the beauty they created in that time. I continually return to the Turner Classic Movie channel to see such film gems.

The anti establishment writing supersedes even the importance of the series characters. The stories show how in a perfect world the battle to heal a patient's illness must take precedence. Nothing can get in the way,not even when the patient isn't any help. The work is hard, relentless, and uncompromising. It is almost overwhelming because never enough is known about the problem. The character House M.D.is the most dedicated doctor on the face of the earth. He shows no outward signs of his brilliance. He uses his hand picked team for much more than medical opinions. He uses them for his own inspiration. His example of trying to show no sentimentality or sensitivity allows no person's feelings to interfere with his work to destroy the illness. House holds the battle together by allowing the viewer to know him better than anyone of the characters he interacts with. The job is what it is all about,but the relationships in this battle make it human.

I recently saw a picture of James Franciscus in reading a local TV news magazine. I instantly remembered the series "Naked City". I could not miss an episode when he and actor John Mcintire starred together. They absolutely worked great together. I remember how disappointed I was when they left the series. That was forty-eight years ago. I was fifteen years old at the time. For me,their work together never became routine. I remember the show through Lt.Muldoon mentoring James Franciscus's character. That was the heart of each story. The beginning of the show was always prefaced by the narrator saying "There are eight million stories in this city,this is one of them. It is great to have a chance to comment on these two actors.

This is a good,good story. I don' t care what anyone else thinks about it. David Schwimmer does start weak and is almost embarrassingly bad at the funeral before the story develops. Gwyneth Paltrow and Barbra Hershey hold things together. The scenes of Julie on the back porch and in Tom's bedroom are great. Mrs.Abernathy saying goodbye to Tom is touching to say the least. When seen after the first time,the story is motivational. It emits patience in love and gives a view of real rock solid friendships. Finally, the music in the background especially in the scenes at the wedding,the reception,and during the credits is great. I'm glad I own this movie.

Simone Simon glowed. She was inspired by James Stewart's character. Her character was lit up by Chico whose pure innocence and positive attitude overshadowed any shortcomings of her character. Stewart came across so well that I could not stop watching the film even though he lacked a French accent. This movie must be seen by all of Jimmy Stewart's fans. It's as if Stewart's star quality is irrepressible. Its as if his personal good character comes across better than the script can tell;therefore,I can accept this story. I have to admit I have seen many of his movies before I saw this one, including many times "Its a Wonderful Life". But, in this film "Seventh Heaven" he allows Simone Simon to make the story work. The two actors are at their best in this old fashioned melodrama. This is a rare instance where the actors pulled the story to a much higher plain. Perhaps that is why it's called "Seventh Heaven".