At the Museum of Modern Art, July '06

This highly enjoyable silent classic was shown at NYC's Museum of Modern Art this week as part of their centennial salute to Janet Gaynor. There was a nice turn-out of appreciative fans-- and, happily, no interruptions from cellphones! It's great to see movies of this vintage on the big screen, in the company of sincere film buffs. Admittedly, Seventh Heaven is a bit creaky at times in its plotting (especially towards the end) and acting (especially on the part of Mr. Farrell) but Janet Gaynor's sensitive, nuanced performance still shines through, all these years later. And it's nice to report that the Movietone musical score was crisp and clear, although frankly I could have done with a little less of the "love theme," which was getting monotonous by the end. Over all, however, this was a good experience. Seventh Heaven deserves no less.