7th Heaven | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Frank Borzage |
Written by |
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Screenplay by | Benjamin Glazer |
Based on | Seventh Heaven by Austin Strong |
Produced by | William Fox |
Starring | |
Cinematography | |
Edited by | Barney Wolf |
Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 min |
Country | United States |
Language | Sound (Synchronized) (English intertitles) |
Budget | $1.3 million[1] |
Box office | $2.5 million[2] |
7th Heaven (also known as Seventh Heaven) is a 1927 American synchronized sound romantic drama directed by Frank Borzage, and starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the Movietone sound system. The film is based upon the 1922 play Seventh Heaven, by Austin Strong and was adapted for the screen by Benjamin Glazer.[3] 7th Heaven was initially released as a standard silent film in May 1927. On September 10, 1927, Fox Film Corporation re-released the film with a synchronized Movietone soundtrack with a musical score and sound effects.
Upon its release, 7th Heaven was a critical and commercial success and helped to establish Fox Film Corporation as a major studio. It was among the first three films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (then called "Outstanding Picture") at the 1st Academy Awards held on May 16, 1929. Janet Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film (she also won for her performances in 1927's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and 1928's Street Angel).[4] Director Frank Borzage also won the first Academy Award for Best Director while screenwriter Benjamin Glazer won the first Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
In 1995, 7th Heaven was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5][6] The film entered the public domain in the United States in 2023.