7th Heaven

press release: Katie Trainor in Person!

USA | 1927 | DCP | 119 min.

Director: Frank Borzage; Cast: Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Ben Bard

Based on the phenomenally successful Broadway play by Austin Strong, Borzage’s magnum opus features Farrell as Chico, a stoic Paris sewer worker, desiring to be elevated to the position of street cleaner. Gaynor plays vulnerable gamine Diane, who, when victimized by her unscrupulous sister is saved by Chico. Soon their delicate love is interrupted by the call to arms. Gaynor won the first ever Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance, a prize that also recognized her work in Borzage’s Street Angel and Murnau’s Sunrise. This new 4K restoration featuring the original Movietone score and sound effects will be introduced by Katie Trainor, film collections manager at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

This October and November, the Cinematheque continues its tradition of screening great movies from before the dawn of sound. This Fall’s selection includes a special spotlight on the work of women filmmakers in the silent era with screenings of Dorothy Davenport’s The Red Kimona and Lois Weber’s Where Are My Children? Plus, a 35mm print of Lon Chaney in Laugh, Clown, Laugh with live piano accompaniment and a new 4K restoration of Borzage’s 7th Heaven, presented in person by Katie Trainor, Film Collections Manager at the Museum of Modern Art.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.