Vilma Banky portrays a newly arrived Hungarian immigrant who learns to accustom herself to the new and strange life she finds in New York City. The story gave Miss Banky moments of comedy and pathos. First seen as a frightened little peasant muffled in countless petticoats and shawls --- then in a neat waitress's uniform as she flips hotcakes in a restaurant window. Description of plot: Romantic comedy. At Ellis Island in New York, Eva Petrie, a Hungarian immigrant meets her uncle, Frank Chase, a subwaymotorman, and his daughter, Mamie, with whom she will reside in the Bronx, Mamie gets Eva a job as a cook and waitress at Child's Restaurant on Fifth Avenue, and tries unsuccessfully, to interest her in wealthy men. Eva spots Jimmy on the subway one morning, he is wearing a chauffeur's cap, though he is actually a millionaire. Later, she is sent to preside over a griddle at a charity bazaar, where she becomes reacquainted Jimmy —while pretending to be an exiled Russian princess. He realizes the deception and pretends to be a chauffeur. Eva and Jimmy following a romantic courtship, are married, and she insists he go into the taxi business. Uncle Frank, however, gambles their last payment on a taxi, and Eva is forced to borrow money from Mamie's wealthy lover. Jimmy then drops the pretense, revealing his true position in life, and Eva realizes "this ees Heaven"
Originally titled "Fifth Avenue Childs" and then "Fifth Avenue", Childs Restaurant management would not give Goldwyn permission to use their name, eventually he landed on "This is Heaven". Some scenes were filmed on location in New York City. The film was released in both silent and sound versions. Uncertain about the future of sound films, believing that his product should either be all-talking or all-silent, and with Vilma Bánky less than diligent about her vocal lessons, Goldwyn inserted three talking sequences into this silent picture then sat on the film for several months. His instincts proved correct: the box office didn't like it much either. Bánky would make only three more films.
Reception
In a review in the St. Louis Star, published July 1, 1929, it was declared that "Vilma's voice pleases, though it is less lovely than her blonde profile. Vilma's heaven is the tiny apartment the immigrant girl is getting in marrying James Hall, supposed chauffeur. The chauffeur is a millionaire....Best shots are the Ellis Island episodes.
