All This, and Heaven Too

All This, and Heaven Too (1940) — watch online this historical drama starring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer on iFILM. Director Anatole Litvak adapted Rachel Field's 1938 novel, which drew from a genuine French scandal: the mysterious death of the Duchesse de Praslin in 1847 Paris.

Governess Henriette Deluzy (Bette Davis) comes to the household of the Duc de Praslin (Boyer) to care for his four children. The Duchesse (Barbara O'Neil) is convinced her husband and the governess are conspiring against her. She isn't entirely wrong about the feelings — just about everything else. As Henriette draws out the children and earns the Duke's quiet trust, the Duchesse tightens her grip on the household.

The picture was up for Best Picture at the 1941 Academy Awards. O'Neil landed a supporting actress nomination for a performance that avoids easy villainy — the Duchesse is driven by fear, not malice, and that's harder to watch. Davis plays restraint; Boyer carries the weight of a man caught between his name and his conscience. Stream All This, and Heaven Too (1940) on iFILM.