Bergman and Hayward turn in memorable performances. Also watch for a sweet performance by a young June Lockhart.


GOOD CAST...SO SO MOVIE   October 21, 2001
Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is a family saga of a huband (Warren Baxter) and wife (Fay Wray) who have four sons. As they are quite well to do, they hire a French governess (Ingrid Bergman) for the boys. Several years later, the wife falls ill and dies. The governess becomes the mother figure. Shortly after, the stock market crashes and the father loses everything and is forced to send the governess away with a promise to send for her as soon as he can.

This is where the movie becomes somewhat implausible. The father sends for her years later, but the boys are fully grown young men. They obviously do not need a governess. Yet, she lives with them. It is obvious to all that the father and the governess are in love, but nary a word of such passes between them.

Out of the clear blue, one of the sons marries a beautiful, but loose woman (Susan Hayward). The governess does not like this son's wife and with good reason. The wife soon commences an affair with one of her husband's brothers. Soon, this serene household become a hot bed of angst. After her husband discovers the affair with his brother, who has since repudiated this vixen, she is ordered to leave the house. She does so, and the father finally asks the long suffering governess to marry him.

The performances by the cast are strong, but the screenplay falters. This is a predictable, though somewhat mediocre film that one may find mildly enjoyable, if one loves old films in general. If not, skip it.


A good classic family drama...   May 11, 2003
filmfanatical (London,England)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Emilie (Ingrid Bergman), a french governess, is hired by wealthy Adam Stoppard (Warner Baxter) and his wife Molly to look after their four sons. Following the untimely death of their mother, the boys grow to depend on Emilie more.

When the boys are older they join the army. When they return home one of them brings home a beautiful wife Hester (Susan Hayward). It soon becomes clear that Hester is trouble. She's a heartless gold-digger that nearly splits the family apart. Can Emilie hold the family together with Hester around causing trouble?

Over the years Emilie's feelings for Adam grow deeper and she falls in love with him. Even the though the boys are now men at this point, Adam insists that she come and live with them again as part of the family....


Please enter a title for your review? I'll skip it.   July 14, 2002
Mrs Baldwin (Portland, OR)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful

I don't understand why this film doesn't get better ratings than it does. Everyone seems to think it an overly saccharine piece of cinema. Personally, I find it very nice - tasteful, romantic, and not too heavy. Sure, maybe it was weird to have Emilie come back after the boys were grown up. But if I remember correctly, they wanted her to come back and she had promised she would. Anything wrong with keeping a promise?

That aside... The only complaints that I have is that the end IS a bit abrupt - suddenly everything is cleared up, Adam proposes and before they even kiss the words "The End" appear. And Susan Hayward's character is really annoying. Hester. Who in their right mind would name their girl Hester? Anyway. Helen Westley is a minor character here, Aunt Phillipa. June Lockhart is the neighbour girl who falls in love with Adam's youngest son. I liked her better as the Praslin daughter in All This and Heaven Too, but she fit the part finely here all the same.

My favourite scene is the one when Emilie decides that Hester is going to leave. Very rarely do you ever get to see sweet, pretty Ingrid taking command like she does in that scene.

My recommendation is to give this movie a chance at least and make a rational judgement about it before believing that it's only second-rate sugar.


Excellent sophmore effort by Ingrid Bergman   May 21, 2004
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

*** Possible Spoilers***
When Adam needs a new governess for his four sons, he and his wife hire a French governess to take care of them. The wife soon dies and over the years she becomes the mainstay of the home, in spite of a stock market crash, World War I and the straying wife of one of the boys. A good effort by all, including a young and manipulative Susan Hayward. Given the era, some of the content was surprising and the story was by no means a conventional epic.