Themes: Crumbling Marriages, Unrequited Love, Haunted By the Past
Main Cast: Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara O'Neil, Virginia Weidler
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 141 minutes
Plot
An incredibly long but never dull adaptation of the Rachel Field best-seller, All This and Heaven Too was based on a once-notorious European scandal. Star Bette Davis, playing Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, is first seen as a French schoolteacher in a 19th century American seminary. When her supervisor, Reverend Henry Mortyn Field (Jeffrey Lynn), has questions to ask about her tainted past, Henriette relates her story in flashback. She had been hired by French duke De Praslin (Charles Boyer) to be the governess for his children. De Praslin's wife (Barbara O'Neil) was insanely jealous, so much so she inadvertently threw De Praslin and Henriette together. Henriette was willing to leave rather than cause more discord, but the influential wife vengefully refused to write a letter of recommendation (a bravura scene). Later, the impoverished Henriette was arrested as an accomplice in the murder of De Praslin's wife. The latter's position in French society stirred up volatile political ramifications, with Henriette innocently in the center of the storm. De Praslin committed suicide, exonerating Henriette on his deathbed, but she had already been condemned in the court of public opinion. Disgraced, she left for America to start life anew, which brings the story back to the present. Unable to continue running away from herself, Henriette confesses her past indiscretions to her students -- who promptly forgive her. Casey Robinson had a hell of a job adapting Rachel Field's cumbersome novel, but, by golly, he pulled it off. The performances in All This and Heaven Too are enhanced immeasurably by the lush Max Steiner musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
All This and Heaven Too may not be great drama, but it's a jim-dandy melodrama -- the kind of "women's picture" that's a real guilty pleasure. It has all the ingredients that a romance flick of this kind needs, from a tortured but noble heroine who suffers for the sins of others to a charming and unfortunate hero to an incredible harridan of a wife who makes life miserable for the both of them. Throw in some snotty schoolgirls who learn a valuable lesson in life, some adorable children, a few crises narrowly averted, a suicide, and a close call with the law, and there's more than enough to keep one glued to the screen, even when things stretch credulity a bit. Casey Robinson's screenplay is a great deal of fun, as well as being very well structured and providing the stars with some juicy parts to sink their teeth into. Bette Davis and Charles Boyer are near perfect as the lovers-that-cannot-be, but it's Barbara O'Neil as the wicked wife that gets highest marks for her deeply committed and immensely enjoyable performance. As a matter of fact, of the cast, only the annoying Jeffrey Lynn -- whose subtext for almost every line seems to be "Gee whiz! Isn't that exciting!" -- fails to satisfy. Anatole Litvak has directed with style and panache, assisted by Ernest Haller's dramatic lensing and Max Steiner's glorious score. Heaven is ultimately a little too artificial (by design) to be a great film, but it's thoroughly entertaining. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
