REGENT THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 127, 22 February 1941, Page 15

REGENT THEATRE

Rachel Field’s best-selling novel, set in Fiance and America during the stormy days of the latter half of the nineteenth century, has been translated to the screen, and reproduces faithfully and well the spirit and passion of the book. With such great actors as Bette Davis and Charles Boyer in the leading roles, the film would be outstanding m any case, but the unusual theme, the good production values aud the excellent SU P' porting cast place it in a class of its own. , „ The film deals with only one aspect ol the novel, concentrating on the tragic happenings in France, leaving the American scene almost entirely to the imagination of the audience. Bette Davis gives another ol he n comparable performances as Henriette Deporles-Deluzy, the governess who m accepted into the household ol the Due and Duchesse de Praslin. The duchesse is a neurotic, possessive woman, almost insanely jealous of her husband, who has long outgrown his love tor her. J 1 ® in the quiet governess a respite fioui his life of -argument and despair. His cliudren soon come to love her, too, but his wife sees in her only another threat to her happiness. ... The youngest child, the heir, falls ill, and Henriette, with the full consent of the duke, disobeys the doctors orders, treats the child in her own fashion, and he recovers. This puts her more into the duke’s debt than ever, but his wife a evil spirit seems to haunt the house, and au innocent word or meaningless glance exchanged by the governess aud the nuke is sufficient to bring forth a storm ol tears, reproaches and hysteria. This conduct, combined with his increasing love, unannounced and unacknowledged,’ but nevertheless understood by both, drives the distraught man to madness. When a par ticularly spiteful act ot his leduces the governess to penury, his eell-con-trol snaps and he kills the woman ybo has made his life such a misery, riette is taken from her lodging and charged with complicity in the ci me. In her trouble she is consoled by a shy. b t devoted American, the Rev. Hen 5, 1 n > who, when the turmoil has subsided and she is set free because ot insufficient.evidence, takes her to America and obtains a post for her in a girl s school, wheie the audience leaves her looking foiward to a future of peace and quiet happiness. The keynote to such a film as tin* muse lie primarily in the characterization and understanding of the principals. In Iss capable hands than those of Dans and Boyer the film might have been less successful, but they are such sure artists that the interest and high tension never slackens for a moment and the lesult is an exceedingly fine picture. B.ubnia O’Neil has the exacting part of the duchess, and plays it well.