This is another film where Bette Davis plays a nice person. I'm not as big a fan of that as I am of the ones where she plays a virago.Single governess Henriette (Bette Davis) is hired to care for the four children of the Duc du Praslin (Charles Boyer) and his crazy-ass wife (Barbara O'Neill). The Duchesse is insanely jealous of her husband, especially since he is increasingly tired of dealing with her drama. She, of course, is instantly suspicious of Henriette and takes every chance she can at cutting her down, eventually kicking her out of the household. But when the Duchesse turns up dead, Henriette is arrested as an accessory.
The idea of it is pretty decent but it runs into some trouble with execution. First off, it's told as a flashback, and secondly, it's wrapped up way too neatly, sacrificing some plot to get that resolved ending. Barbara O'Neill is damn near unwatchable with her histrionics, coming off as campy instead of suspenseful. By the time she was murdered I was so grateful I didn't care whodunit.
It does have a very, very young June Lockhart as the oldest daughter if you're interested. The middle girl, Louise (Virginia Weidler) played Young Mary in The Women as well. She gets a little annoying with all the simpering she does, but not nearly as much as O'Neill.
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