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Valued Contributor
Posts: 719
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

Was based on a true story? I didn't until yesterday. I caught the last 45 minutes that it was on TCM yesterday (I have seen the whole movie before and really like it - it's kind of a departure role for Bette Davis).

 

I did a little research about the movie and discovered that the screenplay was adapted from the novel by Rachel Field. Rachel Field's novel is based on the true story of her great-aunt Henriette Deluzy Desportes who was a nanny to the Duc and duchesse dePraslin. The murder of the Duchesse dePraslin was a real life scandal in France in the 1840's.

 

Henriette did leave France and came to America. She married the Reverend Henry Field in 1851 and they lived in New York and Massachusetts (at the end of the movie Bette Davis and Jeffrey Lynn are standing at the window and the audience assumes they'll get married). Henriette died in 1875, about 62 years old. The Reverend married a second time after Henriette's death. (He was 9 years younger than her).

 

I never would have guessed the movie was based on a true story!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

Nor would I have, @cimeranrose.  That's some fascinating piece of research you did!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,743
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

[ Edited ]

@cimeranrose 

 

Very interesting!

 

I happened to watch most of this yesterday, as I love Bette D. and had never seen the movie.  Not a fan of Charles B., but....still enjoyed the "story telling" aspect of the movie.

 

I loved her relationship with the children and the way they responded to her.  That little boy was an angel.

 

The Duke poisoning himself annoyed me.  Why didn't he just confess?  He had to have known she would be considered a suspect?  It just aggravated me.

 

And the wife was a B on wheels!  I wanted to strangle her myself Cat Mad

 

But, then, I reminded myself it was long ago and worlds away.

 

I did enjoy that the ending gave her promise!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,181
Registered: ‎07-26-2014

Re: Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

Yes, I have always known the movie was based on a true story.

 

What Henriette Deluzy Desportes  looked like as a young nanny.....

Screen Shot 2019-07-01 at Mon, Jul 1, 2019-5.19.02 PM.png

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."


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Valued Contributor
Posts: 719
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

Ah yes, @Witchy Woman , little Reynald stole my heart too, especially when he said "mademoiselle." I felt so bad for the children at the end of the movie because they lost not only both parents but their nanny who showed them love and kindness.

New Member
Posts: 1
Registered: ‎07-01-2019

Re: Did you know Bette Davis' movie "All This and Heaven Too"

ATAHT is one of my favorite Bette Davis movies. The story was a bit of a tear jerker along with the fact that June Lockhart from the classic tv shows Lassie and Lost In Space, plays the oldest daughter and Richard Nichols, who plays the son Reynauld, calls Bette Davis' character "Mamselle" throughout the entire film with a southern accent!