Watch Devotion For Free

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

the audience applauded

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Sadly Over-hyped

No one suffers more in movie after movie than Ann Harding. The suffering is gloriously acute, intense and wonderfully relentless.

Ann Harding disguises herself as a dowdy nanny--tough job, and she doesn't quite bring it off here, she's too youthful and pretty--to be near barrister Leslie Howard, likably doing one of his oh-so-British-gentry romantic leads. It's the lightest of trifles, with some lapses of logic, and after the deception is revealed, the movie drags on needlessly for a half an hour or so. But Harding's always a pleasure to watch, even if she doesn't quite convince in either of her British (Mayfair and Cockney) accents. And a plus, as noted by others, is Robert Williams, who's so marvelous in "Platinum Blonde." He had a Spencer Tracy down-to-earth quality that shines here, and he's a natural light comedian (though his character's somewhat off--are we supposed to like him or not?). Nice production values, amiable supporting cast, and was there ever a greater year for clothes than 1931?

Ann Harding, wallflower daughter of O.P. Heggie and Louise Closser Hale, for a lark takes a job as the governess to barrister Leslie Howard's son. She's got a thing for Howard, but she's too shy to come out with it. Harding makes herself up with a wig and glasses to look way older than she is and it's as 'Mrs. Halifax' she takes the job. She fools Howard for a while, but she doesn't fool artist Robert Williams who is Howard's client as well. It's Williams's job to know faces and he spots her right away, but allows her little deception any way.The best two in the film have to be Howard's two married servants, Dudley Digges and Alison Skipworth. Digges plays the butler quite a lot like his most famous role, Mr. Bacchus in Mutiny on the Bounty. Of course without quite the alcoholic craving that Bacchus has. He refers to Skipworth as the 'commander-in-chief' and when you see them together you'll know why.Robert Williams whose career got cut so tragically short does a nice turn as the artist and rival of Howard. Appendicitis and accompanying peritonitis did him in like Rudolph Valentino. Williams was a good light comedian, might have had a long career in Fred MacMurray type parts had he lived.It's a nice film, but I can't see why it was titled Devotion.

This is a charming, sweet, sometimes clever love story of a barrister and the lovely, dutiful daughter of a well-to-do family in London. Ann Harding wants to get from the grip of "family" (she's sort of a Cinderella here) -- leaves while they are on a holiday and disguises herself as a nanny named Mrs. Halifax. She is hired by Howard who has a small boy (likeable child actor) to look after the boy. Howard almost recognizes Harding beneath her "wig" but it takes a few days before he puts "two and two" together. There's all sorts of great old character actors (Alison Skipworth) who brighten the film with some earthiness before it floats away with ethereal Ann's delicate manner and beauty. One of the charms of a Harding film is looking at her shimmering blonde coiff. Here it's hidden half the time -- but she is quite wonderful in her part and the emotional charge of the story-line is sweet, heartfelt and reminds us of a lost innocence that used to be in early cinema -- that was really lovely.