boblipton The idea behind this movie -- that Ann Harding, who loves Leslie Howard absolutely, can put on glasses, a bad wig and a stage accent, work in Howard's house as nurse to his motherless son for months, and be unrecognizable to everyone but Robert Williams -- is ridiculous. I write this as someone who once sat opposite my father in a bus station, where he was to pick me up, and neither of us recognized the other for almost half an hour.It's one of those sentimental movies that RKO made in the early 1930s, based upon some novel or play about upper-class Londoners, and except for Miss Harding, would have lost money. It is arch, coy, obviously calculated and insincere. Mr. Howard remains eyeless in Gaza until he gets drunk with Miss Harding in her proper persona (i.e., in an evening gown), whereupon he loves her, too, and his wife turns up. This is the cue for Miss Harding to suffer nobly. It wouldn't be an Ann Harding picture unless Miss Harding suffers in a noble manner. That Man might wind up in the White House, but Miss Harding will suffer!Naturally, I loved it. Not because I am so enamored of piffle or wish Miss Harding to suffer -- why couldn't the top brass at RKO have given Dorothy Lee a vacation and cast Miss Harding in a Wheeler & Woolsey picture as a change of pace? -- but because Miss Harding can noodge someone into drinking a cup of bouillon at 2AM so charmingly; Mr. Howard can toss a salad like a headwaiter in love; and Mr. Williams can be so cynical and so kind at the same time. Howard Hawks was once asked what made a great movie. He replied "Three great scenes and no bad ones." This movie may have a plot that didn't excite the audience at the time and looks even more foolish today, but it meets those criteria, thanks to those actors.

mysterv An enjoyable movie if you can suspend belief that Ann Harding can disguise herself as an older woman. Thankfully the story moves on beyond that concept. I found the Robert Williams role to be the most interesting part of the film and why I would recommend it, beyond that it does star Ann Harding and Leslie Howard. Without going into the story too much he plays a character that we do not know whether to like or not. There is a lot of gray in who he is. The same can be said for the Leslie Howard character. I have watched a number of movies from the thirties and this is one of the ones that I would recommend watching if you have a chance.

marcslope 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?

bkoganbing 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.