La famille Stoddard

Ingrid Bergman is hired as a governess for the Stoddard's. Warner Baxter plays the father of this family. The film journey's through the death of the mother, stock market crash and the marriage of one of the sons to a free spirited wife. Susan Hayward is very entertaining as bad girl Hester. Enjoyable face off between Bergman and Hayward.

Warner Baxter plays Adam, and he has four sons: Richard Denning, Johnny Downs, Robert Shaw, and Charles Lind. He's in charge of a grand estate, but when his wife dies and his fortune is wiped out, he has to scramble to be able to afford his lifestyle again. Ingrid Bergman plays the governess who helps him pick up the pieces of his struggling family. When the boys grow up, some marry and some enlist in WWI-what will happen to the family dynamic?

If you like movies about governesses sent in to take care of a brood of children, you'll probably like this one. It's got all the elements: struggles with the children, eventual acceptance and bonding, a little romance with the father, and family tensions when the children grow up. Ingrid is always very good when playing someone strong, so if you're a fan, you won't be disappointed in her performance in Adam Had Four Sons. Even though the title features Warner Baxter's name, it's Ingrid who's the star of the show. She may be only the governess, but she's the glue that keeps everyone together. And keep on the lookout for a young Susan Hayward in one of her first major roles. She's beautiful and cunning, and it's amazing that she wasn't forever typecast as a villain after a movie like this!

This is about about my family. My Grandfather is one of the four sons. This is not about Teddy Roosevelt or any other family. My mom considerd the Nanny as her Grandmother. This movie has some fiction in it too. But this is about the Bonner family.

This was a good early melodrama--the first of Ratoff's films I have seen (at least to my knowledge) and American films starring Ingrid Bergman, one of my favourite actresses (three earlier Swedish films she's in, that I found in an inexpensive boxed set by Kino Lorber, is delightful). This boasted a strong supporting cast too, as Bergman's Emilie does everything she can to provide support for the family she loves working for so dearly.

It was short and sweet, and is good value for the cinephile if you like the 30's-and-40's style of filmmaking, and enjoy melodramas. Other fine directors who are great at this style are John Stahl, Douglas Sirk, and, more recently, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Todd Haynes.

At this stage of her career, Bergman isn't as fun to watch, at least for me, as similar actresses of her era, such as Bette Davis, Greta Garbo or Joan Crawford. I prefer Bergman's work after she risked everything to marry Roberto Rossellini. I believe the great difficulties she had to endure gave her a much deeper palette of possible behaviours for her to choose from. I significantly feel that if a thespian can survive trauma, it's the best thing in the world for their craft. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger--and I would definitely posit it makes one a much better actor as well.

Ingrid bergman... JUST before casablanca. Emilie is the governess for the stoddard family. Four boys.. a handful. Fay wray and warner baxter are mom and dad, but when tragedy strikes, emille must take on a much larger role. And the stock market crash didn't make things any easier. Co-stars a young susan hayward. She marries one brother, but really wants another. Emilie is onto them, but isn't sure what to do about it. An awkward position. Things start slowly, but really pick up about halfway through. It is the beautiful ingrid b, and she lights up any film. Story of love and sacrifice. Good stuff, once it gets going. Based on the book by charles bonner. Directed by greg ratoff. He was max fabian in all about eve, but he actually directed 30 films as well. Helen westley, the wacky, ancient, fun aunt Phillippa only lived another year after this was released.