DeHavilland appeared in Elliott Nugent's romantic comedy "The Male Animal" (1942) with Henry Fonda, about an idealistic professor fighting for academic freedom while trying to hold onto his job and his wife Ellen. While her role was not particularly challenging, deHavilland's delineation of an intelligent, good-natured woman trying to resolve the unsettling circumstances of her life played a major part in the film's success, according to Tony Thomas. The film was a critical and commercial success, with Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times" noting that deHavilland "concocts a delightfully pliant and saucy character as the wife". Around the same time, she appeared in John Huston's drama "In This Our Life" (also 1942) with Bette Davis. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Ellen Glasgow, the story is about two sisters whose lives are destroyed by the anger and jealousy of one of the sisters. Crowther gave the film a negative review, but praised deHavilland's "warm and easy performance". During production, deHavilland and Huston began a romantic relationship that lasted three years.