Dark Victory (1939)

Critic Pauline Kael called this shamelessly enjoyable, vintage Bette Davis weepie a "kitsch classic," and time hasn't diminished its ability to give the tear ducts a good flushing. Davis plays a swinging socialite, living the fast life of booze, smokes, and--with the help of Humphrey Bogart as her Irish stableman--raising thoroughbred horses. When a brain tumor starts giving her headaches and eroding her vision, she falls in love with her surgeon (George Brent), who grows more determined than ever to cure her. Davis gives one of her most vibrant performances, and her costars also include Ronald Reagan and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The film received Oscar nominations for best picture, best actress, and for Max Steiner's score. --Jim Emerson Amazon.com essential video

The Debutante Meets the Brain Surgeon

There is a phone call at 5:30am. There is an offer to buy a colt. Miss Judith drives fast. She is a wealthy heiress who is a horse breeder; she resents their hired help Michael the trainer. There is talk about "breeding" [a code word for inherited wealth]. Judith discovers a problem with that colt. She has other problems from living fast, a gay manic behavior. Or is there something wrong with her? There is warning: "the brain surgery was a success but the patient died". Nobody knows why cysts and tumors occur. What caused that riding accident? Judith Traherne meets Dr. Steele, who notices something. Judith has a problem in lighting her cigarette. Could it be an optic nerve? Does the light hurt her eyes? Is her memory failing? Dr. Steele inspects her eyes, and does some tests. It is glioma, an operation is necessary.

Judith is a difficult patient. "I don't care about anything." The laboratory tells Judith's future. The doctors don't want to tell her that she has about 10 months to live. Back at home life goes on. Ann learns the truth from Dr. Steele. "She must never know." Is there an emotional bond? Will that complicate their relationship? Judith has plans for the future. But she finds a letter about her condition. "Prognosis negative." The truth affects he behavior. "Oh, Give Me Time." Judith drinks more and more. She rode to show the gentry she has what it takes. Judith talks to Michael and learns something. Will there be a change for Judith and Dr. Steele? Can they find happiness in Vermont? Will Dr. Steele find a cure? Or will there be darkness while the sun shines? Will the story be built up in order to crash down?

What was the appeal of this story? To reassure people that the very rich also suffer from sickness and death like the rest of us? Most Hollywood films have a happy ending. Could it symbolize the coming war in Europe? Or just an expose of the empty lives of the idle rich?
December 30, 2008

all eyes on Davis

Dark Victory is Bette Davis's show. She makes the movie worth watching. Her performance is so mesmerizing that sometimes it even distracts the viewer from the actual character she's playing; you're busy watching all the nuances of her acting while forgetting about everything else.

Davis plays Judith Traherne, a carefree and vivacious young heiress. She lives on an estate with her best friend, Anne (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and employs a stable hand named Michael (Humphrey Bogart) to look after her horses. Yet even at the start of the movie there are signs of trouble, such as headaches and double vision. Though Judith doesn't want to think about these symptoms or let them dictate her life, she's eventually persuaded to see a specialist, Dr. Steele (George Brent).

Davis plays Judith in a clever, vibrant, strong-willed way, and the performance doesn't feel cloying or melodramatic. Geraldine Fitzgerald also does well as the best friend, Anne. Though it's not a dazzling role, Fitzgerald still asserts her presence on the screen and conveys strong emotion without excessive displays or hysterics.

Compared to Davis and Fitzgerald, the male actors in the movie just don't measure up. As Dr. Steele, Brent is really bland; he's not compelling as a romantic lead or as a brilliant doctor and scientist. As the stable hand, Humphrey Bogart made me laugh; he didn't look at all like he was enjoying himself, and his acting and accent were stilted. Still, it was fun to see him in a role that came before his more famous and talented portrayals of Sam Spade, Rick Blaine, and Fred C. Dobbs. Lastly, there's Ronald Reagan (the first time I ever saw him in a movie!) He doesn't do much - he plays a smiling young socialite who saunters around with a drink in his hand; it was funny seeing him like this, young and silly.

Dark Victory is all about Bette Davis, who puts in a terrific performance and works well with the moving storyline of a young woman trying to get the most out of life before her imminent death.

March 25, 2008

Moving

Wonderful, moving film. Not Bogie's best, but still decent. One of Davis' best performances. December 8, 2007

"I think I'll have a large order of prognosis negative!"

Based on a play by George Emerson Brewer Jr. and Bertram Bloch, DARK VICTORY provided Bette Davis with one of her last great performances of the 1930s, capping off a banner decade that had seen her win Academy Awards for "Dangerous" and "Jezebel".

In DARK VICTORY, Davis is millionaire heiress Judith Traherne, plagued with crippling headaches and eyesight problems that are later diagnosed as symptoms of an incurable brain cancer. Judy will eventually lose her vision altogether before peacefully slipping away, but until that day comes she'll spend the remainder of her life happily married, and surrounded by good friends. Davis provides a stirring portrait of courage under fire in this inspirational and moving romantic drama. In lesser hands the character of Judith would have come across as wildly melodramatic, but Davis cuts through the treacle and delivers a sympathetic yet practical performance.

Davis is surrouded in DARK VICTORY by one of her strongest ensemble casts, including frequent co-star George Brent as Dr. Frederick Steele, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as steadfast best friend Ann. Warner contract players Humphrey Bogart and Ronald Reagan can also be enjoyed in several scenes. In that legendary year of 1939, DARK VICTORY was unfortunately forgotten in the midst of "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz", but has since gone on to demonstrate it's endurance as one of the great Bette Davis classics.

The DVD of DARK VICTORY (newly-restored and remastered in a flawless digital print) also includes a Making-Of featurette "1939 - Tough Competition for Dark Victory", audio commentary with James Ursini and Paul Clinton, and the original trailer. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc). December 8, 2007

Reacquaint yourself with an old classic that feels anything but old

There's not much left to say about "Dark Victory", so I'll only add that the film's sentiment and tears come not only as a result of the tragedy we're seeing onscreen, but the frequent examples of characters reaching out to help each other, to give thanks to one another, and other expressions of humanity. I always liked that about this movie, that it chokes us up not just over the... well, darker things going on, but also because of how it very effectively shows us humanity at its best. Recently watching the movie again, I was reminded of how great it is.

Warner Home Video's DVD of "Dark Victory" features pristine picture and sound, and a nice collection of interesting, illuminating extra features. July 23, 2007

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