Dark Victory (1939)
September 28, 2022 4:00 PM - Subscribe
A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and must decide whether or not she'll meet her final days with dignity.
Socialite Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) lives a lavish but emotionally empty life. Riding horses is one of her few joys, and her stable master (Humphrey Bogart) is secretly in love with her. Told she has a brain tumor by her doctor, Frederick Steele (George Brent), Judith becomes distraught. After she decides to have surgery to remove the tumor, Judith realizes she is in love with Dr. Steele, but more troubling medical news may sabotage her new relationship, and her second chance at life.
Mike Massie: “Poor fool. Don’t you know I’m in love with you?” Again, Davis is sensational in this potent drama (her oversized eyes are extremely expressive), remaining a high point even when conversations behind her back turn repetitive. Enough information is provided to viewers that some of the melodramatic interactions are unnecessary (or unintentionally comical), while others are disappointingly contrived, especially when inevitable revelations are unmasked. But there’s still a genuineness to Davis’ alternating flirtations and despondency – or alcohol-fueled coping mechanisms.
A young person confronting mortality head-on is certainly a rare topic for classic romance pictures; the hopelessness, the regret, the anger, the unfairness, and the pondering of the things that truly matter are quite cinematic. The themes tend to be more powerful than the individual events, however, as tinier episodes populate a tale in need of more significant happenings. But the conclusion is still bold and unforgettable, reminding audiences that much of this works only because of the inimitable Bette Davis.
Frank S. Nugent: Bette Davis won an Academy award last year for her performance in "Jezebel," a spottily effective film. Now it is more than ever apparent that the award was premature. It should have been deferred until her "Dark Victory" came along, as it did yesterday to the Music Hall. Miss Davis is superb. More than that, she is enchanted and enchanting. Admittedly it is a great role—rangy, full-bodied, designed for a virtuosa, almost sure to invite the faint damning of "tour de force." But that must not detract from the eloquence, the tenderness, the eartbreaking sincerity with which she has played it. We do not belittle an actress to remark upon her great opportunity; what matters is that she has made the utmost of it.
Margarita Landazuri: Director Edmund Goulding did his best to reassure her, and enlisted the help of co-star Brent. Before long, the two stars were having an affair. The film was shot in sequence, and Davis' nervous intensity in the early scenes, glowing romanticism in the middle, and serenity in the end mirrored her own feelings during the filming. Secure in her new romance, Davis claimed she was "a doll" during production of Dark Victory. But the waspish Bette Davis occasionally broke through her docility. Getting ready to shoot her death scene, Davis jokingly asked the director, "Well, Eddie, am I going to act this, or is Max?" meaning composer Max Steiner. Goulding assured her that the drama would be all hers, but Steiner's choirs of angels eventually did escort Judith into the hereafter, to Davis' dismay.
Dark Victory was a three-hanky hit. Filmgoers and critics alike knew their emotions were being manipulated, but so expertly and touchingly that they couldn't help but cheer. Both Davis' performance and Max Steiner's score were nominated for Academy Awards. As for the Davis-Brent romance, it endured through three more films onscreen, and for over a year off screen. Davis later admitted that she had wanted to marry Brent, but he didn't think it would work. But they maintained an enduring affection and respect for each other. "Of the men I didn't marry," Davis would say, "the dearest was George Brent."
Trailer
Socialite Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) lives a lavish but emotionally empty life. Riding horses is one of her few joys, and her stable master (Humphrey Bogart) is secretly in love with her. Told she has a brain tumor by her doctor, Frederick Steele (George Brent), Judith becomes distraught. After she decides to have surgery to remove the tumor, Judith realizes she is in love with Dr. Steele, but more troubling medical news may sabotage her new relationship, and her second chance at life.
Mike Massie: “Poor fool. Don’t you know I’m in love with you?” Again, Davis is sensational in this potent drama (her oversized eyes are extremely expressive), remaining a high point even when conversations behind her back turn repetitive. Enough information is provided to viewers that some of the melodramatic interactions are unnecessary (or unintentionally comical), while others are disappointingly contrived, especially when inevitable revelations are unmasked. But there’s still a genuineness to Davis’ alternating flirtations and despondency – or alcohol-fueled coping mechanisms.
A young person confronting mortality head-on is certainly a rare topic for classic romance pictures; the hopelessness, the regret, the anger, the unfairness, and the pondering of the things that truly matter are quite cinematic. The themes tend to be more powerful than the individual events, however, as tinier episodes populate a tale in need of more significant happenings. But the conclusion is still bold and unforgettable, reminding audiences that much of this works only because of the inimitable Bette Davis.
Frank S. Nugent: Bette Davis won an Academy award last year for her performance in "Jezebel," a spottily effective film. Now it is more than ever apparent that the award was premature. It should have been deferred until her "Dark Victory" came along, as it did yesterday to the Music Hall. Miss Davis is superb. More than that, she is enchanted and enchanting. Admittedly it is a great role—rangy, full-bodied, designed for a virtuosa, almost sure to invite the faint damning of "tour de force." But that must not detract from the eloquence, the tenderness, the eartbreaking sincerity with which she has played it. We do not belittle an actress to remark upon her great opportunity; what matters is that she has made the utmost of it.
Margarita Landazuri: Director Edmund Goulding did his best to reassure her, and enlisted the help of co-star Brent. Before long, the two stars were having an affair. The film was shot in sequence, and Davis' nervous intensity in the early scenes, glowing romanticism in the middle, and serenity in the end mirrored her own feelings during the filming. Secure in her new romance, Davis claimed she was "a doll" during production of Dark Victory. But the waspish Bette Davis occasionally broke through her docility. Getting ready to shoot her death scene, Davis jokingly asked the director, "Well, Eddie, am I going to act this, or is Max?" meaning composer Max Steiner. Goulding assured her that the drama would be all hers, but Steiner's choirs of angels eventually did escort Judith into the hereafter, to Davis' dismay.
Dark Victory was a three-hanky hit. Filmgoers and critics alike knew their emotions were being manipulated, but so expertly and touchingly that they couldn't help but cheer. Both Davis' performance and Max Steiner's score were nominated for Academy Awards. As for the Davis-Brent romance, it endured through three more films onscreen, and for over a year off screen. Davis later admitted that she had wanted to marry Brent, but he didn't think it would work. But they maintained an enduring affection and respect for each other. "Of the men I didn't marry," Davis would say, "the dearest was George Brent."
Trailer
What, no "ronaldreagan" tag?
(playing a character named "Hamm", no less..)
posted by Nerd of the North at 11:39 PM on September 29, 2022
(playing a character named "Hamm", no less..)
posted by Nerd of the North at 11:39 PM on September 29, 2022
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posted by Morpeth at 4:47 AM on September 29, 2022