Dark Victory (1939)

Director:

Edmund Goulding

Writers:

George Emerson Brewer Jr. (play) and
Bertram Bloch (play) ...

Release Date:

22 April 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and must decide whether she'll meet her final days with dignity.

Plot Keywords:

Bittersweet | Sentimental | Doctor Patient Relationship | Poignant | Tragic Love

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Bette Davis	...	Judith Traherne
George Brent	...	Dr. Frederick Steele
Humphrey Bogart	...	Michael O'Leary
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Ann King
Ronald Reagan	...	Alec Hamm
Henry Travers	...	Dr. Parsons
Cora Witherspoon	...	Carrie
Dorothy Peterson	...	Miss Wainwright
Virginia Brissac	...	Martha, housekeeper
Charles Richman	...	Col. Mantle
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Dr. Carter
Leonard Mudie	...	Dr. Driscoll
Fay Helm	...	Miss Dodd
Lottie Williams	...	Lucy

Runtime:

104 min | Argentina:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #4835) | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Offscreen, Bette Davis suffered a nervous breakdown during filming as a result of her crumbling marriage to Harmon Nelson. This didn't prevent her from embarking on an affair with co-star George Brent.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In a scene in the upstairs bedroom, a character is on the telephone and the legs of the script girl can be seen reflected in the mirror above the fireplace.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael O'Leary: [on the phone] Hello, there. Is this the house? I've been trying to get you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Homicide: Life on the Street: Just an Old Fashioned Love Song (#7.3)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

OH, GIVE ME TIME FOR TENDERNESS

Supreme tear-jerker is skillfully handled...

There are three central performances in DARK VICTORY that deserve praise for their sincerity and complete believability--BETTE DAVIS as the spoiled heiress, GEORGE BRENT as the doctor who falls in love with her and GERALDINE FITZGERALD as the conscience of the story, feeling pity and love for her dearest friend.

Davis trounces around through the first half to show us what kind of energy and volatility is flaring beneath the surface--so full of life that when she realizes her illness bears the stamp of "prognosis negative", it's a shock to the audience as well as the actress. She's at her level best in all of the quieter moments--and never more impressive than in the final ten minutes of the film where her character must face the impending death with dignity and the knowledge that she has her husband's love and her best friend's devotion.

The scene in the garden with Fitzgerald at her side is the most luminous in the entire film. It's worth waiting for just to watch two great actresses at work.

Max Steiner's score is fitting at all times--even in the final moments when Bette goes up the stairs accompanied by his melancholy main theme. Edmund Goulding gets sensitive work from his entire cast--with the exception of Ronald Reagan who is given absolutely nothing in the way of character development except to look tipsy in every scene. To say that he is wasted is an understatement. So too is Henry Travers as the doctor who brought Davis into the world. Humphrey Bogart has been criticized for his Irish accent, but he's at least acceptable in a minor role as a horse trainer.

But the three central performances are what hold the film together--and make what is essentially a sob story work so beautifully.

Trivia: George Brent is very effective in the doctor role that was first offered to Basil Rathbone, but then withdrew after a very bad screen test in the part convinced the studio (and Rathbone) that he was all wrong for the role.