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Dark Victory (1939)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
22 April 1939 (USA) moreTagline:
"I've Crammed EVERY MINUTE SO FULL of waste. And now there's so little time. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid!"Plot:
A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and must decide whether she'll meet her final days with dignity. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Oscar Nominees To Number 10 Next Year (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 25 June 2009, 1:12 PM, PDT)
Former President Ronald Reagan Dies at 93
(From IMDb News. 6 June 2004)
User Comments:
Supreme tear-jerker is skillfully handled... moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| Bette Davis | ... | Judith Traherne | |
| George Brent | ... | Dr. Frederick Steele | |
| Humphrey Bogart | ... | Michael O'Leary | |
| Geraldine Fitzgerald | ... | Ann King | |
| Ronald Reagan | ... | Alec | |
| Henry Travers | ... | Dr. Parsons | |
| Cora Witherspoon | ... | Carrie | |
| Dorothy Peterson | ... | Miss Wainwright | |
| Virginia Brissac | ... | Martha | |
| Charles Richman | ... | Colonel Mantle | |
| Herbert Rawlinson | ... | Dr. Carter | |
| Leonard Mudie | ... | Dr. Driscoll | |
| Fay Helm | ... | Miss Dodd | |
| Lottie Williams | ... | Lucy |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
104 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoFun Stuff
Trivia:
In an interview with Dick Cavett in 1971, Bette Davis said that the movie took four weeks to shoot. moreGoofs:
Continuity: In an early scene Bette Davis is driving, Humphrey Bogart is standing on the running board, and a film of scenery is whizzing by in the background. There's dog sitting in the front seat of the car. But when they arrive at the stables and park, there's no dog in the car. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Michael O'Leary: [on the phone] Hello, there. Is this the house? I've been trying to get you.
more
Soundtrack:
Vienna Blood moreFAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersHow does the movie end?
What was Judy's diagnosis?
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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.