Review of Dark Victory (1939) by Jesse L — 25 May 2004

(VHS) (First Viewing, 3rd Goulding film).

Beautiful, vivacious young Bette Davis has it all- wealth, friends, brains, and an electric personality. But she occasionally has horrible headaches, and her eyesight is prone to give out (which makes her horse racing a dangerous occupation). Her doctor (George Brent) quickly falls in love with her, and is horrified to find that his new girlfriend's death is imminent.

Davis had to fight to get this film made (Jack Warner was quite sure nobody would want to watch such a depressing tale), but as was often the case, Davis was right and her gamble paid off, as [b]Dark Victory[/b] became one of the biggest hits of her career. And it's a perfect role for her- she gets to play both the bitch and tragedienne, and is simply superb doing both. In the hands of a lesser actress this would undoubtedly have become unbearably sappy, but Davis manages to elevate the final scene, making it into a real heartbreaker. On that scene alone [b]Dark Victory[/b]'s reputation as the ultimate "weepie" is justified.

Poor George Brent is terribly dreary as the doctor who Davis finds unexpected bliss with, and the normally fine Geraldine Fitzgerald just never seems to find the right rhythm as Davis' ever-present best friend. Just before he would hit it big in [b]High Sierra[/b], Humphrey Bogart appeared in this film as the Irish stable boy, and his attempt at an Irish accent is pretty embarrassing. But there's indications of his future stardom, as his big scene with Davis contains the most sexually charged moments of the film.

Personally, I found [b]Dark Victory[/b] to be rather thought-provoking. Would I want to know if I only had a few months to live? Or would I rather have my friends and family hide the truth and carry on as if nothing is the matter? Would I change my lifestyle? They're difficult questions to grapple with, and even though the film portrayal of death ends up being just a tad too beautiful and noble, the question still remain.

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Directors are always the one who gets lists made with their films, but Bette Davis is among that elite group of actors, including Bogart, Brando, the Hepburns, etc., who not only deserve, but it just seems much more appropriate to make lists of instead of the individuals who directed them. So this is my Davis list so far. I can't believe I have only seen five films- I guess her presence is so overpowering that I was under the impression I'd seen more.

01) [i]Jezebel[/i] (1938).

02) [i]All About Eve[/i] (1950).

03) [i]The Letter[/i] (1940).

04) [i]Dark Victory[/i] (1939).

05) [i]Whatever Happened to Baby Jane[/i] (1963).

Need to see ASAP: [i]Of Human Bondage[/i], [i]Dangerous[/i], [i]The Petrified Forest[/i], [i]The Little Foxes[/i], [i]Now, Voyager[/i], [i]Deception[/i], etc., etc.