Dark Victory is a fairly conventional tear-jerking melodrama buoyed by a fantastic performance by Bette Davis. She plays Judy Traherne, a rich socialite who lives a life of leisure and pleasure, of smoking and drinking, of parties and friends. Her only true love is her stable of horses. Everything else is an endless parade of distractions. She takes orders from no one, not even her doctor, who insists she lay off the smoking and the drink. She pays him no mind, even when she starts getting terrible headaches and dizzy spells.
Buy Dark Victory Blu-rayShe’s tricked into seeing Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brendt), a brain specialist who immediately recognizes she’s got a brain tumor. She’s resistant at first, but he’s very kind, charming, and quite handsome, so she agrees to treatment. This leads to surgery, which at first seems successful, but tests indicate the cancer is malignant and will come back. Next time, it will kill her. Thankfully, it will come quickly and painlessly, but it will come, and that likely within a few months.
The Doctor confides this information to Judy’s best friend Ann (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and they both agree not to say anything to Judy. They figure it is best for her to live what’s left of her life happy and carefree. Naturally, she eventually learns the secret and must come to terms with the diagnosis.
Honestly, the story is pure melodrama, something I generally don’t care for. I wasn’t too much invested in this story. I know these beats, I’ve seen them before. They are perfectly designed to make the audience cry. I will admit that there was a moment towards the end when Ann looks at the maid and they share a knowing expression that “this is the end” that made me tear up. But mostly I was unmoved. To tell the truth, I was ready for her to die, for the story to end, well before it did.
But here’s the thing: Bette Davis is incredible. This might be her best performance, in a career full of incredible performances. She shows the full range of emotions completely convincingly. She goes from carefree, happy-time girl to a woman full of anger, fear, and sadness, and then finally acceptance. In the hands of a lesser actress, this would be pure corn, but Davis absolutely nails it. Davis has been quoted as saying this was her favorite role. It doesn’t hurt that the cinematographer, Ernest Haller, shoots her magnificently.
George Brent is quite good as well, and Geraldine Fitzgerald is lovely, but this is utterly and completely Bette Davis’ movie. Humphrey Bogart also shows up in a thankless role as a stable hand who’s in love with Judy. (he sports a Scottish brogue, which is quite a thing to hear!) Ronald Reagan also shows up in a minor role as a playboy friend of Judy’s.
But again, this movie is all about Bette Davis. Without her, this film would have been forgotten long ago. It almost nearly was anyway, as it came out in 1939, a year that is now generally considered one of (if not the) greatest years for cinema ever. This is a year in which Gone with the Wind dominated the box office. And The Wizard of Oz wowed audiences across the globe. Also released were such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, Drums Along the Mohawk, Ninotchka, and The Women. But Dark Victory has prevailed, mostly due to the magnificence of Bette Davis.
This Blu-ray release from Warner Bros. seems to be essentially a re-release of one they did back in 2015. It still looks good, though it isn’t likely to turn any heads. Extras include an audio commentary from film historian James Ursini and film critic Paul Clinton, a series of shorts including a couple of cartoons, a Roaring Twenties trailer, and an archival newsreel, plus a short feature comparing Dark Victory with other films from 1939.
