Dark Victory

For other uses, see Dark Victory (disambiguation).

Dark Victory
original film poster
Directed by	Edmund Goulding
Written by	George Emerson Brewer Jr. (play) Bertram Bloch (play) Casey Robinson
Starring	Bette Davis George Brent Humphrey Bogart Geraldine Fitzgerald Ronald Reagan
Cinematography	Ernest Haller
Edited by	William Holmes
Music by	Max Steiner Howard Jackson
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	April 22, 1939
Running time	104 min.
Language	English

Dark Victory is a 1939 film which tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with, and marries, the doctor who has operated on her for a brain tumor. When she discovers that the tumor may return she becomes depressed, until another lover tells her that she needs to make the most out of life that she can.

The film was adapted by Casey Robinson from the play by George Emerson Brewer Jr. and Bertram Bloch. It was directed by Edmund Goulding.

The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 1963 it was remade as Stolen Hours, a vehicle for Susan Hayward, with co-stars Michael Craig (as the surgeon), Edward Judd and Diane Baker. Presumably because the male leads were Australian actors, the locale was moved to England.

Cast

Ronald Reagan and Bette Davis from the film's trailer

• Bette Davis as Judith Traherne
• George Brent as Dr. Frederick Steele
• Humphrey Bogart as Michael O'Leary
• Geraldine Fitzgerald as Ann King
• Ronald Reagan as Alec Hamm
• Henry Travers as Dr. Parsons
• Cora Witherspoon as Carrie

Trivia

Bette Davis always said that of all her movies, this was her personal favourite.

Barbara Stanwyck campaigned for the role, but Jack Warner couldn't imagine her in the role as a high-society ingenue.