Dark Victory
| Dark Victory | |
|---|---|
 theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edmund Goulding |
| Written by | Casey Robinson |
| Based on | Dark Victory 1934 play by George Emerson Brewer, Jr. Bertram Bloch |
| Produced by | David Lewis |
| Starring | Bette Davis George Brent Geraldine Fitzgerald Humphrey Bogart Henry Travers Ronald Reagan Cora Witherspoon |
| Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
| Edited by | William Holmes |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million (est)[1] |
| Box office | $1.3 million (initial U.S. release)[2] |
Dark Victory is a 1939 American melodrama film directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Bette Davis, and featuring George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, Henry Travers, and Cora Witherspoon. The screenplay by Casey Robinson was based on the 1934 play of the same title by George Brewer and Bertram Bloch, starring Tallulah Bankhead.
Plot
Judith “Judy” Traherne (Bette Davis) is a young, carefree, hedonistic Long Island socialite and heiress with a passion for horses, fast cars, and too much smoking and drinking. She initially ignores severe headaches and brief episodes of dizziness and double vision, but when she uncharacteristically takes a spill while riding, and then tumbles down a flight of stairs, her secretary and best friend Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald) insists she see the family doctor, who refers her to a specialist.
Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent) is in the midst of closing his New York City office in preparation of a move to Brattleboro, Vermont, where he plans to devote his time to brain cell research and scientific study on their growth. He reluctantly agrees to see Judy, who is cold and openly antagonistic toward him. She shows signs of short-term memory loss, but dismisses her symptoms. Steele convinces her the ailments she is experiencing are serious and potentially life-threatening, and puts his career plans on hold to tend to her.
When diagnostic tests confirm his suspicions, Judy agrees to surgery to remove a malignant glioma brain tumor. Steele discovers the tumor cannot be completely removed, and realizes she has less than a year to live. The end will be painless but swift—shortly after experiencing total blindness, Judy will die.
In order to allow her a few more months of happiness, Steele opts to lie to Judy and Ann and assures them the surgery was a success. As he is a poor liar, Ann is suspicious and confronts Steele, who admits the truth. Steele tells Ann, "she must never know" she is going to die soon. She agrees to remain silent and continue the lie.
Judith and Steele become involved romantically and eventually engaged. While helping his assistant pack the office prior to their departure for Vermont, Judith discovers her case history file containing letters from several doctors, all of them confirming Steele's prognosis. Assuming Steele was marrying her out of pity, Judy breaks off the engagement and reverts to her former lifestyle. One day, her stablemaster Michael O'Leary (Humphrey Bogart), who for years has loved her from afar, confronts her about her unruly behavior, and she confesses she is dying. Their conversation convinces her she should spend her final months happy, dignified, and with the man she loves. She apologizes to Steele, and they marry and move to Vermont. (Throughout the film Judith and O'Leary engage in arguments about the prospects of a colt, Challenger. O'Leary insists Challenger will never make a racehorse, while Judith sees him as a future champion. Just before her death, O'Leary admits to her that she was correct.)
Three months later, Ann comes to visit. She and Judith are in the garden planting bulbs when Judy comments on how odd it is she still feels the heat of the sun under the rapidly darkening skies. She and Ann immediately realize she actually is losing her vision and approaching the end. Judy makes Ann stay mum, as Steele is leaving that day to present his most recent medical findings—which hold out the long-term prospect of a cure for her type of cancer—in New York. Judy makes an excuse to remain home, helps him pack and sends him off, telling him “What we have now can’t be destroyed. That’s our victory, our victory over the dark. It’s a victory because we’re not afraid.” Then, after bidding Ann, her housekeeper Martha (Virginia Brissac) (who has silently deduced the situation), and her dogs farewell, she goes to her bedroom. She kneels briefly, apparently praying, then lies down on the bed. Martha enters and drapes a blanket over her, then withdraws when Judy asks to be left alone. The camera focuses on the motionless Judith as the screen becomes blurry, then fades to black.
Cast
- 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 Spottswood
- Dorothy Peterson as Miss Wainwright
- Virginia Brissac as Martha
- Charles Richman as Colonel Mantle
- Herbert Rawlinson as Dr. Carter
- Leonard Mudie as Dr. Driscoll
- Fay Helm as Miss Dodd
- Lottie Williams as Lucy
Cast notes:
- Dark Victory was Irish-born actress Geraldine Fitzgerald's first American film, after having appeared in films made in England, and on the Broadway stage.[3]
- This was the eighth, of eleven, on-screen teaming of Bette Davis and George Brent.[4][5]
Production
Tallulah Bankhead originated the role of Judith Traherne in the Broadway production, which ran for 51 performances at the Plymouth Theatre,[6] before being cut short when Bankhead fell ill with a bacterial infection. Davis openly admitted in later years that she had emulated Bankhead in the role. In 1935, David O. Selznick wanted to cast Greta Garbo and Fredric March in the leads, but Garbo chose to play the lead in Anna Karenina instead. In 1936, he offered the role to Merle Oberon, but contractual problems prevented her from doing the film. When Bette Davis discovered the play in 1938, she shopped it to every producer on the Warners lot, and Hal Wallis bought the rights from Selznick for her, for $50,000, when director Edmound Goulding and producer David Lewis showed interest in the project.[3]
Davis had recently ended affairs with William Wyler and Howard Hughes and her husband Ham Nelson had filed for divorce, and after the first few days of filming she begged to be released from her contract, claiming she was too sick to continue.[7] Producer Hal Wallis responded, "I've seen the rushes – stay sick!" She found comfort with Brent, who had just divorced Constance Worth, and the two embarked on an affair that continued throughout filming and for a year – and three films – after.[5] Goulding shot the film in sequence, and the arc of Judith's relationship with Dr. Steele mirrored Davis' relationship with Brent.[5] Davis was later to say that she wanted to marry Brent, but thought that it wouldn't work out. Still, "Of the men I didn't marry, the dearest was George Brent."[5]
The tune, "Oh, Give Me Time for Tenderness" sung by Judith was written by Edmund Goulding and Elsie Janis. The voice of Vera Van was dubbed for Davis.
Another scene for the film's ending was shot, but ultimately was deemed anticlimactic: after Judith's death, her horse was seen winning a race, and her stablehand Michael (Bogart) was shown crying. The scene met with negative response with sneak preview audiences and was cut.[8]
The film premiered at Radio City Music Hall.
Reception
Frank S. Nugent, in his review in The New York Times, observed: "A completely cynical appraisal would dismiss it all as emotional flim-flam, a heartless play upon tender hearts by a playwright and company well versed in the dramatic uses of going blind and improvising on Camille. But it is impossible to be that cynical about it. The mood is too poignant, the performances too honest, the craftsmanship too expert. Miss Davis, naturally, has dominated—and quite properly—her film, but Miss Fitzgerald has added a sentient and touching portrayal of the friend, and George Brent, as the surgeon, is—dare we say?—surprisingly self-contained and mature. This once we must run the risk of being called a softy: we won't dismiss Dark Victory with a self-defensive sneer."[9]
Variety called the film "intense drama" and "a nicely produced offering [with] Bette Davis in a powerful and impressive role."[10]
Time Out London critic Tom Milne writes: "[Davis] and [director Edmund] Goulding almost transform the soap into style; a Rolls-Royce of the weepie world."[11]
On Turner Classic Movies, Margarita Landazuri said: "Dark Victory was a three-hanky hit. Filmgoers and critics alike knew their emotions were being manipulated, but so expertly and touchingly that they couldn't help but cheer."[5]
The film was included at #32 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions.
The film is mentioned in the play "Steel Magnolias," by Clairee in Act Two, Scene 1.[12] It is also mentioned in the 2015 movie The Frontier by the Luann character as a missed opportunity in her career.
Dark Victory currently holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on twenty-three reviews. The site's consensus states: "Bette Davis does it her way with a tour de force performance in Dark Victory, a moving melodrama that snatches triumph from the jaws of mortality."[13]
Awards and honors
Bette Davis was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress but lost to Vivien Leigh, star of Gone with the Wind. Max Steiner, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score for both this and Gone with the Wind, lost to Herbert Stothart for The Wizard of Oz. The film itself lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Gone with the Wind.
The New York Times named Dark Victory as one of the "10 Best Films of 1939", as did Film Daily, and the National Board of Review picked both Bette Davis and Geraldine Fitzgerald for Best Acting that year.[14]
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – #32[15]
- 2005: AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – Nominated[16]
- 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – #72[17]
Adaptations and remakes
Radio
On January 8, 1940 Davis and Spencer Tracy appeared in a 60-minute adaptation of the film on Lux Radio Theatre.[18] Barbara Stanwyck and Melvyn Douglas had previously performed an adaptation, one based on the original Broadway play, on Lux Radio Theatre on April 4, 1938.[19] On March 6, 1952, CBS Radio's Hollywood Sound Stage aired a condensed 30-minute version starring Stanwyck and David Brian.[20][21]
Film
In 1963, the film was remade as Stolen Hours with Susan Hayward and Michael Craig, directed by Daniel Petrie. The time frame was updated and the locale changed to England.
Television
It was remade in 1953, under its original title, as a TV adaptation for the Broadway Television Theatre, starring Sylvia Sidney, Christopher Plummer, and Ian Keith. In 1976, the story was produced under its original title as an NBC television movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery as television producer Katherine Merrill under the care of Dr. Michael Grant, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins; this version was directed by Robert Butler.[3]
References
Notes
- ^ "1939 Hollywood Toppers". Variety. 3 January 1940. p. 28.
- ^ Fragias, Leonidas (2017). Annual US Top Film Rentals 1912 - 1979 (Kindle Edition). Leonidas Fragias.
- ^ a b c "Dark Victory: Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ Sikov 2007, p. 138.
- ^ a b c d e Landazuri, Margarita. "Dark Victory" (article), Turner Classic Movies, Retrieved: August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Dark Victory." Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved: August 20, 2012.
- ^ Schickel and Perry 2009, pp. 102–103.
- ^ DVD audio commentary by film historian James Ursini and CNN film critic Paul Clinton, 2005 issue, Warner Home Video
- ^ Nugent, Frank S. "Dark Victory (1939): Bette Davis scores new honors in 'Dark Victory'; George Brent also is seen in the music hall feature" The New York Times (April 21, 1939)
- ^ "Dark Victory (1939)." Variety, December 31, 1938. Retrieved: August 20, 2012.
- ^ Milne, Tom. Time Out London review 2008, p. 242.
- ^ Harling, Robert (1988). Steel Magnolias. Dramatists Play Service. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-8222-1078-8.
- ^ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_victory
- ^ "Awards" on Allmovie.com
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ "KSL – THE VOICE OF THE WEST (advertisement)". The Deseret News. 1940-01-08. p. 14. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
- ^ "KSL – THE VOICE OF THE WEST (advertisement)". The Deseret News. 1938-04-04. p. 16. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
- ^ Goldin, J. David. "Hollywood Sound Stage." radiogoldindex.com, 2012. Retrieved: August 20, 2012.
- ^ Kirby, Walter (March 2, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 42. Retrieved May 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
- Schickel, Richard and Perry, George. Bette Davis: Larger than Life. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-76243-688-0.
- Sikov, Ed (September 30, 2008). Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-8863-2..
- Time Out Film Guide 2009. London: Time Out Group, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84670-100-9.
External links
- Dark Victory at the TCM Movie Database
- Dark Victory at IMDb
- Dark Victory at AllMovie
- Dark Victory at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Dark Victory at Rotten Tomatoes
Streaming audio
- Dark Victory on Lux Radio Theater (January 8, 1940)
- Dark Victory on Theater of Romance: {September 20, 1943}