Dark Victory stars Bette Davis as doomed heiress, Judith Traherne. She lives a life of luxury. She has two suitors, Michael O’Leary, (Humphrey Bogart), and Eric, (Ronald Reagan). This was before both actors became stars. They are both good in their supporting roles. Judith’s best friend is her secretary, Ann King, (Geraldine Fitzgerald). She appears as heartbroken as Judith about the terminal diagnosis.
Judith loves horses. She is riding one day, and experiences vision problems. This causes her to fall from the horse. Her family physician, (Dr. Parsons) looks at her, and tells her to rest. Judith says it’s nothing. Later, Judith falls, necessitating, a specialist, Dr. Frederick Steele, (George Brent). He ,(Brent), was Bette Davis favorite actor. They appeared in eleven films together. After an examination, he diagnoses a brain tumor. He performs surgery, and the tumor is inoperable.
The news devastates Judith. The good part is that she falls in love with and marries Dr. Steele. Her life was unfulfilling, until meeting Dr. Steele. She finds a happiness she’d never known, before meeting him. It is the ironic part of the movie, that death’s shadow, can’t take away happiness. The movie is the classic melodrama. Bette Davis shines as Judith Traherne. This kept her as the queen of this popular Hollywood vehicle.
The screenplay, adapted from the broadway play, makes a difference. It was written by Casey Robinson. He wrote the screenplays for two Errol Flynn films, Captain Blood and Four’s a Crowd, before this movie. He also wrote a screenplay for another Bette Davis vehicle, The Old Maid, released later in the year.
Edmund Goulding has done a good job with this film. He has gotten the appropriate moods for this movie. He shows closeups of Davis’s face at appropriate moments. He gets the shots right, especially ones that show Davis’ distress. This is not the easiest thing to do. He also managed through his directing, to get an academy award nomination for Davis. She had previously won two. She lost to Vivian Leigh.
The thing that Dark Victory does, is sum up its title. Judith Traherne finds more happiness in the final months of her life, than she ever had. It’s ending may bring the viewer to tears. The movie though, does give some cheer, through the sadness. It also shows that love can conquer death.