Starring Bette Davis and George Brent
Today, let’s talk Classic Tearjerker-Dark Victory! This dramatic film, 
starring Bette Davis, was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar of 1939, but lost the award to Gone with the Wind. Ms. Davis was also nominated for Best Actress, but did not win either, losing to Vivien Leigh in that category. The film, though a fine one, could quite easily have been just another “melodrama” if not for the tremendous performances of its stellar cast. The combined efforts of Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, and Henry Travers make Dark Victory the enduring classic and audience favorite that it still remains today.
The story revolves around the carefree world of rich socialite, Judith Trahern
e (Davis) who seems to divide her time between raising horses with trainer, Michael O’ Leary (Bogart), and partying with friend, Alex Hamm (Reagan), and others. All is right with her world until she begins experiencing headaches and double-vision. When she takes a nasty spill from her horse followed by a fall down a flight of stairs, her friend and secretary, Ann King (Fitzgerald), 
insists she see her doctor. Dr. Parsons (Travers) immediately refers her to a specialist-Dr. Frederick Steele (Brent). Upon observation and through testing, Dr. Steele diagnoses a brain tumor and makes arrangements to perform surgery on Judith.
During the operation, Dr. Steele discovers that only part of the tumor can be re
moved, giving Judith less than a year to live. He feels it best to keep that information to himself and tells Judith and Ann that surgery was successful, but Ann is suspicious and confronts the doctor, who admits the truth to her. She agrees to keep silent about the prognosis. By this time Dr. Steele and Judith have fallen in love and plan to marry, but when she accidentally discovers her case file and finds that she is dying, she breaks off the engagement and reverts back to her “hard-
living” lifestyle (she had reformed after meeting Dr. Steele). When she turns to Michael O’Leary (who has loved her from afar) and reveals her condition, he helps her to see what she should be doing with the time she has left. She soon apologizes to Dr. Steele, the two are wed, and move to Vermont where he continues his scientific research of brain cell growth.
The time the newlyweds share together is happy and content. A few months later,
Ann comes to visit. On the afternoon Dr. Steele is preparing to go to New York to present his latest research findings, Judith and Ann are planting in the garden when Judith notices that it is getting darker even though she can feel the sun on her face. Realizing the end is near, she convinces her husband to go to the conference without her. Though Judith can no longer see, with Ann’s
help, she is able to send Dr. Steele on his way. She then bids Ann farewell and goes into her bedroom to lie down. Her housekeeper, Martha (Virginia Brissac), comes in to cover her up, quietly leaving the room as Judith passes away.
Dark Victory is indeed a remarkable motion picture and classic tearjerker. Don
’t watch it without some tissues at hand. It is another Fabulous Film of 1939! Read “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more classic movie presentations and trivia.
**Trivia Question for Today: What was the name of the song that Bette Davis sang in Dark Victory and did she do her own singing?
Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Child-actor Donnie Dunagan of Son of Frankenstein was the voice of “young Bambi” in Walt Disney’s classic animated feature, Bambi (1942).
starring Bette Davis, was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar of 1939, but lost the award to Gone with the Wind. Ms. Davis was also nominated for Best Actress, but did not win either, losing to Vivien Leigh in that category. The film, though a fine one, could quite easily have been just another “melodrama” if not for the tremendous performances of its stellar cast. The combined efforts of Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, and Henry Travers make Dark Victory the enduring classic and audience favorite that it still remains today.The story revolves around the carefree world of rich socialite, Judith Trahern
e (Davis) who seems to divide her time between raising horses with trainer, Michael O’ Leary (Bogart), and partying with friend, Alex Hamm (Reagan), and others. All is right with her world until she begins experiencing headaches and double-vision. When she takes a nasty spill from her horse followed by a fall down a flight of stairs, her friend and secretary, Ann King (Fitzgerald), 
insists she see her doctor. Dr. Parsons (Travers) immediately refers her to a specialist-Dr. Frederick Steele (Brent). Upon observation and through testing, Dr. Steele diagnoses a brain tumor and makes arrangements to perform surgery on Judith.During the operation, Dr. Steele discovers that only part of the tumor can be re
moved, giving Judith less than a year to live. He feels it best to keep that information to himself and tells Judith and Ann that surgery was successful, but Ann is suspicious and confronts the doctor, who admits the truth to her. She agrees to keep silent about the prognosis. By this time Dr. Steele and Judith have fallen in love and plan to marry, but when she accidentally discovers her case file and finds that she is dying, she breaks off the engagement and reverts back to her “hard-
living” lifestyle (she had reformed after meeting Dr. Steele). When she turns to Michael O’Leary (who has loved her from afar) and reveals her condition, he helps her to see what she should be doing with the time she has left. She soon apologizes to Dr. Steele, the two are wed, and move to Vermont where he continues his scientific research of brain cell growth.The time the newlyweds share together is happy and content. A few months later,
Ann comes to visit. On the afternoon Dr. Steele is preparing to go to New York to present his latest research findings, Judith and Ann are planting in the garden when Judith notices that it is getting darker even though she can feel the sun on her face. Realizing the end is near, she convinces her husband to go to the conference without her. Though Judith can no longer see, with Ann’s
help, she is able to send Dr. Steele on his way. She then bids Ann farewell and goes into her bedroom to lie down. Her housekeeper, Martha (Virginia Brissac), comes in to cover her up, quietly leaving the room as Judith passes away.Dark Victory is indeed a remarkable motion picture and classic tearjerker. Don
’t watch it without some tissues at hand. It is another Fabulous Film of 1939! Read “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more classic movie presentations and trivia.**Trivia Question for Today: What was the name of the song that Bette Davis sang in Dark Victory and did she do her own singing?
Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Child-actor Donnie Dunagan of Son of Frankenstein was the voice of “young Bambi” in Walt Disney’s classic animated feature, Bambi (1942).
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