Grade: B
Synopsis: A young socialite (Bette Davis) has just six months to live after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
Dark Victory is a very calculating melodrama that works largely because of Bette Davis’ performance, and a strong finale.
The film’s emotion impact rests on the viewer having a vested interest in Davis’s character, and thus, if you don’t like Davis, you won’t like Dark Victory. But Davis pours on the charm from the opening scene, and the script by Casey Robinson from the play by George Emerson Brewer Jr. and Bertram Bloch wisely paints her in a flattering light. Though she’s an heiress, she’s not a spoiled airhead, but an intelligent, confident woman that any man could fall in love with.
Opposite her, George Brent delivers a sophisticated, yet low-key performance that perfectly balances Davis’. The two have believable chemistry, and what’s more, you genuinely like them as a couple. Again, the script wisely paints them in a flattering light, hitting all the right notes to manipulate the viewer’s emotions.
Supporting them is a great cast including Ronal Reagan and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Davis’ character’s friends, and Humphrey Bogart as Davis’ character’s Irish(!) horse trainer.
But Dark Victory’s knockout punch comes in its finale. The entire story has been building to it, and director Edmund Goulding and Bette Davis deliver a kick to the viewer’s gut that all but guarantees anyone who watches the film will have a hard time swallowing the lump in their throat after the credits roll.
Bottom Line: A blatant manipulator, to be sure, but an exceptionally well-done one featuring a stellar performance from Bette Davis.
