A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and must decide whether or not she'll meet her final days with dignity.A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and must decide whether or not she'll meet her final days with dignity.A young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and must decide whether or not she'll meet her final days with dignity.
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
Black Ace
- Judith's Horse
- (uncredited)
Marian Alden
- Judith's Friend
- (uncredited)
Wilda Bennett
- Judith's Friend
- (uncredited)
Diane Bernard
- Lucy - a Servant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOff-screen, Bette Davis suffered a nervous breakdown during filming as a result of her crumbling marriage to Harmon Nelson. Reportedly, producer Hal B. Wallis convinced Davis that she could benefit by using these real-life emotions of pain and loss to enhance the portrayal of her character. Meanwhile, Davis's marital problems didn't prevent her from embarking on an affair with co-star George Brent. Davis and Brent appeared in a total of 11 movies together.
- GoofsWhen the setting changes to Vermont towards the end of the film, there is snow on the ground and it is obviously winter. Yet most of the trees in front of the house still have leaves on them.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in computer-coloured version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Stars on Horseback (1943)
- SoundtracksOH, GIVE ME TIME FOR TENDERNESS
(1939) (uncredited)
Music by Edmund Goulding
Lyrics by Elsie Janis
Sung by Vera Van
Featured review
Prognosis Negative
When Bette Davis was in ball buster mode, watch out!! But when she decided to suffer nobly, she could suffer with the best of them.
In "Dark Victory," Davis plays a woman dying from the deadliest of deadly diseases---the vague, unnamed illness that beautiful actresses died of in movies from the 1930s. The symptoms never seem to be the same, but they're always tear-inducing. Here, they make Davis go blind and we know when the disease is getting worse because a fuzzy black halo begins to appear around the edges of the frame.
Actually, this movie is a rather pale companion to the ultimate Davis melodrama, "Now, Voyager." But it has perhaps my favorite line ever delivered in a Bette Davis movie. She's found out that her illness is fatal, and she's at dinner with the doctor who has kept this from her to protect her fragile soul. When the waiter comes to take her order, she says, "How about a nice big helping of..." pause, as she throws the most withering of withering stares at her companion ..."prognosis negative." That should really be on a bumper sticker somewhere.
As for the other actors.....wait, other actors? No one watches a Bette Davis movie to see other actors. I'm not even sure there were any other actors in this movie.
Grade: B
In "Dark Victory," Davis plays a woman dying from the deadliest of deadly diseases---the vague, unnamed illness that beautiful actresses died of in movies from the 1930s. The symptoms never seem to be the same, but they're always tear-inducing. Here, they make Davis go blind and we know when the disease is getting worse because a fuzzy black halo begins to appear around the edges of the frame.
Actually, this movie is a rather pale companion to the ultimate Davis melodrama, "Now, Voyager." But it has perhaps my favorite line ever delivered in a Bette Davis movie. She's found out that her illness is fatal, and she's at dinner with the doctor who has kept this from her to protect her fragile soul. When the waiter comes to take her order, she says, "How about a nice big helping of..." pause, as she throws the most withering of withering stares at her companion ..."prognosis negative." That should really be on a bumper sticker somewhere.
As for the other actors.....wait, other actors? No one watches a Bette Davis movie to see other actors. I'm not even sure there were any other actors in this movie.
Grade: B
Helpful•00
- evanston_dad
- Feb 6, 2006
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $345
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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