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Dark Victory
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Classic Bette Davis film handles terminal illness unevenly.
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Dark Victory
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What's the Story?
In DARK VICTORY, Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) is an independent heiress who lives life with furious energy and runs a horse business with her best friend, Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald). After agreeing to see Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent) for headaches and dizzy spells, Judith discovers that she has a brain tumor. He operates, and she believes she's cured because Frederick and Ann lie to her about her terminal prognosis. When she learns that Frederick (now her fiancé) kept the truth from her, Judith turns to drinking and partying. She finally finds her way back to happiness through conversations with her aggravating but wise horse trainer, Michael O'Leary (Humphrey Bogart).
Is It Any Good?
This classic melodrama has rich and emotionally charged situations, but it portrays terminal illness inconsistently. At times, Dark Victory focuses on main character Judith's journey -- other times it uses her as a lesson for the nondisabled characters. Judith is in denial about her illness, then shows displaced anger when she breaks her engagement to Frederick. Though she's deteriorating from a terminal illness, Judith almost never appears tired or in pain, and symptoms like blindness are fleeting elements in the plot.
Instead, director Edmund Golding and Davis play up the contrast between Judith's frantic efforts to find distraction through parties ("horses, hats, and food") and drinking, and the peace and joy of her time in Vermont with love and meaningful relationships. The real standouts in the film are Judith's doctor/fiancé Frederick and best friend Ann, who treat Judith with kindness and compassion. Though the lack of racial and economic diversity in the film may make it harder to relate to today, it's fun to catch 27-year-old Ronald Regan playing minor character Alec.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's hard for the characters in Dark Victory to be honest with one another. Why do they lie about health issues?
Why do you think Judith sent Frederick away at the end of the film without telling him she was close to dying?
How important is the friendship between Ann and Judith? What do they do for each other?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 22, 1939
- On DVD or streaming: October 1, 1997
- Cast: Bette Davis , Humphrey Bogart , Ronald Regan
- Director: Edmund Goulding
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 104 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 26, 2023
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