“Dark
Victory” is a romantic drama, based on the play by George Emerson Brewer Jr.
and Bertram Bloch, and Directed by Edmund Goulding.
It’s
the story of Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) a wealthy Long Island society girl
given to a dizzy lifestyle.
She
is a confident and self-assured young woman able to command the attention of any
man in her sphere.
One
of whom is an Irish horse trainer, Michael O'Leary (Humphrey Bogart) who
witnessed her falling from her horse after badly misjudging a jump.
It
becomes apparent in the aftermath that it was caused by a problem with her
vision, so her best friend, Ann King (Geraldine Fitzgerald), her secretary
Martha (Virginia Brissac), and handsome young friend Alex Hamm (Ronald Reagan),
all urge her to consult Dr. Parsons (Henry Travers) who in turn directs her
toward brain specialist Dr. Frederick Steele (George Brent).
Steele
diagnoses a brain tumour which will end her life within a year if left to run
its course, so he recommends an operation and afterwards as she recovers from the
surgery she falls in love with him and him with her and he proposes.
Unfortunately,
she discovers that the prognosis is that the tumour will come back and
eventually kill her, learning this, she becomes manic and depressive and goes
off the rails and breaks the engagement.
After a brief wobble she accepts her fate and
decides to enjoy the time she has left with her true love, Frederick, and she
shows the underlying bravery and courage as she faces this physical suffering
and demonstrates the woman of substance that she was as she stoically awaits
the end.
