I can just imagine a young Ross Hunter sitting in a darkened movie palace in 1939, basking in the glow of the projector's light , watching DARK VICTORY unfold on the big screen.
This Warner Brothers melodrama , a star vehicle for Bette Davis , no doubt highly influenced the enterprising nineteen year old future film producer who dominated the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties with lavish tearjerkers such as "Magnificent Obsession" and "Imitation of Life", among others.
Movie soap operas have always been a sturdy Hollywood staple. Hugely popular , they have a direct trajectory to audiences' hearts, no matter how illogical and ridiculous the proceedings are. It's not my purpose to denigrate these movies as pure trash ; they are products of their time and serve a definite function as pure escapist entertainment. Many of them are extremely well made and very enjoyable. Some,like DARK VICTORY, give a great star an indelible moment to once again shine in the Hollywood firmament. Those old black and white shadows of a still young Bette Davis gracing the screen show a star at the height of her powers. Was she a great actress? You certainly can't take your eyes off her. That clipped way of talking, the shifting of the eyes, the very determined walk held Davis in good stead for nearly sixty years. She could look beautiful, she could look plain, all in a matter of minutes in the same movie. She smoked a cigarette and held a cocktail as if they were the greatest props ever invented. She infuses this hoary old chestnut with so much conviction that she picks the movie up by its dated bootstraps and commands your attention.
The story of a wealthy heiress of a Long Island thoroughbred farm who discovers she is dying of a brain tumor is chock full of laughable moments. This was not so in 1939 when the film premiered. In hindsight, one can't help but watch this movie with a rueful eye, realizing how much society and culture has changed in over half a century. Some motion pictures remain classics no matter how much time has passed ; this is not one of them. But no matter : when Bette ascends that final staircase accompanied by Max Steiner's angelic choir, you're with her all the way.
This Warner Brothers melodrama , a star vehicle for Bette Davis , no doubt highly influenced the enterprising nineteen year old future film producer who dominated the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties with lavish tearjerkers such as "Magnificent Obsession" and "Imitation of Life", among others.
Movie soap operas have always been a sturdy Hollywood staple. Hugely popular , they have a direct trajectory to audiences' hearts, no matter how illogical and ridiculous the proceedings are. It's not my purpose to denigrate these movies as pure trash ; they are products of their time and serve a definite function as pure escapist entertainment. Many of them are extremely well made and very enjoyable. Some,like DARK VICTORY, give a great star an indelible moment to once again shine in the Hollywood firmament. Those old black and white shadows of a still young Bette Davis gracing the screen show a star at the height of her powers. Was she a great actress? You certainly can't take your eyes off her. That clipped way of talking, the shifting of the eyes, the very determined walk held Davis in good stead for nearly sixty years. She could look beautiful, she could look plain, all in a matter of minutes in the same movie. She smoked a cigarette and held a cocktail as if they were the greatest props ever invented. She infuses this hoary old chestnut with so much conviction that she picks the movie up by its dated bootstraps and commands your attention.
The story of a wealthy heiress of a Long Island thoroughbred farm who discovers she is dying of a brain tumor is chock full of laughable moments. This was not so in 1939 when the film premiered. In hindsight, one can't help but watch this movie with a rueful eye, realizing how much society and culture has changed in over half a century. Some motion pictures remain classics no matter how much time has passed ; this is not one of them. But no matter : when Bette ascends that final staircase accompanied by Max Steiner's angelic choir, you're with her all the way.