Dark Victory
Director: Edmund Goulding
Year Released: 1939
Rating: 3.5
Classic melodrama that works because of its commanding performances: Betty Davis is sympathetic as a victim of a brain tumor, and the supporting cast is just as sturdy, lying to her, supporting her and comforting her when she discovers she's dying. The story flaws – things happen at 'just the right time,' she happens to notice she's going blind just as her husband has to go away – didn't make it any less compelling, although my interest in neurology predisposes me to like the basic ideas. I'm beginning to wonder if Davis, not Hepburn, should be considered the greatest film actress.
