
Dark Victory
1939, Drama, 1h 46m
25 Reviews 5,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Bette Davis does it her way with a tour de force performance in Dark Victory, a moving melodrama that snatches triumph from the jaws of mortality. Read critic reviews
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Dark Victory Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Judith Traherne
Dr. Frederick Steele
Michael O'Leary
Ann King

Alec Hamm
Carrie
Critic Reviews for Dark Victory
All Critics (25) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (3)
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Judith frequently grasps onto objects, her clothes or a chair... Davis has so much energy and life force flowing through her that she has to direct it somewhere.
April 24, 2020 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
Bette Davis loses her sight, and we gain a classic.
December 22, 2010 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review… -
Guilty pleasure: One of Warner's best acted melodramas and Bette Davis's all-time favorite, in which she lives hard but dies in dignity as an heiress gone blind. Also Davis revenge as Tallulah Bankhead failed to bring the role to life in the 1934 play.
April 30, 2007 | Rating: A- | Full Review… -
Even by the standards of a typical Bette Davis melodrama Dark Victory is an embarrassment of riches.
June 28, 2005 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
February 27, 2001 | Rating: 5/5 -
The themes tend to be more powerful than the individual events, as tinier episodes populate a tale in need of more significant happenings.
December 7, 2020 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Dark Victory
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Apr 05, 20211939 is considered one of the greatest years in Hollywood filmmaking and this tearjerker is among the best movies of that year. A Bette Davis performance that will leave you stunned with her beauty and acting range.Aldo G Super Reviewer
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Oct 10, 2013A woman discovers that she has a brain tumor and falls in love with her doctor. When viewed vis a vis Ikiru, Akira Kurosawa's brilliant film, Dark Victory has a lot to learn. The film posits that a patient's knowledge of his/her condition is detrimental, but Kurosawa is wiser, and the ruminations on mortality and life's usefulness are more poignant and inspiring. Though its embrasure of love, marriage, and romance feel petty against its betters, Dark Victory is a good film in and of itself, propelled by a great Bette Davis performance and George Brent's soulful gazes. Davis is delightful, and the film is saccharine in all the right places. Overall, you should watch this if you can't get a hold of Ikiru.Jim H Super Reviewer
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Jul 23, 2013A four hanky tearjerker...well if you are overly sensitive and weep when little children lose their balls down sewer drains. Make no mistake that Bette Davis is great. She always is but the viewer feels too manipulated.John B Super Reviewer
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Feb 17, 2013Its a pretty silly melodrama that even Bette Davis' absurd acting choices can't save. On a side note, this film also features a terrible supporting performance by Ronald Reagan.Alec B Super Reviewer
Dark Victory Quotes
Judith Traherne: | "I've died a thousand times." |
Judith Traherne: | I've died a thousand times. |
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