Dark Victory (1939)

Bette Davis is my favorite actress and Dark Victory is one of my favorite movies.  Although I might not have made this statement if Bette hadn't pestered Warner Bros to buy the rights to Dark Victory; Jack Warner skeptically broke down, commenting "Who wants to see a dame go blind?"  When Dark Victory became a box office success, he ate his words.


In Dark Victory, Bette Davis plays Judith Traherne who begins having frequent "hang-overs" eventually leading her to brain surgeon Fredrick Steele (George Brent) who operates at alarming speed removing a tumor; although she is still going to die.  Doctor Steele makes the excutive decision not to disclose this and lets Judith go on her merry way.

I myself had brain surgery and even though this is one of my favorite movies I usually end up yelling at the screen because of its inaccuracies.  Besides Bette Davis having a cigarette moments before surgery (oh the good old days) my biggest problem was her hair growth.

She went from this...

cap is covering supposed "bald spot"

To This...

In six months I had a buzz cut.  What is her secret?

On this watch I realized what an annoying spoiled brat Judith was and didn't understand how she had so many potential suitors i.e. Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart and George Brent so really didn't care if she lived or died; but yet somehow Bette Davis had me moved to tears by the end.  She is just that good.  The storyline, while maybe a little melodramatic (being the trend in 1939) I still think it is brilliant and like Jack Warner, on first viewing believed it was a subject that is not to be touched upon.  Although now we have so many fatal illnesses movies from Stepmom to Wit that it seems the norm.

I have touched on Dark Victory's Best Picture and Bette Davis' Best Actress nomination and as to the last, Best Score I didn't pay much attention to it as I was so enrapt in Judith's journey (despite my newly found dislike of her)  so cannot judge on that award.  Have I mentioned I love this movie?  with a fantastic cast and plot Dark Victory deserves nothing less that prognosis positive.

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Watch on the Rhine is a 1940s propaganda film.  You can spin it anyway you like, drama, Bette Davis film, patriotic but in the end its still propaganda to raise spirits during a hard time.

Kurt and Sara Muller along with their three children visit Sara's family who believe she married beneath her class.  The Mullers, having lived a secretive and poorly lifestyle remain mum on Kurt's position.  After a family member cannot keep his nose and eyes to himself discovers that Kurt is working underground in anti-fascist activates.  After learning that a fellow comrade (who once saved Kurt) has been captured Kurt feels it his duty to help his friend and prepares to set out for Germany despite the risk of his own life.  Teck de Brancovis, a  house guest, bribes the family threatening to tell the authorities unless  he is given $10,000 -- their life savings.  Therefore, Muller does the only thing he feels he can do to protect his family, murders the snitch and flees for his life.

The ending had me choked up with Bette Davis excepting her eldest son following in his father's footsteps even though she would have preferred him safe at home.  Sara knew it would be selfish on her part and let him go willing when the time was right.  It was a very tender moment.  Also, I thought the steady build-up to Kurt's position was very well executed even though I thought I had an idea considering the subject matter at hand.    Even so, at times I felt that it was almost too much propaganda but that was the style at the time -- very patriotic.  Overall, Watch on the Rhine was an interesting watch (pun intended) and would certainly recommend it to any Bette Davis or classic movies fan.

The Letter (1940)

The 1940's film, The Letter is the original Fatal Attraction.  The film opens in Malaya when Leslie Crosbie, played by Bette Davis shoots a gentleman caller, identified as Geoff Hammond a family friend.   After having her husband summoned and a police officer arrives she confesses to killing Mr. Hammond after he tries to make love to her grasping for the revolver to protect her honor.  Leslie is immediately brought into custody with little protest as though she was going to a day at the beach.  Each time Leslie is questioned her story never changes and is repeated word for word that, neither  herself or her husband had seen Geoff for many months until he appeared on her doorstep.  This is until a incriminating letter surfaces, written in Leslie's hand to Geoff Hammond on the day of the murder asking him to come to her home.  Of course this changes everything, following lies and deceit with a confession that can only be compared to Glen Close.

Two words could complete this review, Bette Davis.  Although that sounds cheap and undeserving for such a film.  It goes without saying that she is phenomenal, her emotion oozes like she is putting her entire being into the character giving the watcher a better connection to the story, even if you haven't killed your lover. That is not to say that Davis is the only one to give a heart wrenching performance, Herbert Marshall, who plays her devoted husband Robert Crosbie, pulls at your strings after finding out what a sham his marriage is and his life is in ruins.  Here he cries openly without restraint and I really felt for him.

I've always enjoyed William Wyler as a director because like Hitchcock he has a very different way of looking at things.  Speaking of Alfred Hitchcock, in his Rebecca while Maxim de Winter is stating how he killed the first Mrs. de Winter the camera flows about the room as if following a pantomime and feel like  you're seeing it through the killer's eyes.  Wyler does this too and I think it really adds something.

I hadn't watched The Letter in a very long time and forgot how stupendous it is.  This film puts me in the mood for Bette Davis and W. Somerset Maugham who's play it was based on.