Last night PBS in NYC ran Dark Victory (1939). Bette Davis starred as a young woman terminally ill. The role was perfect for someone of her great skill. I’m not sure Hollywood got the science right, as she remains unchanged physically, beautiful until the final scene, but movies were kinder and gentler, held to stricter standards of conduct, back then. The character is diagnosed with glioma. The words tumor or cancer are not used. Davis was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, one of eleven she received in her fabulous career, which had ups and downs often attributed to her contentious temperament. She won two Academy Awards, but neither was for what I believe is her most enduring work: All About Eve (1950). Dark Victory is notable also because of the presence of Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart. The future president’s character is drunk in all of his scenes but one. He was by no means a great actor, but his presence lit up the screen. Bogie is amusing in his role as an Irish horse trainer, mostly because of his faulty brogue. George Brent plays the doctor Davis falls in love with, who cannot save her. Geraldine Fitzgerald, smoking up a storm, is the best friend. Henry Travers plays the older doctor. The film was directed by Edmund Goulding, who did other notable work such as Grand Hotel (1932). My favorite among his canon is Nightmare Alley (1947), which stars Tyrone Power as a con man. On a scale of five, I rate Dark Victory three. It is rated 7.4 at IMDb.
The weather, gusts of 50 mph today, is turning me into a bum. For the second straight day and third in fourth, the floating book shop was closed. I may have my revenge tomorrow, as I lucked into the ideal parking spot as I returned home today. It will allow me not only to duck inside to warm up, but to demonstrate the CD’s I’ve been burning the past few days. Besides, the Ultimate Sinatra, Jazz and Oldies collections I carry occasionally, I added Modern Pop and Country. Here are the play lists for the latter:
Country: Pop:
Cheater - Joey & Rory Rolling in the Deep - Adele
Loud - Big & Rich Don’t Know Why - Norah Jones
Our Song - Taylor Swift Somebody I Used to Know - Gotye
Take a Little Ride - Jason Aldean Dress You Up - Madonna
As Good As I Once Was - Toby Keith Don’t Get Me Wrong - Pretenders
Home - Blake Shelton Wicked Game - Chris Izaak
Highwaymen - Willie Nelson & Co. Passion - Rod Stewart
Wildflower - JaneDear Girls Under the Milky Way - Church
Red Solo Cup - T. Keith Viva La Vida - Coldplay
That’s How a Cowgirl …. - T. Lawrence Everything - Michael Buble
She’s Country - J. Aldean Crush - Jennifer Paige
Eight Second Ride - Jake Owen White Flag - Dido
Pickin’ Wildflowers - K. Anderson B’vard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
I Hope You Dance - Leann Womack Game of Love - Michelle Branch/Santana
I’ll Go on Lovin’ You - Alan Jackson River of Dreams = Billy Joel
The Lucky One - Alison Krause & Union Sta.
Blue - Leann Rimes
My thanks to my buddy Bags, who provided almost all the Country tracks and several of the pop. He has a lot more patience in exploring the music scene than I do.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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