MovieChat Forums > Dark Victory (1939) Discussion > A Vat of Bilge

A Vat of Bilge

posted 13 years ago by The_Dying_Flutchman
5 replies | jump to latest

Not quite. I was surprised by how much of a soaper this was; great chunks of cheese floating in that vat, but also some very well acted sequences. It certainly was a waste of Bogie, but in those days you did what Jack Warner said or you were defintiely "put out to pasture" as it were. His corny accent wasn't needed and his makeup was atrocious. All in all an overcooked journey to an incredibly drawn out and stagey death. Yes, I know it was based on a play. My favorite scene was the one with doctor explaining to patient she was frightened and getting her to accept what was happening to her. The rest had many ups and downs before it reached its obvious conclusion. Yes, we all die alone, but I don't need to be beaten over the head with it. From now on I shall float away with "Now, Voyager" a finer drawn and "executed" journey.

Nothing is more beautiful than...

[–] dmnemaine 13 years ago

Understand that Humphrey Bogart wasn't "Bogie" in 1939. He was just another Warner Brothers contract player doing what his bosses told him to do. He didn't start to come into his own until "High Sierra".

[–] Jason_Radley 13 years ago

So you're back to normal, now? But you're right about the superiority of Now, Voyager. As for Bogie, I found it strange seeing his hair unslicked.

[–] netshopper-2 12 years ago

In the early days, studios would put small contract players into roles like this to test them with audiences. It happened to Bette as well. If they score in the small role, they would progress to bigger roles and careers. others would be dropped. Bogart was being tested here and he passed. More interesting than Reagan in it.

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

Reagen seemed to have his head down in many of his scenes as if he didn't want to get noticed, kind of the opposite of Bogart.🐭

[–] sfwmson 8 years ago

Hee. You may want to think about how new movies still were in 1939. Stories like these were not widely known and the medical issues were just as unknown.

It was a hit then and a nice peek into the past of Hollywood magic.