Jan 14 movie: None! With all the running around and then a new Angel, there wasn't time. We did watch a few episodes of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast from the Season 1 DVD.
Jan 15 movie: Dark Victory. I'll watch just about anything with Bette Davis in it, but I had been wanting to see this again for a long time. It's often described as her best along with Now, Voyager, which is my favorite of her movies. Well on repeated viewing, I don't think Dark Victory is as good as Now, Voyager. But both of them do feature well-developed character studies. This one, a classic weeper, is about a Long Island socialite who gets an incurable brain tumor and falls in love with her brain surgeon. Supporting roles by Humphrey Bogart as an Irish stable manager (!) and Ronald Reagan as an addled but amiable playboy (no stretch there) are more interesting for the novelty value than the acting.
Brent's portrayal of the doctor makes me thank my lucky stars I never needed medical care in 1939. The day of her surgery, Brent categorically refuses to answer Davis' basic questions. Such as, where on her head are they going to cut open, and what exactly are they going to do. All he'll say is "Don't worry, that's my concern." Yeah, it's only her brain, no need for her to worry! I wonder if that was realistic. Then after the surgery, the doctors agree not to tell her the negative prognosis, so her final months will be happy. (I'm assuming -- hoping -- that was not realistic.)
Prurient note: I read in a book on fashion recently that Bette Davis' costumers hated her, because she was busty and refused to wear a bra. So they had to dress her to conceal her bosom. Since reading that, I'm always noticing the design of her costumes. It's true -- they're always loose around the bust, and she's often wearing a bolero jacket or capelet or something.
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