Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2007
496 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
In Dark Victory, the noted film critic and biographer Ed Sikov paints the most detailed picture ever delivered of this intelligent, opinionated, and unusual woman who was—in the words of a close friend—“one of the major events of the twentieth century.” Drawing on new interviews with friends, directors, and admirers, as well as archival research and a fresh look at the films, this stylish, intimate biography reveals Davis’s personal as well as professional life in a way that is both revealing and sympathetic. With his wise and well-informed take on the production and accomplishments of such movie milestones as Jezebel, All About Eve, and Now, Voyager, as well as the turbulent life and complicated personality of the actress who made them, Sikov’s Dark Victory brings to life the two-time Academy Award–winning actress’s unmistakable screen style, and shows the reader how Davis’s art was her own dark victory.
"Sikov loses some steam when Davis's film career sputtered in the late 1960s. The last 20 years...is dismissed too quickly in 60 pages." - PW.
"Sikov's focus is not always as sharp and as deep as expected, but he captures the punch of an actress who succeeded in spite of - and because of - herself." - Kirkus Reviews.
"While Davis aficionados may not find the book worthwhile, newcomers to this grand woman's life or to Hollywood's golden era may enjoy the bumpy read. Recommended for comprehensive film collections." - Library Journal.
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