Marion Davies Movies
American actress Marion Davies became a Broadway chorus dancer through the auspices of her brother-in-law, the powerful theatrical producer George W. Lederer. There are many stories of how Davies came to the attention of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, the most popular of which relates how, when watching her perform as a solo singer-dancer in the 1916 edition of Ziegfeld Follies, Hearst became so enchanted that for eight weeks thereafter he never missed a performance, reserving two seats per show (one seat for his hat). Hearst, who in addition to his publishing empire also dabbled in moviemaking, cast Davies in the 1917 silent film Runaway Romany. For the rest of her career, Davies appeared only in Hearst-produced movies, a professional association which spilled over into her private life; she became Hearst's mistress, and might very well have married him had Mrs. Hearst not refused him a divorce. The Hearst press promoted Davies' film career to the point of the ridiculous, overpraising each movie as though it were the Second Coming; in retaliation, rival newspapers mercilessly panned Davies, suggesting that she'd still be a chorus girl without Hearst's sponsorship. The truth lay somewhere in between--when viewing such Davies films as Show People (1928), Blondie of the Follies (1932) and Cain and Mabel (1936), one is struck by her deft comic skills and superior musical talent; at the same time, she was not the actress promoted by the Hearst publicity machine. Davies retired from the screen after Ever Since Eve (1937), settling down as the popular hostess of San Simeon, Hearst's gigantic estate on the California coast. After Hearst died in 1951, Davies married Capt. Horace G. Brown of the California State Guard and divided her time between managing her considerable financial holdings and maintaining the Marion Davies Childrens' Clinic, a charitable organization. Davies was much loved by her friends and by Hollywood in general; alas, most people today "know" Davies only through the vulgar, abrasive character of "Susan Alexander" in filmmaker Orson Welles' thinly disguised chronicle of William Randolph Hearst's life, Citizen Kane (1941). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideThis compilation film is one of the few Robert Youngson productions to incorporate sound as well as silent excerpts. All the clips are culled from 40 years' worth of MGM comedy material. The silent scenes spotlight such funsters as Marion Davies, Buster Keaton, Karl Dane and George K. Arthur, while the talking sequences feature the likes of Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery, Jimmy Durante, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Abbott & Costello and even the Three Stooges. Highlights include Laurel & Hardy's egg-breaking sequence with Lupe Velez from Hollywood Party (1934), the train-chase climax from the Marx Brothers' Go West (1940), Red Skelton's two-sided flag bit from A Southern Yankee (1948) and the Robert Benchley short subject A Night at the Movies (1935). Current prints of Big Parade of Comedy end with a montage of actor/stuntman Dave O'Brien's scenes from the Pete Smith Specialties; when the film was originally released in 1964, snippets from several then-current MGM films were also included. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, (more)
A lovely stenographer, tired of men falling all over her, tries to make herself homely in this comedy. With her horn rim specs and tweed suits, she finds that she is actually able to get some work done. She begins working as a writer's secretary to help him make his deadline. When the writer catches her without her suit and glasses, he instantly falls in love. Songs include: "Wreaths of Flowers", "Ever Since Eve", and "Shine on Harvest Moon". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Montgomery, Marion Davies, (more)
Previously (and uncomfortably) co-starred in Polly at the Circus, Marion Davies and Clark Gable were reteamed in Cain and Mabel, reportedly on the demand of Davies' "sponsor" William Randolph Hearst. The story concerns a hash slinger-turned-Broadway-star named Mabel O'Dare (Davies, endearingly miscast) whose career is in the hands of hotshot publicist Reilly (Roscoe Karns). To stir up interest in Mabel's latest musical show, Karns cooks up a phony romance between his client and boxing champ Larry Cain (Gable) -- even though Mabel and Cain have already developed a healthy dislike for one another. Unfortunately, Karns' brainstorm turns out to be a drizzle: Mabel's show is a flop, and Cain begins losing in the ring. By the time Cain and Mabel have fallen in love for real, both parties have had to virtually abandon their careers as proof that it is for real. Most of the comedy setpieces in the film fall flat, save for a terrific bit near the end: Told that "The show must go on!," a disconsolate Mabel asks "Why?" -- and no one can come up with a good answer! This is the film in which a studio stagehand allegedly pops up during one of the production numbers, but don't kill yourself looking for him. PS: The handsome actor billed as David Carlyle later enjoyed a substantial screen career as Robert Paige. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Clark Gable, (more)
A remake of 1928's Glorious Betsy (itself based on a stage play by Rida Johnson Young), Hearts Divided is based, believe it or not, on a true story. Marion Davies stars as 19th-century Baltimore belle Betsy Patterson, who falls in love with Jerome Bonaparte (Dick Powell) -- the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte (Claude Rains) himself. Though in real life Betsy and Jerome were married, for the purposes of the film they are parted before the nuptials, as part of Napoleon's long-range plans to place a Bonaparte at the head of every European nation. The Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart musical score emphasizes the artificiality of the whole endeavor, which despite its basis in fact is never believable for a single moment. The film's brevity (70 minutes) is its principal redeeming factor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Powell, Marion Davies, (more)
William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Productions moved from MGM to Warners with Page Miss Glory--along with Cosmopolitan's biggest commodity, actress Marion Davies. The plotline has something to do with a composite photo prepared for a magazine contest: The combined facial attributes of Garbo, Dietrich, Harlow and Kay Francis make up this picture, which wins an award for photographer Pat O'Brien. When pressed to produce his fictional "Miss Glory," O'Brien scours the country in search of the girl whose face matches the composite. And that's where lowly chambermaid Marion Davies comes in. After a dizzying taste of fame and fortune, Davies renounces her new celebrity for the love of Dick Powell. The title song of Page Miss Glory was given a more entertaining showcase in the "art deco" Warner Bros. cartoon Miss Glory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Pat O'Brien, (more)
If you can accept blonde, blue-eyed Marion Davies disguising herself in blackface, chances are you'll swallow the rest of Operator 13. Davies plays a Belle Boyd-like actress who agrees to become a Northern spy during the Civil War. She assumes the identity of an octoroon servant and heads into Southern territory. Marion meets dashing Confederate captain Gary Cooper, and instantly falls in love with him. Later, she assumes the disguise of a Southern belle to prevent Cooper from recruiting Southern sympathizers in the north. This time Cooper falls for Davies, which makes it hard for her to carry out her mission. After several more reels of espionage and romantic interludes, including a gently kinky sequence in which Cooper and Davies are handcuffed together, the lovers part company, promising to meet again when the war is over. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Marion Davies, (more)
Reportedly at the request of Marion Davies herself, Bing Crosby was borrowed from Paramount for the MGM Davies vehicle Going Hollywood. Der Bingle plays a struggling crooner who falls in love with Davies, a French teacher in a girl's school. He rises to fame and fortune in Hollywood, leaving Davies behind. She trails after him and becomes a movie star in her own right, supplanting Crosby's current vis-a-vis, the seductive Fifi D'Orsay. Hero and heroine are reunited in a lyrical finale. Some of the best moments in Going Hollywood belong to Patsy Kelly, making her movie debut as Davies' wisecracking chum, and to the Radio Rogues, a comedy singing act specializing in impressions of contemporary radio celebrities. As was his wont, publisher William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies' very good friend, was present throughout the filming, making it difficult indeed for Bing Crosby to "lose himself" in the kissing scenes. The gloriously oversized production numbers include "Temptation" (given an astoundingly seductive rendition by a worldly Bing Crosby) and the high-kickin' title song. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Bing Crosby, (more)
The evergreen Laurette Taylor stage vehicle Peg O' My Heart was the basis for this Marion Davies picture. 36-year-old Davies plays a twentysomething Irish colleen who inherits a large sum of money from her grandfather. To collect the legacy, she must leave her beloved Pa (J. Farrell McDonald) and live in England for three years. Hoydenish Davies raises a ruckus in her staid family mansion, meanwhile falling in love with handsome young Onslow Stevens. It is Stevens who tells Davies that her father, who'd pretended to be dead so that she wouldn't return from England before the three years were up, is actually alive. Renouncing her inheritance, Davies returns to Pa, with Stevens not far behind. A silent version of Peg O' My Heart, with Laurette Taylor recreating her stage role, was filmed in 1923. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Alan Mowbray, (more)
In this romantic drama, a strait-laced preacher creates controversy when he marries a seductive trapeze artist . The two meet after the swinger is injured during a performance and taken to his home to recover. Love blossoms while she heals and they surreptitiously marry. When the minister's snooty parishioners find out, they are shocked evict him from their chapel. When he is unsuccessful at finding other work, his wife selflessly returns to the circus so he can have his congregation back. This leads to the story's upbeat conclusion, but not before some exciting aerial antics ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Marion Davies, (more)
Marion Davies and Billie Dove, both veterans of the real-life Ziegfeld Follies, star in the entertaining comedy-drama Blondie of the Follies. Having both grown up in the New York tenement district, Blondie (Davies) and Lurleen (Dove) hope to escape their shabby surroundings in favor of the show-business world. But while Lurleen takes "the easiest path," sleeping her way to the top and living in luxury as the kept woman of playboy Robert Montgomery, Blondie does her best to hold on to her virtue while climbing the rungs of fame and fortune. The rivalry between the two girls reaches a fever pitch when Lurleen inadvertently causes Blondie to suffer a debilitating injury during a particularly treacherous Follies production number. Sticking fast to her principles, Blondie ultimately wins Montgomery, whereupon she and Lurleen renew their rocky friendship. The film's highlight is a delightful party scene in which Marion Davies and Jimmy Durante perform a devastating send-up of Greta Garbo and John Barrymore in Grand Hotel. Blondie of the Follies might have even been better had it been shorter; at 90 minutes, however, it veers towards repetition and predictability in the final reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery, (more)
Based on a story by Fannie Hurst, Five and Ten stars Marion Davies as Jennifer, the spoiled daughter of department-store magnate John Rarick (Richard Bennett). Because Rarick neglects his family, they all manage to get themselves into hot water. Jennifer's mother, Jenny (Irene Rich), nearly runs off with a gigolo, while her alcoholic brother, Avery (Kent Douglass), nearly dies in a reckless aviation escapade. As for our heroine, she messes up her entrée into high society, but at least finds happiness in the arms of architect Berry (Leslie Howard). Rarick finally awakens to his family responsibilities, and in a last-reel flurry of activity, he pulls all their coals out of the fire. Five and Ten was released in Great Britain as Daughter of Luxury. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Leslie Howard, (more)
Edward Childs Carpenter's stock-company perennial Bachelor Father was reshaped as a Marion Davies vehicle in 1931. Davies plays Tony Flagg, one of the three grown children of ageing roue Sir Basil Winterton (C. Aubrey Smith). Tony and her siblings Geoffrey Trent (Ray Milland) and Maria Credaro (Nena Quartero), were all born out of wedlock, each to a different mother. In order to ensure her future happiness, Tony vows to find Sir Basil a proper wife. In the meantime, she goes the Amelia Earhart route, planning to make a transatlantic flight despite her daddy's protests. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Ralph Forbes, (more)
In this comedy, a conservative family becomes alarmed when they begin believing their daughter is pregnant. They frantically begin searching for the father. The search is narrowed down to three possibilities: her ex-fiancee, her current one, or her legal guardian. Meanwhile, a drunken son marries the family maid, who is also pregnant. The daughter then admits her pregnancy is false--she only did it to cover for the maid. The son, now sober annuls the marriage and the maid marries the ice man, her real love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Sidney Blackmer, (more)
In this comedy, set during the 1900s, a Florodora girl slowly falls for a gentle millionaire. Songs include: "My Kind Of Man," "Pass The Beer And Pretzels," "Swingin' In The Lane," and a Technicolor stage sequence of "Tell Me Pretty Maiden." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Lawrence Gray, (more)
Previously filmed in 1923, the George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly stage comedy Dulcy was remade as a talkie in 1929 under the new title Dulcy. Marion Davies stars as Dulcinea, the illogical, cliché-spouting young housewife created by newspaper humorist Franklin P. Adams. Hoping to help her fiance George (Elliot Nugent) get ahead in business, Dulcy invites taciturn executive Forbes (played by William Holden -- no, not that William Holden) for a dinner party. The event turns into a disaster, and it is only through the intervention of Dulcy's butler (George Davis), an ex-convict, that the day is saved. Marion Davies comic expertise is matched by Franklin Pangborn as an epicene novelist and Donald Ogden Stewart (a future Oscar-winning screenwriter) as a libidinous financier. Not So Dumb was remade under the original title Dulcy as an Ann Sothern vehicle in 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Elliott Nugent, (more)
One of the most delightful of Marion Davies' early talkies, The Floradora Girl is set in New York at the turn of the century. The star plays Daisy Dell, one of the members of the original Floradora Sextette ("O Tell Me, Pretty Maiden") She spends several seasons on stage in this capacity, during which time the other five Floradoras all land wealthy husbands. Daisy's one chance at connubial bliss with handsome young socialite Jack Vibart (Lawrence Gray) apparently comes to an end when she is persuaded by Jack's mother to give the boy up -- not because of class consciousness, but so that Jack can marry a wealthy woman and thereby save his family from bankruptcy. Before the film can metamorphose into a Gay '90s variation of Camille, Jack decides that love is far more important than money, whereupon he makes a surprise appearance in the last act of Floradora to sing his proposal to Daisy. Some of the exterior scenes in Floradora Girl were filmed outside the gargantuan "beach house" built for Marion Davies by her sponsor-lover William Randolph Hearst. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Marion Davies made her talkie debut in this early musical romance set during World War I. Marianne (Davies is a beautiful French girl who is engaged to marry a soldier fighting on the front. However, she soon attracts the attentions of Pvt. Stagg (Lawrence Gray), an American soldier fighting in France. Marianne is infatuated with the dashing Yank, yet remains faithful to her intended. But when her fiancé returns from the war blind and embittered, Marianne wonders if she might have been better off with Stagg. Marianne also features Cliff Edwards (also known as Ukulele Ike), Benny Rubin, and George Baxter; Arthur Freed, later a top producer of musicals at MGM, co-wrote the song "Blondy" that is sung by Lawrence Gray in the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Cliff Edwards, (more)
Next to Show People, The Patsy may well be Marion Davies' best silent vehicle. Based on a hit Broadway play, this modern Cinderella story casts Davies as Patsy Harrington, the drudge of her social-climbing family. Secretly in love with Tony Anderson (Orville Caldwell), the boyfriend of her irresponsible but irresistible sister Grace (Jane Winton), Patsy yearns to be a "personality girl." Rather than cultivate her looks, she decides to become the "intellectual" of her family, which outrages her mother (Marie Dressler) who believes that beauty and brains don't mix. Meanwhile, the fickle Grace begins cheating on Tony with a millionaire named Bill (Lawrence Gray). For Tony's sake, the "new" Patsy throws herself at Grace's new beau, hoping to break up the romance. The whole affair ends, predictably but hilariously with Tony falling in love with Patsy! Best scene: sitting by a mirror, Davies impersonates Lillian Gish, Mae Murray and Pola Negri -- which reportedly infuriated Murray and Negri but delighted Gish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Orville Caldwell, (more)
Very loosely based on the stage play by Jacques Deval, this comedy was largely rewritten to give comedienne Marion Davies a chance to shine, which she does brightly. No one who sees this film can will likely her talent, as tempted as they may be to discount it because of her love affair with newspaper magnate/film producer William Randolph Hearst. Davies plays Sally, a hyperactive co-ed and autograph hunter on a trip to the Riviera. Chasing after any celebrity she can find, she hands her autograph book to a lecherous baritone (Andres de Segurola), who accompanies his signature with a suggestive remark that inspires Sally's haughty indignation. But then she sees Andre, a tennis champ (Nils Asther), and wants his autograph merely because he's "beautiful" (which Asther definitely was). Embroiled in a love affair with the faithless Simone (Jetta Goudal) (one of who's lovers happens to be the lascivious baritone), Andre enlists Sally's help to get him over his infatuation, and she swears to keep him away from Simone even if she has to sock him on the jaw. Although it takes the better part of the film, Sally finally does have to sock Andre on the jaw -- and this winds up cementing their growing romance. Davies had a marvelous talent for mimicry, and in one scene she imitates Goudal's character to a "T." She also has a charming bit in which she disguises herself as a bellhop to separate Andre and Simone. Surprisingly, this delightful film received mixed reviews when it was first released, but its slapstick moments and Davies' unrestrained performance -- both criticized in its day -- help make it entertaining for modern audiences. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Jetta Goudal, (more)
This Marion Davies vehicle was loosely inspired by the career of Gloria Swanson. Davies plays would-be starlet Peggy Pepper, who arrives at the gates of MGM Studios with her dad Colonel Pepper (Dell Henderson) in hopes of becoming a great dramatic actress. Instead, she a scores a hit as an ingenue in the slapstick comedies starring the effervescent Billy Boone (William Haines). As the audience rocks with laughter during the preview of Peggy's first film (no one is more enthusiastic than her director Harry Gribbon), she sits in sullen silence, insisting to Billy that some day she'll invoke tears instead of laughter. This doesn't seem likely, inasmuch as Peggy can't even cry on cue (her director is forced to peel onions outside of camera range to achieve the desired emotion), but the tenacious young actress finally manages to win favor in dramatic roles. Inevitably, this causes a strain on her budding romance with Billy, and the couple slowly drifts apart. Now the unchallenged Queen of the Cinema, Peggy -- billing herself as Patricia Pepoire -- prepares to marry her oily leading man Andre (Paul Ralli), but mischievous Billy disrupts her fancy wedding. She angrily tosses Billy out of the house, realizing only when it's too late that she's still in love with him. But in the final scene, the hero and heroine are accidentally reunited on the set of a WWI picture directed by King Vidor (who also directed Show People). Two versions of Show People are currently available for TV; the "stretch-framed" Kevin Brownlow-David Gill restoration, with a new orchestral score by Carl Davis, and the original MGM release version, outfitted with a lively music and sound-effects track. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, William Haines, (more)
Marion Davies has the lead role of Tillie in this adaptation of Russ Westover's popular 1920s comic strip. Tillie is bored by both her job as a stenographer and her office romance with Mr. Whipple (George K. Arthur). She's far more interested in another man in the office, Mac (Matt Moore). Mac, however, does not seem a likely candidate for advancement, and Tillie is an ambitious girl. She thinks she has found her ticket when she meets the wealthy Pennington Fish (Harry Crocker). After one date, Tillie gets engaged to Fish. But Tillie and Mac really belong together, and after she goes back to him, he gets a promotion. Harry Crocker, who played Pennington Fish, was an especially good friend of Marion's, and he frequently worked as a personal aide to her companion, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. In the book, The Times We Had, Marion claims that she made this film and The Red Mill at the same time by doing day and nighttime shifts. Tillie the Toiler was reported as being one of the twenty-five top-grossing films of 1927, disproving the myth that Marion's films were inevitably financial flops. Her next film, The Fair Co-Ed, did even better. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Matt Moore, (more)
A bit more sedate and reserved than the usual Marion Davies vehicle, this 1927 adaptation of James M. Barrie's Quality Street turned out to be one of the star's best and most likeable films. Davies is cast as Phoebe, a pretty young thing who agrees to be faithful to her sweetheart Dr. Valentine Brown (Conrad Nagel) when he marches off to war. He returns several years later to discover that Phoebe has transformed into a prudish "old maid" (after all, she is nearly thirty!) To win back Dr. Brown's love, Phoebe pretends to be her own teenaged niece, with mirthsome results. Quality Street was attractively remade with Katharine Hepburn in 1936. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Conrad Nagel, (more)
In the spirit of female stars both before and after her, 30-year-old Marion Davies plays a girl a decade younger than herself (actually the men are guilty of this too -- both Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd played college students while in their early 30s). Davies, fortunately, was athletic enough to pull off the part of a college basketball star -- plus she had the comedic talents to make this film both a critical and commercial success. This picture also won a long-term MGM contract for its co-star, ex-football player Johnny Mack Brown. Marion (Davies) doesn't want to go to Bingham college -- that is, until she meets Dixon (Brown), who is working his way through school by coaching the girl's basketball team. She eagerly joins the team and becomes their star player. Things seem to be going well between Marion and Dixon, but when they have a misunderstanding, she huffily misses a big game, which her team loses. As a result, she is ostracized by her fellow students. Finally, a burst of college spirit inspires her to enter the crucial game, which she wins for Bingham in the last seconds. She also wins back her popularity and Dixon. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Johnny Mack Brown, (more)
This lavish adaptation of Victor Herbert's operetta The Red Mill proved to be one of Marion Davies' most delightful and best-received silent vehicles. Davies is cast as Dutch barmaid Tina, who falls in love with handsome hero Dennis (Owen Moore). Alas, Dennis doesn't return her affections, whereupon Tina mounts a campaign to win his heart -- while simultaneously smoothing the romantic path for her friends, burgomeister's daughter Gretchen (Louise Fazenda) and army captain Jacob (Karl Dane). There's a bit of comic suspense when Tina -- disguised for plot purposes as Gretchen -- is accidentally locked in the titular mill, which is rumored to be haunted, but she manages to escape in time for a happy denouement. Beyond its romantic trappings, The Red Mill is full of wonderful slapstick moments, notably an opening scene in which the heroine tries her luck on ice skates, only to wind up covered in snow from head to foot. The film was directed by one "William Goodrich", actually a pseudonym for rotund comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, whose film career had been destroyed five years earlier in the wake of a messy scandal (Davies was endeavoring to help Arbuckle make a comeback -- even though her publisher boyfriend William Randolph Hearst had been largely responsible for his downfall!) It has long been assumed that the public was totally unaware that Goodrich and Arbuckle were one in the same, but contemporary reviews of The Red Mill indicate that William Goodrich's true identity was an open secret. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Owen Moore, (more)
This typically overproduced Marion Davies vehicle casts her in a distaff variation of The Prisoner of Zenda. An American lass, Davies is obliged to impersonate her male cousin (Creighton Hale), heir to the throne of Graustark. Our heroine is quite fetching in male drag, and it's amazing that the Graustarkian courtiers don't tumble to her masquerade earlier than they do. Once she's been revealed to be a girl, Davies is able to move about freely in her efforts to squelch the plans of villainous Roy D'Arcy. The final reel of Beverly of Graustark was filmed in eye-pleasing early Technicolor. The film was based on a popular novel by George Barr McCutcheon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno, (more)













