Blondie of the Follies(1932).

Blondie of the Follies(1932). Comedy directed by Edmund Goulding and written by Anita Loos and Frances. Cast: Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery and Billie Dove.

In a New York tenement, Blondie lives with her family and when her girl friend, Lottie Callahan, moves uptown to a posh neighborhood to become a performer in the follies, Blondie decides to tag along, where she meets Larry Belmont.

He then arranges for Blondie to go to dinner with oil tycoon Murchenson. Larry, then promises to take Blondie to the follies to see Lottie perform later that night. While they watch the show, Larry gets her a job in the chorus line. Lottie, becomes jealous of all the attention that her friend is getting.

After a night of parting, Larry carries a drunken Blondie home, upsetting her father, who tells Larry to get out and warns Blondie never to see him again. Blondie, who wants to be more independent leaves....

She shows up at Lottie's and learns that Lottie is in love with Larry. The next morning, Pa goes to Lottie's to apologize to Blondie for being "an old time father" and she informs him that she is going to perform in the follies.

After promising Lottie that she won't date Larry, Blondie goes with her to Murchenson's yacht. Larry asks Lottie, "why she is bringing Blondie into her type of life?" Then tells Blondie, "that she is too nice a girl to hang out with this crowd". The girls fall overboard into the water during a fight, with Blondie "promising to find another man".

Three months later, Blondie is living in her own posh apartment and invites both Larry and Lottie to come over to reconcile, but Larry wants nothing to do with Lottie. The two girls make up and Blondie throws a party, during which she receives a telephone call informing her that her father has fallen. When she gets to his side, she learns that his heart caused the accident and he dies soon after.

While Blondie is performing on stage, Larry sends word to meet him at a night club, but Lottie goes in her place. When Blondie hears about the meeting she goes and learns that he is leaving for Europe because he is in love with her. Returning to the show with Lottie, Blondie is thrown from the stage during a whip routine when Lottie lets go of her hand.

Lottie, has a change of heart and goes with her to the hospital. Larry, brings in a bone specialists to help heal her...

Fun Fact:

This was Billie Dove's last film. She retired to raise a family and was upset with Randolph Hearst over the amount of time given to her on film.

The rocky friendship between Davies and Dove has a lot of twists and turns, which makes you think of the phrase... "friends like these who needs enemies. Davies' Act "Three laugh-clown-laugh", was very entertaining. Also, Jimmy Durante, has a cameo that lasted five minutes, performing a "Grand Hotel" movie skit...

Billie Dove (May 14, 1903 – December 31, 1997) As a teen, she worked as a model to help support her family and was hired as a teenager to appear in the, Ziegfeld Follies Revue.

She legally changed her name to Lillian Bohny in the early 1920's. and traveled to Hollywood, where she began performing in silent films.

She soon became one of the most popular actresses of the 1920's, appearing in the films: The Black Pirate (1926), as Rodeo West in The Painted Angel (1929), and was dubbed The American Beauty (1927), the title of one of her films.

She married the director of her seventh film, Irvin Willat, in 1923. The two divorced in 1929.

She was engaged to Howard Hughes, but she ended the relationship without ever giving cause.

Hughes cast her as a comedian in his film, Cock of the Air (1932). She also performed in his movie The Age for Love (1931).

She was also a pilot, poet, and painter.

Following her last film, Blondie of the Follies (1932), Dove retired from the screen to be with her family.

She later married oil executive Robert Kenaston in 1933, a marriage that lasted for 37 years until his death in 1973. They had a son and an adopted daughter.

She later had a brief third marriage to an architect, John Miller, which ended in divorce in the 1970's.

Aside from a brief cameo in Diamond Head (1963), Dove never returned to the movies.

She spent her retirement years in Rancho Mirage before moving into the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California where she died of pneumonia in 1997.

Silent Film Star: Marion Davies, is portrayed by:

Silent Film Star: Marion Davies, is portrayed by:

Kirsten Dunst in The Cat's Meow (2001). A period drama directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Tilly. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his play of the same title, which was inspired by the mysterious death of film mogul Thomas H. Ince.

The film takes place aboard publisher William Randolph Hearst's yacht on a weekend cruise celebrating Ince's 42nd birthday in November 1924. Among those in attendance are Hearst's longtime companion and film actress Marion Davies, fellow actor Charlie Chaplin, writer Elinor Glyn, columnist Louella Parsons, and actress Margaret Livingston.

The celebration is cut short by an unusual death that would go on to become the subject of legendary Hollywood folklore.

Melanie Griffith in RKO 281 (1999) (TV). RKO 281 is a 1999 historical drama film directed by Benjamin Ross. It stars Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Roy Scheider and Liam Cunningham.

The film is about the troubled production behind the 1941 film Citizen Kane. The film's title is a reference to the original production number of Citizen Kane.

Virginia Madsen in The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985) (TV). The Story of the decades-long affair between married newspaper magnate and movie producer William Randolph Hearst and actress and former "Ziegfeld Follies" showgirl Marion Davies.

Heather McNair in Chaplin (1992). A biographical film about the life of British comedian Charlie Chaplin. It was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Robert Downey, Jr., Moira Kelly, Dan Aykroyd, Penelope Ann Miller, and Kevin Kline. It also features Geraldine Chaplin in the role of her own paternal grandmother, Hannah Chaplin. The film was adapted by William Boyd, Bryan Forbes and William Goldman from the books My Autobiography by Chaplin and Chaplin: His Life and Art by film critic David Robinson. Associate producer Diana Hawkins got a story credit. The original music score was composed by John Barry.

Ever Since Eve (1937).

Ever Since Eve (1937). Romantic comedy. Cast Marion Davies (in her final film) and Robert Montgomery.

Marge Winton, finds herself quiting yet another job to avoid the advances of her boss. She decides to give herself a unmake over, by wearing a dark wig, glasses, and a unflattering dress. Book publisher Abigail Belldon, thinks she is perfect and hires her as a secretary for writer, Freddy Matthews. Freddy, would rather go out and party with his girlfriend Camille, than work on his novel. Abigail, has already sold the film rights, and the deadline for the film studio is fast approaching.

Marge, begins to fall in love with Freddy and when she thinks about sabotaging his relationship with Camille, she thinks it is better to leave.

Freddy shows up at her apartment unexpectedly and sees her without her disguise, so she pretends to be her roommate Sadie. They spend the evening and part of the morning falling in love.

Marge pretends to be leaving town for a few weeks, but, her plan backfires, when Freddie chases after her. Camille finds out and is not far behind. At the hotel, Marge registers first as the secretary, then as Sadie, to keep Freddie from finding out and finishes the novel on her own. Will Freddie ever realizes that they are one and the same?

Marion, really looks like she's having a lot of fun in this movie.

Frank McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981). Warner Bros. hired him as a contract player in 1930.

McHugh played everything from lead actor to sidekick.

He performed in over 150 films and TV shows.

He was a close friend of James Cagney and performed in more Cagney movies than any other actor. He performed with him in eleven movies between 1932 and 1953. Their friendship lasted until McHugh's death.

“Quality Street” (1927)

“Quality Street” (1927) is a silent comedy drama starring Marion Davies, Conrad Nagel and Helen Jerome Eddy. Based on the famous James M. Barrie play and directed by Sidney Franklin, “Quality Street” was a good showcase for Marion Davies. In this period story, Marion Davies plays Phoebe Throssel, a young woman who fails to land a proposal from her beloved, Dr. Valentine Brown, played by Conrad Nagel, before he leaves to the Napoleonic Wars. When he returns, Phoebe has become old and drab, and he is no longer interested in her. To punish him, Phoebe pretends to be her teenage niece Livvy in order to win him back.



Even though I’m not a big fan of costume dramas, I enjoyed this film mainly for the screen presence of Marion Davies. It was as a comedienne that Marion truly lit up the screen, and in this comedy of manners she is wonderful in the dual roles of Phoebe and Livvy. I think this silent version of “Quality Street” is terrific in its costumes, sets, and cinematography. I just wish there were more scenes where Marion could show off her comic skills. Although the film has some nitrate decomposition in some scenes, it shouldn’t deter from its enjoyment.

Marion Davies was born Marion Cecilia Douras to a large Brooklyn family on January 3, 1897. All three of her sisters went on the stage but, despite their beauty, never became big stars. The Douras family (soon stage-named Davies) moved to Manhattan and little Marion began finding the theater more fascinating than school. It was during her run in the 1917 “Follies” that she caught the eye of the married, powerful newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. It was life-long love at first sight for the fifty-four-year old Hearst. Within a few years, Marion was as dedicated to him as any wife could be. The legal Mrs. Hearst, however, refused him a divorce. Marion had made her film debut in “Runaway, Romany” (1917). The reviews were good, and Marion seemed well on her way to becoming another Mabel Normand, but then Hearst stepped in to guide her career. His taste ran to overblown period films. Ironically, Marion was a brilliant comedienne with limited dramatic skills.

In 1919, Hearst formed Cosmopolitan Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount, through which the films were released. In 1924, Cosmopolitan changed the affiliation to Goldwyn, and thereby to MGM when the studios merged. Among Marion’s more successful costume dramas were “Little Old New York” (1923), “Lights of Old Broadway” (1925), “Beverly of Graustark” (1926), “The Red Mill” (1927), and “Quality Street” (1927). Later in the decade, Marion was given a few opportunities to show off her comic skills in films like “The Patsy” (1928) where she did hilarious imitations of Mae Murray, Lillian Gish and Pola Negri. In “Her Cardboard Lover” (1928), Marion did a wicked parody of costar Jetta Goudal. “Show People” (1928) was Marion’s finest hour. She showed great comic timing and the rare opportunity to poke fun at both herself and her profession.

Despite her slight stammer, Marion had nothing to fear from talkies. It was the quality of her scripts which gave her trouble. Hearst did fall out with Louis B. Mayer, and in 1934, Marion, Hearst, and Cosmopolitan moved to Warner Brothers. That studio dolled her up in stiff platinum-blonde wigs and starred her in four films. Only “Cain and Mabel” (1936) with Clark Gable really had any merit. Marion had enough and at the age of forty retired. She spent the next fourteen years as Hearst’s wife in all but name. Despite Hearst’s constant efforts to keep her away from liquor, Marion was an alcoholic. Her looks and health began to fade, but not her charm. After Hearst’s death in 1951, Marion quickly wed old friend Captain Horace Brown, more for companionship than for love. The marriage was a stormy one, but it endured. After suffering from jaw cancer for three years, Marion died on September 22, 1961. She was 64 years old.


It’s interesting to note that Marion’s beloved “niece,” Patricia van Cleve Lake, died in her early seventies on October 3, 1993, in California. Shortly thereafter, her son Arthur Lake, Jr. (son of the late actor Arthur Lake), announced that his mother was the daughter of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst, born in Paris sometime in the early 1920’s.

Silent Film Star: Marion Davis.

Fun Fact:
She had a reputation in the film industry for being extremely kind to the casts and crews of her films, going so far as to pay hospital bills anonymously if she heard that they were ill.

Please click here to learn more about Marion Davies.

Video:Just You, Just Me (1929) ..
"Just You, Just Me" is a song from the 1929 musical film Marianne, composed by Jesse Greer with lyrics by Raymond Klages. It was introduced by Marion Davies and Cliff Edwards, with Dick Hyman on the piano. The song has had many revisions after its first appearance and has become one of the most enduring jazz standards of all time.

Page Miss Glory (1935).

Page Miss Glory (1935). Romantic comedy. Cast: Marion Davies, Pat O'Brien, Mary Astor and Dick Powell. It was based on the play of the same name by Joseph Schrank and Phillip Dunning.

Small town girl Loretta Dalrymple, arrives in New York City and finds a job as a chambermaid in a luxurious hotel. Also, staying at the hotel is con man Wiley and his photographer partner Ed Olsen, who are three weeks behind on their hotel bill. Click and Ed, come up with a plan, to put together a picture of a beautiful woman, by combining the best features of several Hollywood beauties and enter the picture as "Dawn Glory" in a nationwide beauty contest for the $2500 prize. Which they win.

Bingo Nelson a pilot, immediately falls in love when he sees her picture. After flying a serum to Alaska through a blizzard, he proposes to Dawn on national radio. As a result, reporters want to interview Miss Glory, putting Click in a tough spot. Slattery of the Express digs up Click's checkered past to try to blackmail him into giving him an interview. Ed's girlfriend Gladys Russell finds Loretta trying on a dress delivered for Dawn. Earlier in the day, Loretta had her hair styled in the new hairdo called, "Dawn's bobb". Gladys and Ed think that she looks a lot like the "picture" and decide to pass off Loretta as Dawn. Soon, advertising endorsements and royalties come rolling in, making Click and Ed rich.

Meanwhile, Loretta has fallen in love with a newspaper picture of Bingo. Now, that she is famous she hopes she will meet Russell and when she does.. the troubles begin.

Marion Davies, shines in this fun film from beginning to end. Dick Powell, Mary Astor and Patsy Kelly, are all wonderful. This one of Davies' last pictures and she was pushing 40, but.. she is brave to play half the film as the dowdy country girl. Davies was a star for 20 years and made the switch to talkies.

Patsy Kelly (January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981). Kelly, like many New York actors, made her screen debut in a Vitaphone short subject filmed there. Producer Hal Roach hired Kelly to co-star with Thelma Todd in a series of short-subject comedies. The Todd-Kelly shorts created Patsy Kelly's image: a brash, wisecracking woman. Later, in the series showcased Kelly's dancing skills. Thelma Todd died in 1935, and Kelly finished out the series.

Patsy Kelly then moved into feature films, often playing working-class character roles in comedies and musicals. One of her memorable roles was as Etta, the cook, in the five Academy Awards-nominated comedy, Merrily We Live(1938).

On television she performed in shows: The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Wild Wild West, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She also made a memorable performance as Laura-Louise in the film, Rosemary's Baby (1968).

Kelly performed as the housekeeper Mrs. Schmauss in the film, Freaky Friday(1976). Her final movie performance was in the Disney comedy, The North Avenue Irregulars(1979).

Patsy Kelly movies I have seen:
1935 Page Miss Glory.
1938 There Goes My Heart.
1938 The Cowboy and the Lady.
1941 Topper Returns.
1960 Please Don't Eat the Daisies.
1968 Rosemary's Baby.

Cain and Mabel(1936).

Cain and Mabel(1936). Romantic/comedy film designed to showcase Marion Davies in which she co-stars with Clark Gable and Robert Paige (credited under his original name, David Carlyle).

After reporter Aloysius K. Reilly, is responsible for Mabel O'Dare, to lose her waitress job, he helps find her a job in the chorus of a new production. Jake casts Mabel in the lead even though she isn't really a dancer.

The night before her opening, while practicing her routine, she keeps her downstairs neighbor, boxer Larry Cain, awake. Because he has a big boxing match the next day, Larry asks Mabel to quit, but they get into a heated argument.

Larry wins the championship, but his lack of charisma does not bring in the crowds. Mabel's show is also not doing well. So... Reilly comes up with the idea of spreading the rumor that there is a a romance between Mabel and Larry.

The publicity about their love affair does help their careers. Larry shares with Mabel that his dream is to retire to New Jersey and work in his own garage. They decide to marry and make Larry's dream come true. Overhearing their plans, Reilly gives the story to the papers, and Mabel and Larry each think the other has betrayed their secrets. When Mabel finally learns the truth, she flies to Philadelphia to find Larry.



I do not know if I would not call this a great movie, more of a curiosity piece and a must see for fans of the stars.

Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982). She began her stage career at the age of 17 in 1913 in, The Quaker Girl.

Her Broadway debut brought her to the attention of George M. Cohan, who cast her in many comic-relief roles. Though she made her first film appearance that same year, her Hollywood career took off in 1931 and lasted until 1957.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Marion Davies.

Personal Quotes:

With me it was 5% talent and 95% publicity.

When seeing Gloria Swanson's performance in Sunset Blvd. (1950). None of us floozies was ever that zonked!

Happy Birthday: Marion Davies!

Marion Davies (January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American film actress. Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

Please click here to learn more about Marion Davies.

TCM is celebrating Marion Davis with the movies featured below:

Cain And Mabel (1936) The publicity romance between a prizefighter and a showgirl turns into the real thing. Cast: Clark Gable, Marion Davies, Allen Jenkins. Dir: Lloyd Bacon.

Hearts Divided (1936) Napoleon's younger brother falls for a girl from Baltimore. Cast: Marion Davies, Dick Powell, Claude Rains. Dir: Frank Borzage.

Ever Since Eve (1937) . A plain-Jane secretary masquerades as a beauty to win her boss's heart. Cast: Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery, Frank McHugh. Dir: Lloyd Bacon.

MARION DAVIES: Fun Facts

Davies was born Marion Cecilia Douras on January 3, 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest of five children born to Bernard J. Douras a lawyer and judge and Rose Reilly. The sisters changed their name to Davies, which one of them saw on a realtor's sign in the neighborhood. Having a British name really helped Marion's carrer. Marion was signed on as a Ziegfeld girl in the Ziegfeld Follies of (1916).

After making her screen debut in (1916) modeling gowns by Lady Duff-Gordon, she performed in her first feature film in Runaway Romany(1917). It was a film written by Marion and directed by her brother-in-law, Broadway producer George W. Lederer. The following year she starred in three films, The Burden of Proof, Beatrice Fairfax, and Cecilia of the Pink Roses. Playing light comedic roles. Cecilia of the Pink Roses in (1918) was her first film backed by Hearst. During the next 10 years she appeared in 29 films, an average of almost three films a year.

FUN FACTS: Wikipedia.

Portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in The Cat's Meow (2001), by Melanie Griffith in RKO 281 (1999) (TV), by Virginia Madsen in The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985) (TV) and by Heather McNair in Chaplin (1992)

The character of Susan Alexander Kane played by Dorothy Comingore in Citizen Kane (1941) was based on her. She liked to do puzzles and this hobby was incorporated into the character.

Marion Davies "The Red Mill" (1927)

"The Red Mill" (1927) is a silent romantic comedy that stars Marion Davies, Owen Moore, and Louise Fazenda. Directed by William Goodrich, alias Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, this film is a Cinderella story based loosely on a Victor Herbert and Henry Blossom stage operetta.

The story begins with Tina, played by Marion Davies, a Dutch girl who works as a maid of the Red Mill Tavern, cleaning the floor by skating around with scrub brushes attached to her feet. Her villainous boss makes her work from dawn til dusk and goes around with a whip. Tina's only friend is Ignatz, a little white mouse who lives inside her wooden shoe. One day Tina sees Dennis, played by Owen Moore, ice skating, and she is attracted to him. Tina ventures out to find Dennis surrounded by female admirers, but she manages to meet him. They are soon skating together while Tina swoons on his shoulder. Unfortunately, she learns that Dennis is an Irish prince betrothed to the Burgomaster's daughter. On the other hand, the Burgomaster's daughter Gretchen, played by Louise Fazenda, does not want to marry Dennis because she is in love with a peasant. Tina comes up with the idea that they should exchange clothes so Gretchen can sneak out and meet her secret love. Meanwhile Tina dresses as Gretchen and goes after Dennis, which leads to all sorts of trouble. Will the Dutch maid get her Irish prince? "The Red Mill" had been an enormous success on Broadway and an ideal film adaptation for Marion Davies. The reviews of the day praised the details of the set imitating a small Dutch village, with the tavern, a canal, and a large windmill.

















The wonderful ice skating scenes put Davies in a skating race, during which, when a dog chases a white mouse, she grabs hold of the dog and is pulled along at top speed. These scenes are largely successful because of the astounding comedic abilities of Davies. It is generally assumed today that Davies had no talent and that she survived in films only because she was the mistress of newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, who formed Cosmopolitan Pictures exclusively to produce starring roles for her. On the contrary, Davies had a charming personality that came across on film, and she was a magnificent comedienne that was very popular with audiences. She also received good reviews on her own from rival publications. Davies went all out in her comedic scenes in "The Red Mill" and she took the idea that she was playing an unglamorous maid very seriously. One of the funniest scenes in the film shows Davies with no makeup as she covers up her face with a mud massage which magically comes off to reveal her now fully made up beautiful face. Handsome Owen Moore and lively Louise Fazenda give great performances, but this is definitely a Marion Davies film. The exciting finale is a mixture of laughter and fright. "The Red Mill" is a silent gem that showcases Marion Davies from slapstick to heartbreak to horror.



* It is interesting to note that Marion Davies was instrumental in getting Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle to direct "The Red Mill." Arbuckle was forced to use the pseudonym, William Goodrich, due to his rape/murder trial just a few years earlier.

THE PATSY (1928) King Vidor

"The Patsy" (1928) is the first of three films that King Vidor directed with Marion Davies as the star. In this silent romantic comedy, Marion Davies plays Patricia Harrington, the neglected sister in a middle class family that presents the marvelous Marie Dressler as Ma Harrington and Jane Winton as the other sister, Grace Harrington. Constantly pushed aside like her weak father, played by Dell Henderson, Patricia cooks, cleans, and wears Grace's hand-me-downs. Ma Harrington greatly favors Grace while Pa Harrington is sensitive and loving to Patricia. Grace is courted by Tony Anderson, played by Orville Caldwell, whom Patricia is secretly in love with. One evening the family attends a dinner and dance at the yacht club where Grace catches the eye of a playboy, Billy, played by Lawrence Grey. Billy waits on their table and shows off for her.

Grace responds positively to his advances and leaves the dance with him. Tony is disconcerted, and Patricia sees it as a chance to spend some time with him. He drives her home, and she asks him for suggestions about improving her personality and making her more attractive to men. Unaware that Patricia is interested in using her new charm on him, Tony happily gives her advice. Patricia's attempts in following Tony's advice only ends up convincing Ma Harrington and Grace that she has gone mad. One of her attempts at improving her personality leads Patricia to read a self-help guide that teaches her witty lines like "After all, a caterpillar is nothing more than an upholstered worm." Eventually, Tony begins to notice Patricia, not because of her improved personality, but because she is the only one who shows interest in his architectural designs. Grace decides that she wants Tony back. In desperation, Patricia goes to Billy's house to arrange a setting where Billy is attacking her so that Tony can rush to her rescue. Unfortunately, Billy is too drunk to notice her presence. Patricia decides to impersonate three of his favorite movie stars, Mae Murray, Lillian Gish, and Pola Negri, in an attempt to stir his interest. Instead, Billy thinks the Murray and Gish images are hallucinations and the sight of Negri causes him to collapse on the piano. Finally, Patricia locks herself in Billy's room, calls Tony, and then begins screaming for help. Billy jumps up and tries to save her by breaking down the door. When Tony arrives, he thinks Billy is after Patricia and knocks him out. Instead of being kind to Patricia, Tony scolds her for getting into this situation in the first place, implying only a woman of loose morals would go to Billy's house. Understandably, Patricia is devastated, and it looks like all of her hopes are ended. "The Patsy" is an enjoyable film and proof that Marion Davies was a very good silent comedienne. Most of the funny sequences in the film belong to her. Davies had incredible comedic timing and showed a great talent for mimicry. Her impressions of Mae Murray, Lillian Gish, and Pola Negri are so funny and accurate. The supporting cast is just as wonderful with Marie Dressler shining in her comeback performance. I had so much fun reading the witty subtitles. "The Patsy" is a sweet silent comedy with plenty of romance that will bring tears to your eyes.