Marion Davies

Acting

Marion Davies

Born 1897-01-03 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia Marion Davies (January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American film actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Davies was already building a solid reputation as a film comedienne when newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, with whom she had begun a romantic relationship, took over management of her career. Hearst financed Davies' pictures, promoted her heavily through his newspapers and Hearst Newsreels, and pressured studios to cast her in historical dramas for which she was ill-suited. For this reason, Davies is better remembered today as Hearst's mistress and the hostess of many lavish events for the Hollywood elite. In particular, her name is linked with the 1924 scandal aboard Hearst's yacht where one of his guests, film producer Thomas Ince, became ill. Despite the legend surrounding Ince's death, likely from alcohol consumption, he did not die on the Hearst yacht. The producer died a few days later in the arms of his wife. In the film Citizen Kane (1941), the title character's wife—an untalented singer whom he tries to promote—was widely assumed to be based on Davies. But many commentators, including Citizen Kane writer/director Orson Welles himself, have defended Davies' record as a gifted actress, to whom Hearst's patronage did more harm than good. She retired from the screen in 1937, choosing to devote herself to Hearst and charitable work. In Hearst's declining years, Davies provided financial as well as emotional support until his death in 1951. She married for the first time eleven weeks after his death, a marriage which lasted until Davies died of stomach cancer in 1961 at the age of 64.

Acting credits

Marianne poster
6.5

At the conclusion of World War I, a French girl is romanced by an American doughboy even though she is promised to a French soldier who was sent to the front.

Marianne

1929

The Pilgrim poster
6.9

The Tramp is an escaped convict who is mistaken as a pastor in a small town church.

The Pilgrim

1923

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ poster
7.3

Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy, though conquered, Israelite. A slip of a brick during a Roman parade causes Judah to be sent off as a galley slave, his property confiscated and his mother and sister imprisoned. Years later, as a result of his determination to stay alive and his willingness to aid his Roman master, Judah returns to his homeland an exalted and wealthy Roman athlete. Unable to find his mother and sister, and believing them dead, he can think of nothing else than revenge against Messala.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

1925

Hollywood: The Dream Factory poster
7.2

A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props. By extension this provides a general history of Hollywood's Golden Age and the legendary studio system.

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

1972

That's Entertainment! III poster
7.1

Some of MGM's musical stars review the studio's history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain.

That's Entertainment! III

1994

Show People poster
7.1

Hollywood hopeful Peggy Pepper arrives at a major studio, from Georgia, to become a great dramatic star. Things don't go entirely according to plan.

Show People

1928

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 poster
5.7

An all-star revue featuring MGM contract players.

The Hollywood Revue of 1929

1929

Blondie of the Follies poster
6.3

New York City tenement dwelling neighbors Blondie and Lottie are longtime best friends. When Lottie makes the cast of the Follies and moves up in the world, she arranges for Blondie, as well, to join the cast and gain the advantages. But the friendship goes awry when Lottie's sweetheart, wealthy Larry Belmont, falls for Blondie and she for him.

Blondie of the Follies

1932

The Big Parade of Comedy poster
7.2

Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.

The Big Parade of Comedy

1964

The Bride's Play poster
5.2

A sweet-natured young Irish woman is courted by a romantic poet and a local country gentleman. Which man will she choose?

The Bride's Play

1922

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood poster
6.0

A look at the past, present and future of Hollywood as seen through the eyes of the movie columnist.

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

1960

The Casting Couch poster
8.3

An unprecedented anthology of never-before-told true stories by and about some of Hollywood's most interesting stars, legends, and wannabes, and takes readers inside Hollywood's inner sanctum to show how casting decisions are made, who makes them, and who has the final word.

The Casting Couch

1995

Going Hollywood poster
5.5

Sylvia is a French teacher at an all-girls school who wants to find love. When she hears Bill Williams on the radio, she decides to go visit and thank him. However, difficult problems lie ahead when Lili gets in the way.

Going Hollywood

1933

Five and Ten poster
6.1

John owns the largest chain of five and ten cent stores in the country. He moves his family to New York from Kansas City and their life, though grand, is falling apart due to his constant working. Wife and mother Jenny is lonely. Son Avery hates his job. Daughter Jennifer is snubbed by classmate Muriel and her friends. At a charity bazaar, Jennifer meets Berry and sparks are evident. However, he is engaged to Muriel and Muriel will make sure that she, and only she, marries Berry. After the marriage, Berry still thinks of Jennifer as Jennifer thinks of Berry. Avery laments about the state of his family since they were happy in Kansas City.

Five and Ten

1931

It's a Wise Child poster
6.2

In this comedy, a conservative family becomes alarmed when they begin believing their daughter is pregnant.

It's a Wise Child

1931

Cain and Mabel poster
6.4

A chorus girl and a heavyweight boxer are paired romantically as a publicity stunt.

Cain and Mabel

1936

Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies poster
5.0

Blonde, beautiful and talented, Marion Davies was the first and funniest screwball comedienne. As star of two of the best comedies ever made, Show People and The Patsy, she combined zany slapstick and exuberant mimicry. Glamorous, witty and kind, both on screen and off, Davies was also famous for her 35-year-long love affair with William Randolph Hearst.

Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies

2001

The Florodora Girl poster
5.5

A chorus girl gets bad advice from her fellow chorines in handling a rich suitor who assumes she is a gold digger.

The Florodora Girl

1930

Quality Street poster
6.9

A fresh young beauty becomes an old maid waiting for her suitor to return from the Napoleonic wars. When he returns, clearly disappointed, she disguises herself as her own niece in order to test his loyalty.

Quality Street

1927

Hearts Divided poster
5.5

Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother, visiting the United States, falls madly in love with a young woman he meets in Baltimore.

Hearts Divided

1936

No artwork available
7.0

Until 1932's Grand Hotel, never had there existed an all-star ensemble cast on film. Conceived by MGM's production genius Irving Thalberg, the film boasted names like Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery and John and Lionel Barrymore and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. This short documentary takes a look at the making of the classic film.

Checking Out: Grand Hotel

2004

Operator 13 poster
5.9

American Civil War, 1862. After the disaster of the Second Battle of Bull Run, Major Allen, chief of the Secret Service of the Union, asks actress Gail Loveless to become one of his operators and infiltrate enemy territory.

Operator 13

1934

A Dream Comes True poster
6.3

A promotional short to hype the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935).

A Dream Comes True

1935

Page Miss Glory poster
6.7

A country girl goes to the city and gets a job in a posh hotel, and winds up becoming an instant celebrity thanks to an ambitious photographer.

Page Miss Glory

1935

Behind the camera

Show People poster
7.1

Hollywood hopeful Peggy Pepper arrives at a major studio, from Georgia, to become a great dramatic star. Things don't go entirely according to plan.

Show People

1928

Blondie of the Follies poster
6.3

New York City tenement dwelling neighbors Blondie and Lottie are longtime best friends. When Lottie makes the cast of the Follies and moves up in the world, she arranges for Blondie, as well, to join the cast and gain the advantages. But the friendship goes awry when Lottie's sweetheart, wealthy Larry Belmont, falls for Blondie and she for him.

Blondie of the Follies

1932

It's a Wise Child poster
6.2

In this comedy, a conservative family becomes alarmed when they begin believing their daughter is pregnant.

It's a Wise Child

1931

Quality Street poster
6.9

A fresh young beauty becomes an old maid waiting for her suitor to return from the Napoleonic wars. When he returns, clearly disappointed, she disguises herself as her own niece in order to test his loyalty.

Quality Street

1927

Hearts Divided poster
5.5

Napoleon Bonaparte's younger brother, visiting the United States, falls madly in love with a young woman he meets in Baltimore.

Hearts Divided

1936

Page Miss Glory poster
6.7

A country girl goes to the city and gets a job in a posh hotel, and winds up becoming an instant celebrity thanks to an ambitious photographer.

Page Miss Glory

1935

The Patsy poster
6.7

An awkward teenager hopelessly in love with her older sister's boyfriend tries to make him notice her.

The Patsy

1928

Not So Dumb poster
5.4

Not-so-smart chatterbox Dulcy Parker does and says all the wrong things, but they right themselves to prove she's not so dumb after all.

Not So Dumb

1930

The Belle of New York poster
5.0

An old inventor is robbed of his inventions by an unscrupulous rich man. When the inventor dies, his daughter Violet goes to New York and joins the "Follies," where she is advertised as "The Belle of New York." The rich man's son is infatuated with Violet, and is introduced to her anonymously as Jack. When Violet learns of Jack's identity, she casts him off. He takes to drinking and she joins the Salvation Army. Jack is attacked in an underworld saloon just as Violet enters in Salvation Army attire. She nurses him at his home. When Jack's father discovers with whom Jack is in love, he begs forgiveness for the wrong he did Violet's father.

The Belle of New York

1919

The Bachelor Father poster
6.5

Lonely in his English country estate, Sir Basil decides to gather his grown (albeit illegitimate) children around him in his declining years. He uses a ledger which keeps track of the payments he has been making to ex-lovers to locate 2 of them, and a third is found by a lawyer in New York, her mother was too proud to accept any money. Sir Basil is a curmudgeon, and his three adult children have a hard time with him at first. Toni, the American, is a free spirit who had a budding career in show business. Jeffery is English and a semi-gentleman, and Maria is Italian, with a Latin temperament. They begin to bond, especially Sir Basil and Toni, whose outgoing personality finally wins over the old man. But past lives begin to creep back into the picture and threaten the old man's plans for a life filled with his children.

The Bachelor Father

1931

Getting Mary Married poster
5.2

A young woman must resist the charms of a handsome stranger and stay single if she wants to inherit a fortune.

Getting Mary Married

1919

Runaway Romany poster
NR

Press agent "Inky" Ames, in a quandary to publicize showgirl Anitra St. Clair, convinces her to paint a birthmark on her shoulder and pose as millionaire mine owner Theodore True's long-lost daughter.

Runaway Romany

1917

April Folly poster
8.0

April Poole (Davies), a young writer in love with publisher Kerry Sarle (Tearle), visits the office of Mr. Sarle and his partner Ronald Kenna (Frank) and reads her latest story to them. She has made Sarle the hero, Kenna the villain, and herself the heroine. In the story, April changes places with Lady Diana Mannister (Marshall), who is being sent to South Africa to separate her from her lover, a young artist. A famous diamond that Lady Diana is to deliver at the end of her journey is given to April. Thieves trail her during her journey. With efforts by Kenna to steal the diamond prevented by the intervention of Sarle, the story comes to a close.

April Folly

1920

Cecilia of the Pink Roses poster
NR

Cecilia is a spunky Irish girl from a struggling family, faced with the imminent death of her mother.

Cecilia of the Pink Roses

1918