And so I meet Marion Davies, silent star and partner of William Randolph Hearst, whose pushiness probably ended up hurting her career in the 1930s. Ironically, this is a story about a girl from the South who somehow manages to get herself onto a Hollywood film set, becomes a star, and grows too big for her boots. Accordingly the audiences no longer warm to her and the theatres respond by telling the studios - something that would actually happen in Davies' life.
She's really quite an engaging presence. Her stupid mouth pose for a posh woman reminded me of Joanna Lumley as Patsy in Ab Fab. Loved also the title of the pretentious maid 'Excuse my depravity'.
Some fun cameos include Charlie Chaplin, John Gilbert (The Big Parade), Douglas Fairbanks and Vidor himself appearing at the end as the film director!
Co-starring William Haines, Dell Henderson, Paul Ralli.
With a synchronized music score and sound effects it must have been one of the last of the silents. Photographed by John Arnold at MGM.
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