Marion Davies

Marion Davies (1897–1961) was an American actress and philanthropist who starred in silent films and early sound cinema. Her career was shaped by her relationship with newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.

When Knighthood Was in Flower: A 1922 silent historical drama starring Marion Davies as Mary Tudor. This lavish production established Davies as a major star and demonstrated her dramatic ambitions.
William Randolph Hearst: An American newspaper publisher and politician who built a major media empire. Hearst financed productions, promoted Davies, and maintained a long personal relationship with her.
Ziegfeld Follies: A series of lavish Broadway revues produced by Florenz Ziegfeld from 1907 to 1931. Davies performed in the Follies before moving into motion pictures.
Citizen Kane: A 1941 American drama film directed by Orson Welles about the rise and fall of a media magnate. Its character Susan Alexander is widely associated with Davies, though she is not a straightforward portrait.
Show People: A 1928 silent comedy starring Marion Davies as an aspiring film actress. King Vidor's comedy showcased Davies's comic talent and satirized Hollywood's star-making system.
King Vidor: An American film director whose work spanned the silent and sound eras. Vidor directed Davies in Show People, one of her best-known comic performances.
Florenz Ziegfeld: An American theatrical producer known for the Ziegfeld Follies. Ziegfeld's revue provided Davies with an early stage platform.
Susan Alexander Kane: A fictional opera singer and second wife of Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane. The character's unhappy career is often contrasted with Davies's actual work as an actress.
The Patsy: A 1928 silent comedy in which Marion Davies plays a young woman seeking her family's attention. Davies's performance makes this film a particularly clear example of her screen comedy.
Charlie Chaplin: An English comic actor and filmmaker who became an international silent-film star. Chaplin was Davies's friend and helped her develop her comic screen technique.

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Louella ParsonsRelated: Parsons’s close association with Davies and Hearst placed her inside Hollywood’s powerful social circle.