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The "failure" rate of Davies' films is quite misleading. Many of her films didn't make money simply because Hearst spent so much. The films had good reviews and people went to see them, just not enough to cover Hearst's extravagance. On the other hand, he mounted huge and visually stunning films that can now be enjoyed, minus all the Hearst "drama."

Yolanda was another massive costume drama based on a novel by Charles Major, who also wrote When Knighthood Was in Flower. It wouldn't let me post a full-size picture, but the story says the castle sets were the biggest ever erected on the East Coast and covered a city block. The film seems to exist only in foreign archives (Belgium and maybe Russia) and with non-English intertitles. It's probably not been restored. Odd that even Library of Congress has no full copy. As with Janice Meredith, this one was not a hit and probably broke even at best. To date, this is the only extant Davies silent I have not seen.

Yolanda (1924)

My Kickstarter campaign has closed and successfully funded. DVDs of The Bride's Play with a new score by Ben Model will be in the mail later this summer. When Knighthood Was in Flower will also be released (by Ben) later this summer. A great summer for Marion Davies fans!

http:// Screen cap of Marion Davies from upcoming DVD release of The Bride's Play (1922)

http:// Screen cap of Marion Davies from upcoming DVD release of The Bride's Play (1922)

Wait til you see the new print of When Knighthood Was in Flower....

Hearst kibbitzed and was involved in all areas of many of the films but I don't think he actually directed anything... he tended to fight with the directors and especially with designer Joseph Urban, whose splendid work gives many of the early Davies silents a unique look. I realize the link will always be there, but if I were introducing a block of Davies films, I'd mention it once up front and then concentrate of her work in the films themselves.

Maybe.... but I'd rather see the films and let them stand on their own merit. After all, Hearst never directed her an any film and wasn't in the scene with her when the cameras were rolling. That's all Davies.

It's a Wise Child isn't available and may not be complete. It's too bad we can't divorce Davies from the Hearst/Kane connections and let her work stand on it's own merits but I suppose that ain't gonna happen. TCM did make a documentary film years ago.... That's part of the reason I think Marion Davies should have a Star of the Month tribute with as little mention of Hearst/Kane as possible.

"Lights of Old Broadway" (1925) "Zander The Great" (1925) "Beverly of Graustark" (1926) "The Fair Co-Ed (1927) "Quality Street" (1927) "The Cardboard Lover" (1928) Add Tillie the Toiler and Janice Meredith and Little Old New York. And the silent version of Marianne. From 1923 on, all her silent films were produced/released thru Goldwyn which merged with Metro and eventually became MGM. Warners owns the MGM library. None of these listed films have been on TCM, and only Quality Street has been released on DVD (as an extra on the Davies bio DVD). All of these films exist but have not been restored. They have no official music tracks. Until/unless Warners wants to put some money into these, they'll likely never been seen, although copies of various quality are floating around. Yolanda (1924) exists but has not surfaced. Pre-MGM and public domain, Beauty's Worth (1922) is around. I released Getting Mary Married (1919) thru Grapevine and may do something more with it in future. I also released The Restless Sex (1921) on DVD from a non-restored print I had to heavily edit. These are both good films, not classics of cinema, but important films in the Davies cannon. As I said When Knighthood Was in Flower and The Bride's Play will be released later this year. Show People, The Patsy, and The Red Mill are the only Davies silents TCM has shown along with Enchantment. All the rest of the Davies silents exist in incomplete form or are lost ... so far as we know.

All her talkies except It's a Wise Child are available and have been shown on TCM before.

Well the birthday connection isn't all that important for Davies.....

I agree, but nothing says they have to show a block of silent films. Most of the Davies silents are MGM films which are unrestored. But TCM could premiere When Knighthood Was in Flower and The Bride's Play and also show The Red Mill or The Patsy along with Show People. Four silents, one a week, along with the talkies.

This coming January will mark the 120th birthday of Marion Davies. I think it's about time TCM had Davies for Star of the Month. To make it even better, there two new DVDs of her silent films being released later this year. I am releasing The Bride's Play (1922) a nice romance film with stunning sets and seascapes, and Ben Model is releasing When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922) the mega-hit costume drama that made Davies a superstar. Both films, I am pleased to say, will be scored by the talented Ben Model. This will be the first time Knighthood has been released on DVD/BLU and will recreate some of the hand tinting done on the original film. The film has been available only in prints made from a muddy old VHS released in the 1970s. The Bride's Play has not been seen since its original release, but will be shown at this year's "Lost 5" symposium in Culpeper, VA. Both prints are from 35MM elements from the Library of Congress. TCM debuts of these films would make for a very special Davies tribute. They could also show my 2014 project Enchantment (1921) again ... not seen since November 2014. It's the perfect time to recognize and celebrate this wonderful actress.

This coming January will mark the 120th birthday of Marion Davies. I think it's about time TCM had Davies for Star of the Month. To make it even better, there two new DVDs of her silent films being released later this year. I am releasing The Bride's Play (1922) a nice romance film with stunning sets and seascapes, and Ben Model is releasing When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922) the mega-hit costume drama that made Davies a superstar. Both films, I am pleased to say, will be scored by the talented Ben Model. This will be the first time Knighthood has been released on DVD/BLU and will recreate some of the hand tinting done on the original film. The film has been available only in prints made from a muddy old VHS released in the 1970s. The Bride's Play has not been seen since its original release, but will be shown at this year's "Lost 5" symposium in Culpeper, VA. Both prints are from 35MM elements from the Library of Congress. TCM debuts of these films would make for a very special Davies tribute. They could also show my 2014 project Enchantment (1921) again ... not seen since November 2014. It's the perfect time to recognize and celebrate this wonderful actress.

Too bad TCM has never shown, so far as I know, Dangerous Females, a short film that stars Marie Dressler and Polly Moran as women alone in a remote house when they hear on the radio that a dangerous crook lurks nearby. Dressler is hysterically funny.

How wonderful that TCM picked the fabulous Marie Dressler as Star of the Month. While we still don't get to see her final film, Christopher Bean, there's plenty to enjoy, including her great performances in Min and Bill and Dinner at Eight as well as her comic delights in The Patsy and Tillie's Punctured Romance. The woman was a national treasure even if she was Canadian by birth. There never has been and never will be anyone like Marie Dressler!

New Kickstarter campaign for this Marion Davies silent film: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1079843982/the-brides-play-1922/backers/report/index

Almost all the comments about Joan Fontaine are a tad snide. Maybe the writer put that spin on De Havilland's words. Who knows. Both ladies rank among the all-time great film actresses. Time to let the carping cease and just enjoy their wondrous performances. PLUS.... I've read most of this before, so this must be a re-hash of some old article.

A tad snide concerning Joan Fontaine....

You have to remember that when Citizen Kane was made, Marion Davies had been off the screen for several years. In the years before VHS, DVD, BLU and even television, her movies (about 50 films, all starring role from 1917-37) were out of circulation. As the years marched on and Citizen Kane's reputation grew, the Davies films were more forgotten until it was easy to associate Alexander with Davies as being without talent. Only with the rise of TCM and other movie networks were the Davies films taken out of the vaults and aired and re-appraised. Today, nearly all her talkies are available of DVD and many of the silents are also. I have personally secured DVD releases for Davies' Getting Mary Married (1919), The Restless Sex (1920), and Enchantment (1921). The latter has aired on TCM. Perhaps her best silent comedies are The Patsy and Show People, both of which air on TCM. There is a current project to release When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922) in a pristine print by my friend Ben Model. This was likely the most expensive film made up to that time and was Davies' first mega-hit. Many of her MGM silents have not been released on DVD or shown on TV but there are several terrific films in that bunch. Warners Archive Collection of DVDs has released most of her talkies (MGM and Warners). I believe most critics and film buffs now regard Marion Davies as a top-ranked comedienne and a very good dramatic actress. Susan Alexander she ain't.

This one claims there are THREE chorus girls featured in Blondie of the Follies but there were only two: Marion Davies and Billie Dove. Of course this also claims Davies was educated in a convent!

Just watched The Man Who Lost Himself (1941) which starred Kay Francis with Brian Aherne. Not among the best of her films but glad I finally found it.... probably her rarest existing title.

Ten best from Kay Francis is no particular order 1. CONFESSION 2. 24 HOURS 3. GIRLS ABOUT TOWN 4. ONE WAY PASSAGE 5. IN NAME ONLY 6. RAFFLES 7. TROUBLE IN PARADISE 8. WONDER BAR 9. COMET OVER BROADWAY 10. HOUSE ON 56th STREET