Captured on Film - The True Story of Marion Davies

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Tennessee Williams once wrote, "Marion Davies makes up for the rest of Hollywood," and this superb documentary demonstrates why the gifted actress was so beloved in high society. Executive produced by Hugh Hefner and narrated by Charlize Theron, Captured on Film corrects the fallacy that obscured Davies's achievements since the release of Citizen Kane in 1941. Orson Welles intended no harm with his masterpiece, but the film's portrayal of a publishing tycoon--loosely based on William Randolph Hearst and his lengthy affair with Davies--painted an unflattering portrait of a talentless, drunken mistress, and Davies was quite the opposite. Among many expert interviewees, film historian Kevin Brownlow observes that Davies was truly the first screwball comedian, and vintage film clips bear him out: watch Davies impersonate such film greats as Lillian Gish and Pola Negri, and you can see her comedic gift in full bloom, undiminished by time. Her 32-year devotion to Hearst (whose wife refused to divorce him) is accurately chronicled as sincere and meaningful, and the 1927 feature Quality Street offers a worthy showcase for Davies's versatile talents. (It was remade in 1937 with Katharine Hepburn; this silent version is arguably superior.) --Jeff Shannon

Description

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; she was also famous for her 35-year-long love affair with William Randolph Hearst. Unfortunately she has too often been remembered for a film in which she never appeared: "Citizen Kane." Orson Welles may have based his great film on the life of Hearst, but Davies was nothing like Susan Alexander. This loving and insightful combination of archival film clips, interviews, and rare home movies explores her life and work, from her days dancing in the Ziegfield Follies through her relationship with Hearst, which led to Hearst creating for her a movie studio and a legendary castle where she reigned over the elite of Hollywood. Narrated by Charlize Theron, this moving tribute to a silver screen legend is one to cherish.

Customer Reviews:

You gotta love Marion Davies.......2007-01-12

Captured on Film - The True Story of Marion Davies is a marvellous bio about a truly great comedienne of the 20s and 30s. Marion is known for being the companion of William Randolph Hearst but that is a very small part of who she really was. Her talents are enormous. She is very funny, as well as beautiful but nevertheless she will take a role as a homely girl, no makeup, unattractive clothing, if the part requires it. Her ability to use foreign accents for roles is by far the best I have ever seen. This bio reveals Marion as a truly generous, loving and devoted woman to those who worked with her, be it cast or crew. She was good to everyone, quietly meeting many needs and helping those she could. I admire Marion Davies very much and have enjoyed every one of the many movies of hers I have seen, whether silent or talking pics. I implore you to check out this bio about a very talented lady.

Fact and Fiction: Either Way She's Great.......2006-02-12

Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies is an insightful look at one of the most talented stars of the silent era. Davies' talent had been overshadowed by the way she was portrayed in the film Citizen Kane years after she had left the screen; many people suffer the misconception that Davies was a gold digging drunk with no merits as an actress. This could not be further from the truth. Paired with interviews with notable fans like Kevin Brownlow, Virginia Madsen, Fred Laurence Guiles, and Jeanine Basinger and film clips from some of the accessible to the rarest of Marion's films like Show People, The Floradora Girl, The Patsy, When Knighthood Was in Flower, Janice Meredeth, Beauty's Worth, Little Old New York, and Marianne, this documentary proves that Davies truly was a force to be reckoned with. The film concentrates less on her early life and her life after Hearst than during her stardom, but this is understandable since the bulk of viewers are most interested in this time frame.

Coupled with this fascinating documentary is the silent film Quality Street. It stars Marion as a beautiful young girl whose love for a soldier played by Conrad Nagel is threatened by the Napoleonic wars. While he is away for ten years, she loses her beauty and charm; when Nagel comes back for her, he finds an old maid schoolteacher and realizes he no longer loves her. Instead of sulking, she takes action and impersonates a niece called Miss Livvy who wins Nagel quickly with her former personality. The film is exciting, vibrant, and incredibly entertaining. It truly showcases Marion Davies' talents as a star.

Wonderful documentary of an unfairly maligned actress.......2005-04-14

Perhaps the most memorable scene in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane is his talentless, screechy wife's "operatic" debut. Just as Kane was a thinly disguised alter-ego to William Randolph Hearst, Susan Kane was a thinly disguised parody of Marion Davies, Hearst's long-time mistress.
The thing was though, the real life Marion Davies was very talented and kind, and nothing like the self-centered, pathetic Susan. This wonderful documentary restores the balance. There are lots of clips of Marion's films, and her radiance, gift of parody and mimicry, and comic timing are all obvious. Marion supposedly stuttered in real life but her talkies have no sign of the stutter. Davies is a joy to watch on camera. Her eyes are large and expressive, and she does a wicked imitation of Greta Garbo that would make SNL proud.
The documentary is narrated by Charlize Theron (who has a very pleasing speaking voice), and it has interviews with filmmakers, historians, and biographers. Virginia Madsen, who portrayed Miss Davies in a film, is also interviewed, as is Ruth Warrick, one of the stars of "Citizen Kane." Nothing is sugar-coated: Marion Davies was loyal to W.R. Hearst, but she did have dalliances with her leading men. She also, unfortunately, resembled Susan Kane in that she had a drinking problem. But it seems as if everyone who met her loved her. There are numerous testimonials to her generosity and even gullibleness.
Most documentaries are disappointing in their extras, but not "Marion Davies." It contains a "bonus" of an entire silent film of Davies -- Quality Street, which was remade into a talkie (starring Katharine Hepburn). Like most silent films this one takes some imagination to appreciate, but it's wonderful watching Marion's comic timing and charm on full display.
Highly recommended. I got this dvd for my mom, who is fascinated by Marion Davies, but ended up enjoying it tremendously.

Average customer rating:

It's a documentary

Showgirl Stories
Starring: Stephanie Blake , and Anjelica Huston
Director: Agnieszka Piotrowska
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004T39J
Release Date: 2001-03-27

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This gorgeously filmed documentary takes a long, hard look at exotic dancers--from the seedy sex shows of London's back streets to the deluxe exotic revues of Las Vegas and Paris. Cameras peer backstage as leggy dancers share their innermost secrets, explaining exactly how it feels to be worshipped as an icon of sexuality. Academics such as Camille Paglia discuss the tricky relationship between exploitation and erotic power while table dancers and sex-show impresarios explain how the job actually works--and how to cope with the thrills and disillusion that come with the simple act of dropping your clothes for money. Some of the film's most memorable interviews are with the bygone beauties of burlesque theater, who prove that glitz sometimes fades into a deeper grace. Notorious '50s-era stripper Dixie Lee Evans takes viewers on a private tour through her Exotic World Museum--while sharing tales of her career as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator willing to give a little extra to keep the men interested. Going even further back in sex-show history, surviving members of the original Ziegfeld Follies recall skirt-raising auditions and jewel-toting fans. Not that it's all easy work--we're also allowed into the gymnasiums and audition halls as top dancers sweat harder than any ballerina just for a chance to join a topless, feather-bedecked chorus line at the Lido. For anyone who's ever wondered what it must be like to strip for money, this film bares it all, exposing the industry's seamy underbelly and celebrating its sexy mystique in equal measure. --Grant Balfour

Description

Throughout the century, stories of the showgirl have changed dramatically. In the 1920s, the Ziegfeld girls had to show off a little leg. Then the Bluebell girls of Paris had to show a little more. In Las Vegas in the fitness, chorus girls went topless. Today, the ladies at London's Cabaret of Angels "lap dance" nearly naked. The life of the showgirl has changed over time, but as this poigant documentary reveals, its blend of crudeness and champagne, luxury and loneliness, high life and hard work hasn't really changed that much.

Customer Reviews:

It's a documentary.......2000-10-05

This title is actually a documentary about the history of showgirls as a profession. There are many images of women appearing topless, but that is as far as it goes. It is nothing like the movie "Showgirls". Large parts of the video are used to interview current and former showgirls, from their late teens to 99 years old. It may have originally been shown on TLC, as their logo appears on the case. It also states on the case that there are Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks included, but I could not locate either one. It is presented in a letterbox format.

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