Marianne

When most silent stars feared the talkies, Marion Davies jumped in with this saucy musical comedy, playing a WW I French girl wooed by 3 American doughboys (Lawrence Gray, Cliff Edwards, and Benny Rubin). Good songs, including title tune and 'Just You, Just Me," as well as Edwards' solo (I forget the title) keep this early talkie moving nicely. Davies was a consummate comedienne and proves it in her starring talkie debut, doing impressions of Maurice Chevalier and Sarah Bernhardt as well as singing and dancing. Edward and Rubin are good comic foils, and Gray is a handsome leading man. Solid MGM talkie with good production values and sound. Davies and Gray had starred together in the silent film, "The Patsy." And I SILL say that Davies ranks with Lombard, Loy, and Arthur as the 30s best comediennes.

From director Robert Z. Leonard. Marion Davies stars as Marianne, whose beloved Andre (George Baxter) has shipped out to the front. Sometime later, a company of American G. I.s are stationed in town, and one of them, Stagg (Lawrence Gray) falls hard for Marianne. Stagg, along with his buddies Soapy (Cliff Edwards) and Sam (Benny Rubin), make life miserable for the poor French girl with their incessant jokes and songs, although she eventually warms to them all. Also featuring Scott Kolk, Robert Edeson, and Emile Chautard.

This was Davies first sound film, and I found her charming, funny and with a good voice, even with her thick and phony French accent. The scenes where she dresses as a French soldier are a highlight. My favorite song was one by comic relief Rubin, a cantor-esque number called "The Girl from Noochateau". The movie is overall is harmless fluff, a bit overlong at 111 minutes, but a promising sign in the development of the musical in the new sound medium.

This was meant as a musical take on 1925's "The Big Parade".

While Marianne is not Marion Davies' best effort, it does contain some delightful moments where she absolutely sparkles. Granted her accent isn't all it should be, but give her a break - it was, after all, her very first talkie and her main focus was on conquering her stammer.

I'm not one to normally write reviews, but I just had to remark upon a previous reviewer (niro's) comments. To say that Welles and Mankewicz got it "right" when they fashioned Susan Alexander after Marion is incorrect and just plain mean. Even Welles, in his foreword to Marion's memoir, apologized for making this parallel, saying "To Marion Davies (Susan Alexander) bears no resemblance at all." Reviewer niro also errs regarding the brilliant documentary "Captured on Film" - this outstanding film contains NO inconsequential interviews - with or without "fans". Furthermore, it isn't Joseph Cotten's character who searches to find the meaning of Rosebud, but an off-camera interviewer whom we never see. Tell me, niro, have you ever even seen Citizen Kane OR Marianne?

French farm girl MARIANNE has constant difficulties with the American soldiers stationed in her barn after the Armistice.

This film was the starring talkie debut for Marion Davies, one of the most charming and talented actresses of her day. As the mistress of William Randolph Hearst, one of America's most powerful men, Davies probably could have had her pick of roles. In some respects, MARIANNE is an odd choice. There is virtually no action, most of the scenes take place in a kitchen and a barn, and Davies speaks her entire dialogue, often in French, with a very thick accent. But she is so lively and full of joie de vivre, so infectiously good-natured even when angry, even mimicking Chevalier & Bernhardt, and impersonating a young male officer, that she becomes the main reason for watching the film today. It is indeed unfortunate that Marion Davies' gifts have become obscured and her films nearly forgotten.

Lawrence Gray, who had shown much skill as a comic actor during Silent days and had worked with Davies then, here plays the American doughboy who falls for Marion. The funny business is handled by two of MGM's newest acquisitions, Yiddish dialect comedian Benny Rubin and ukulele-playing Cliff Edwards. Marion's noble French boyfriend is enacted by George Baxter.

As with many other early sound films, the movie suffers with too much talk. However, the recurring musical sequences are mostly quite welcome. The opening scene, with its idyllic look at Marion's village, shows the quality of art direction for which MGM was famous.

And pity the poor pig Anatole!

In the title role of Marianne was Marion Davies in her sound debut at MGM. In this she plays a French waif who is engaged to a French soldier blinded in combat played by George Baxter. That is until the sight of doughboy Lawrence Gray gets her French mojo going.

It's not a great film by any means, but it does display the comedic talents that Davies he had. She's positively a pixie in this film flitting back and forth between Baxter and Gray.

Benny Rubin and Cliff Edwards get to do a comedic bit or two, but this film without a big male screen name opposite Davies allows the film to really be her show. As this film is pre-Code there are some truly risque lines and situations in it. There is also a French language version shot simultaneously with some cast alterations.

Marianne is not a great film, but a must for a Marion Davies fans.