Marianne

I have been interested in Marion Davies ever since my first visit to "The Ranch", Wm Randolph Hearst's estate in San Simeon, now a California state park.

Charlie Chaplin considered Marion to be one of the best female comedians (the IMDb spell checker can't find the female equivalent) - the tragedy as I have heard is that Hearst kept pushing her to do dramatic roles. This was one such movie - and I understand her first "talkie" (besides one of the world's first) - there are some scenes of her in a comedy role but I have to say the movie was so boring to me I hit fast forward (it is not in the theaters anymore ;-) ) - just to get to the end.

Of the Marion Davies movies I have seen, so far "Show People" is my favorite - in it you can tell she has a self-deprecating sense of humor about herself and "show people" (particularly if they have met success)

Anyway I think my giving this a "5" was generous - it seem to just wander and wander without a destination until the end.

Marianne (1929)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Three American GI's (Lawrence Gray, Benny Rubin, Cliff Edwards) at the end of WW1 fall in love with a French woman (Marion Davies) but she wants none of it and has to fight all of them off even though her heart might change. Apparently this film was originally made as a silent but the studio went back and re-filmed the entire thing. I'm sure they scrapped an entire movie because of Davies' famous lover but it would be interesting comparing both versions. This one here has a lot of music sequences so it would be interesting seeing what they did in the silent version. Considering this is an early sound film you have to expect some of the rather poor sound quality but Davies performance will have her fans wanting to check this out. There's really not too much story here and certainly not enough to carry a 112-minute film. The movie runs a tad bit too long because it's quite predictable so getting to the ending takes quite a while especially when you know who she's going to fall in love with. The music sequences are all rather strange because they pop out of anywhere and the film doesn't try to hide the fact that many of those doing the singing really aren't that talented in the field. The rather bland singing makes for an interesting experiment and in some ways it makes the film seem almost surreal but at the same time the bad singing works against the "musical" aspect of the film. Davies gets to belt out a couple lines but they're hidden within some comedy. Either way, she turns in a fine comic performance even though her French accent isn't the greatest. The think accent is also hard to understand at times due to the sound quality but it's only a minor problem. The three male leads are all fine in a strange sort of way and they're certainly over the top in a campy but entertaining way.

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!

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.

Pretty cute filmy with Marion Davies as a French mademoisette on a farm who has adventures with, and becomes the adored mascot of some dough-boys at the end of World War I. As for the plot, well, who cares about the plot, except that it provides for some vaudeville performing, and joking, and singing, and lovemaking patter between her and a soldier. High points include Davies' mangling of the English language, her impersonation of a French officer to get her American sweetie out of the guardhouse, and the musical number during the celebration on the eve of the Americans' departure. In spite of the general lightness and playfulness of tone, the picture also manages to fit in some pathos and nobility and self-sacrifice when Marianne and the American part company in favor of her fiancé, returned blind after four years' absence in the war. Sometimes it's dated, sometimes it's silly, and sometimes it doesn't work so well; but it is all the time Marion Davies, and her presence in any film makes it worth watching, no matter how bad it is; one of the few actresses it's possible to say that about.