Beverly of Graustark

Marion Davies is a young American woman who must stand in for her cousin Prince Oscar when he is injured while being escorted to take his throne. She falls in love with goatherd Dantan, who helped rescue her from the evil General Marlanax, and after assorted palace intrigue everything ends happily.

Marion Davies is OK in a role that seems perfect for Mary Pickford. Quite competent, but there is nothing to go out of the way for.

American author George Barr McCutcheon's six Graustark books (appeared 1901-1927) copy the idea of British author Anthony Hope's three Ruritania books (appeared 1894-1898). The plot of "Beverly of Graustark" (1904), the second book in the series, is even very similar to that of "The Prisoner of Zenda", the first Ruritania book. Given the large number of films based on the latter, it is not surprising that there were also two silent movies based on the Graustark version of the theme of friendly impersonation of a monarch. The first was Beverly of Graustark (1914).

Despite its light touch, the present film is so blunt in its humor that it can perhaps better be called a farce than a comedy, although that is in part due to it being silent. Marion Davies was popular in cross-dressing roles, so it is not surprising that this angle is maximally exploited. Still, it is a very effective comedy for the time and quite amusing even today.

The last 3 or 4 minutes are in black, red and white: apparently realized with an early form of Technicolor.

Before cousin oscar (hale) can travel to graustark to take over the monarchy, he is injured. In desparation, beverly (davies) does drag to fill in at the prince's introduction. When assassins try to take out "the prince", dantan the local goat herder (moreno) comes to the rescue. But when beverly falls for him, she is still posing as the prince, so there's the dilemma! Some interesting trivia comes with this production.. right at the open, marion davies' name is about twice as large as her co-star antonio moreno. This was about halfway through davie's film career; she had been acting for about ten years, and would act (and produce) for another ten years. Larger than life davies was allegedly the live in girlfriend to newspaper publisher william hearst, who had helped to bump her acting career into gear. Directed by sidney franklin; made some pretty major films, even nominated for "good earth". According to wikipedia dot org, the story is based on the 1904 novel by george mccutcheon. The very last scene is in color. You'll be blinded by the reds and the sparkles! A rarity in the 1920s. For more early early films made on color film, see the list of early color feature films at wikipedia. There aren't many prior to 1920, and it was pretty rare for another twenty years. It's a really good restoration, with all new music. The story is all quite silly, but fantasies that take place in far off, exotic lands are always fun to watch.

Marion Davies stars as Beverly, an American student who gets talked into masquerading as her cousin Oscar after he gets injured in a skiing accident. Oscar (Creighton Hale) was just about to travel back to Graustark to claim the throne and secure the country from the evil General Marlanax (Roy D'Arcy). Of course there are complications when she falls for her bodyguard, Antonio Moreno, a goatherd who rescues the "prince" from an ambush.

Davies is a delight. The scene in which she must drain a huge tankard of beer (as a toast to the army) is hilarious. At a great ball, Davies manages to talk the scheming Carlotta (Paulette Duval) into taking off her gown, which Davies escapes with to flirt with Moreno. All is well when Oscar finally appears in Graustark.

Davies impersonated young men in many of her films (MARIANNE (both silent and talkie versions), LITTLE OLD NEW YORK, Hollywood REVUE OF 1929, and WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER come to mind). Davies also masquerades is many other films: in QUALITY STREET as her own niece, OPERATOR 13 as a black servant, EVER SINCE EVE as a frumpy secretary, GOING Hollywood as a French maid, etc.

BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK was a big hit at the box office and is said to be Davies' most profitable film for MGM.

Marion Davies returns unfinished from finishing school because her cousin, Creighton Hale, has completed negotiations to be crowned King of Graustark. A skiing accident puts him in a hospital bed. If he doesn't show up, evil General Roy D'Arcy may succeed in a coup. So they dress up Miss Davies in men's clothes and send her off as her cousin. On the way in, she and faithful Duke Albert Gran are almost assassinated, but sheepherder Antonio Moreno rescues them. Miss Davies appoints him her bodyguard. She wants him close, and not just to guard her body.

There are major differences between this movie version and the George Barr McCutcheon novel it's based on. Mitteleuropean politics are cut out in favor of a big final reveal. Also, there's no cousin Creighton. In the book, Beverly Calhoun is mistaken for the reigning Princess of Graustark, whose friend she is. These changes allow more romance and let Miss Davies dress in men's clothes, as she has in at least three of her earlier movies. This was, after all, a starring vehicle for Miss Davies, and Hollywood liked to recycle elements that had worked in previous shows. Moreno is dashing; Miss Davies mugs a lot when called on to do manly things, and there's a sumptuous finale in nicely preserved two-strip Technicolor. Ben Model offers a nice organ accompaniment on this Undercrank co-production with the Library of Congress. It's a fine vehicle for Miss Davies, showing her as beautiful, a good silent actress, and a willing and excellent farceur.