Little Old New York

The plot: rich guy dies leaving estate to nephew; nephew dies suddenly; niece disguises herself as nephew to claim money.

These days that setup takes less than a minute. But in Little Old New York, it takes 15 minutes. That might have been OK in 1923. In 2023 it had my fidgeting. I mean, why would I care about Gloria Vanderbilt or Jerry Jeff Astor or Washington "Dr W" Irving.

But it gets worse, the nephew and niece are brawling, filthy Irishmen who are so poor their belongings are being auctioned off when the caravan of legal minds pulls up to tell them of their inheritance.

Davies, sporting a really bad wig, desperately flails her arms around in an attempt to be what I assume was ''funny" in 1923. I call it the ''Robin Williams School of Comedy."

Finally, a half-hour into this mess we finally get to see Davies dressed up as a boy, pulling faces. It's not funny. Then she's asked to emote over her dying father. She can't pull it off.

I'm sorry, but the more Marion Davies movies I see - and TCM devoted a month of Tuesdays to her - the more I am convinced she was, in fact, a talentless floozy promoted way beyond her abilities by King of Misinformation William Randolph Hearst.

In Ireland, golden-locked Marion Davies (as Patricia "Pat" O'Day) and her poverty-stricken family are about to be evicted from their home when news from "Little Old New York" reveals her young brother has inherited the estate of a wealthy relative. The family books passage to claim their fortune in the United States. Meanwhile, back in the USA, handsome Harrison Ford (as Larry Delavan) hopes the distant relatives do not arrive on time; if they're late, he gets the fortune. Just as Mr. Ford prepares to celebrate, Ms. Davies arrives to claim the estate, but disguised as her little brother, who died en route.

Ford is obviously unhappy. While left an allowance, he doesn't have the money to finance his much-hoped for investment, in a steam driven vessel developed by future famed inventor Robert Fulton (Courtenay Foote). And, Davies is frustrated and unhappy. She finds herself attracted to Ford, but stuck pretending she's her dead brother. Ford shows no sexual desire for effeminate young boys, but develops a fatherly affection for Davies. Ford accepts Davies as a young pal, and she helps finance Fulton's steam engine - but, Davies realizes she will only win Ford's love as a woman. And, she has fallen in love…

Davis isn't a very convincing boy, but she makes up for it with a charming performance. Ford, in pasty sideburns, convinces. Stage actor Charles Kennedy (as Reilly) and future "Superman" player Stephen Carr (as Patrick O'Day) help show the range of an illustrious cast and crew. Harry Watson and Louis Wolheim add excitement to the climax, as boxers "Bully Boy Brewster" and "The Hoboken Terror". Mr. Wolheim certainly whips up a frenzy. Veteran director Sidney Olcott gives pastoral beauty to the location scenes, like the one where Davies is bullied by three boys approaching from behind a fence.

"Little Old New York" benefits from the obvious financing of Davies sponsor William Randolph Hearst. And, unlike a couple of recent Hearts/Davies productions, it paid off handsomely at the box office. This picture helped restore Davies to the annual top ten "Box Office Stars" list compiled Quigley Publications - she was the #5 for 1923, rising to her all-time high of #2 the following year. The movie finished at #10 in the annual "Film Daily" poll, and surprised many by appearing at a well-respected #5 on the "New York Times" ten best list. The Times was not a Hearst paper, and its praise was genuine.

******* Little Old New York (8/1/23) Sidney Olcott ~ Marion Davies, Harrison Ford, Courtenay Foote, Stephen Carr

Another charming and enjoyable Marion Davies film. She plays Patricia/Patrick O'Day from Ireland. Davies is excellent and plays the role with the humor and self awareness that the role calls for considering the material she had to work with.

Harrison Ford also does a good job playing against his feelings towards the character of Davies/Pat O'Day. What makes this film interesting is how they play on the border of same sex love.

It's very well made and directed. Hearst never went half way on any picture of hers and this is no exception.

Actress Marion Davies was box office gold in the mid-1920's. Riding the wave of the number one hit the previous year in 1922's 'When Knighthood Was In Flower,' Davies saw her August 1923's "Little Old New York" break a record for ticket receipts for that period. In the first two weeks after its premier, the movie attracted over 200,000 paying customers, beating the previous record holder, Douglas Fairbanks' 1922 'Robin Hood.' Theater owners recognized Davies' appeal, naming her the number one female star in their annual poll in 1923.

"Little Old New York," focuses in on Steven Fulton's first steamboat launch in 1807. Davies plays an Irish girl disguised as a boy to claim the inheritance her brother was given to him before he died. She (he) gets caught up in the middle of Fulton's efforts to secure money to expand his steamboat operation.

The ambitious movie almost wasn't completed because of a tragedy occurring in the middle of filming. Financed by newspaper tycoon and boyfriend to Davies, William Randolph Hearst, the production was interrupted by a fire at his New York City movie studios on February 18, 1923, destroying the sets, costumes and buildings. Fortunately, the negatives of the prints, consisting of two-thirds of the shot movie, was saved. To complete the remainder of the film, Hearst had to pay for a few sets to be rebuilt and new costumes to be sown. But he made up for all the added expenditures, and more, when it attracted over 1.2 million viewers in a three-month period, including a 300-straight performance stint at New York City's Plymouth Theater. "Little Old New York" became one of Davies' highest draws for silent movies.

This was also the first of three movies where Davies appear with actor Harrison Ford. The Broadway stage performers first entered cinema in 1915 and enjoyed a very successful movie career right up to the transition to sound. Harrison, no relation to the later actor of 'Star Wars' fame, returned to the stage after one talkie, 1932's 'Love In High Gear.' While walking in Los Angeles, Harrison was struck by a car in 1951 with a teenage girl behind the wheel. He never fully recovered and remained in a convalescent home until his death in 1957.

had one of the biggest hits of her career is this rousing story of an Irish girl who poses as her dead brother to inherit a fortune in early 19th century New York City. Davies is, as always, great fun to watch. A very underrated actress, Davies is superb as the prissy "boy" who plays a harp and sings awful tunes. As in 1922's When Knighthood Was in Flower, this 1923 film is lavish and boasts huge crowd scenes, the usual touches of William Randolph Hearst. Davies has fun fighting with the neighborhood tough boys, being forced to dance with a fat girl at a party, and dancing a wild jig at a boxing match. And in the daring scene when she is tied to a post and whipped for ringing a false fire alarm, she finally has to admit she's a girl.

Little Old New York is set against historical facts (a full-sized replica of Fulton's steamboat, Clermont, sails the Hudson River) and uses real-life people--Cornelius Vanderbilt, Washington Irving, John Jacob Astor--to good dramatic effect. But this is a Marion Davies film all the way and she is absolutely wonderful. Harrison Ford (as Larry), Montague Love, Spencer Charters, Louis Wolheim, Mahlon Hamilton, Courtnay Foote, Sam Hardy. J.M. Kerrigan, Elizabeth Murray, Marie Burke, Mary Kennedy, and the improbably named Gypsy O'Brien co-star.

Great fun.