I never met Marion Davies, but from what I have heard about her, her vivacious gregarious, life of the party personality... did not show in Kirsten Dunst's performance. She was to subdued and plain boring. Not what I would expect Davies to be like. Not saying she should have played a stereotypical dumb floozy from the 1920s, but she should have shown a bit more of life. Even when she got into party mode, it just didn't show.
shareagreed but portrayed no better by Melanie Griffith in RKO281.
Why can't they find a decent actress to play the part of Marion Davies?
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"You're the doctor; I'm the mother. I outrank you" Mother to House, MD
If you've seen any footage of Marion-- even for just a moment, you can see how lively and fun she was. Kirsten is a young washed up, boring ass, disinteresting actress.
But I don't complain about it because no one else including the writers obviously did any research on this.
The only person who I know for certain did any research was Eddie, but it sadly didn't show. Although I know for a fact he did because he said he did 10 years before the movie.
The only people who were even casted properly were Elinor Glynn, and Hearst-- not including his voice. He had a notably "high and girly" voice, as a narrator for a biography said.
How Kirsten Dunst gets the parts she does is a mystery to me. The only movie I could even manage to sort of like her acting was Marie Antoinette.
She wasn't horrible in this movie, she just wasn't Marion Davies. Kirsten is a very flat, wooden actress, imho.
Bambi
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Oh obviously because he said this "10 years before the movie" it is true. Good job.
share"Why can't they find a decent actress to play the part of Marion Davies?"
I suspect it's for the same reason Davies herself never became well known: she was completely overshadowed by other people's fame. When casting a movie about Orson Welles or Hearst, she becomes background.
Maybe someone should make a movie just about Marion Davies.
I've got a good mind to ring your doorbell and run!
Marion Davies was one of the most famous movie stars of the 20s and 30s up to her retirement in 1937. She had many hit movies and was one of the most publicized and photographed women on the planet. She was immensely popular within the film community (including studio crews), a famous hostess, and a shrewd businesswoman. "Citizen Kane" aside, her fame dimmed over the years (pre-VHS/DVD/BLU and Turner Classic Movies) as did many of her contemporaries largely because their films were not available or seen only occasionally on TV in mangled forms. While "Kane" hurt her reputation, most film buffs remember her fondly and know she was a talented actress and great comedienne.
shareMarion Davies was one of the most famous movie stars of the 20s and 30s up to her retirement in 1937. She had many hit movies and was one of the most publicized and photographed women on the planet. She was immensely popular within the film community (including studio crews), a famous hostess, and a shrewd businesswoman. "Citizen Kane" aside, her fame dimmed over the years (pre-VHS/DVD/BLU and Turner Classic Movies) as did many of her contemporaries largely because their films were not available or seen only occasionally on TV in mangled forms. While "Kane" hurt her reputation, most film buffs remember her fondly and know she was a talented actress and great comedienne.
shareMelanie Griffith is quite possibly the worst actress in the history of cinema. I remember people cheering when she was killed in Lolita.
"It's so hard having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache."
When has Melanie Griffith portayed anybody in any movie better than anyone else? She's truly a horrible actress.
shareI though Dunst was good as Davies. I dont know about Marion Davies but if Dunst had overacted her performance would have been annoying. I felt her performance suited the movie and showed alot of life when the situation called for it.
Its Britney Bitch...
I agree. The problem is the plot. Davies is constantly having to fend off Charlie Chaplin whilst also reassuring Hearst that she isn’t going to leave him for Chaplin. It’s off-putting to watch, Chaplin is such a creep.
She also has to school a very impertinent Tom Ince about her “secret” in her relationship with Hearst. Ince suggests she somehow influences Hearst into giving her what she wants. He rudely asks, “What’s your secret?” She tells him her secret is she doesn’t have to do anything to keep Hearst happy. Hearst is the initiator in everything: her career, the gifts she receives, their romance.
I think you're dismissing the fact that it took place on a boat in the middle of the ocean and over 2 days! I don't know how you expected her to be insanely wild in such a limited space. They did show her personality in the best way they could, her comedic side in the outtakes of her film, the illegal drinking behind Hearsts back, the dancing, the affair, her choice in friends, her hosting a weeking boat party....
With minimal time and space I think they did a good job of it, it wouldn't have made sense if she was bouncing off the walls. and even though she wasn't bounching off the walls they still did show that she was always the main focus of the party.
Also I think Marions reputation gets a bad rap. when she was young she liked to party and have fun and host parties, but really she had a drinking problem because she was depressed, mostly because of Hearst still being married and not just hers, along with other personal problems.
So yeah, if you think about it if they did anything more with her it would have been unnatural, over-the-top and taken away from the real story. This movie wasn't about Marion and her wild partying, it was about this one particular weekend yacht party and exposing one of the myths surrounding it.
Funny you say that. I thought she played the part very well, and with a lot of vitality and "oomph."
Criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, friend, acquaintance or stranger.
I think Dunst was great, I enjoyed watching her. It knocks me out that people who never saw Davies in life can post that Dunst was "just not Davies." What a joke. And some of them try....oh never mind. Fools will be fools.
shareYes, I think Dunst played her very well. It was the best played role in the film. Minor flaw: Davies stuttered.
shareI think this is Kirsten's best role as an adult. She was only subdued because of Hearst. There is a newsreel on the DVD that shows Davies clowning around when Hearst wasn't present.
"It's so hard having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache."
I don't understand the hate for Kirsten Dunst. I thought she was just fine in this.
I like her actually.
AVADA KEDAVRA!!!
Kirsten WAS good in this. Beautiful, too. Sure, Davies was extravagant and audacious, but provided a certain setting (among only a few guests on a yacht), I don't think she would have been quite as wild as she would have been at a Hollywood party. Either way, arguing about what Marion Davies would or wouldn't have been like is pointless. None of us know entirely, and we never will. Case at hand, Dunst did a good job here, and played the character with poise. I very much enjoyed her in this, especially since it was such a break from her teenage comedy roles.
shareI really enjoyed Kirsten Dunst in this movie. I thought she was perfectly cast.
"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful."
Something about K. Dunst's performance didn't sit quite right with me either.
I don't think she convinced me that she was of that time. She was 'acting' too much and didn't seem natural in her use of physical gestures or slang of that era.
She also didn't have the right face. Marion D. had overall larger facial features than K.D.
I like other performances by K.D. so I am not just bashing on her -- I just didn't buy her in this role.
"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois
Apparently no one here has ever seen "The Hearst and Davies Affair" starring Virginia Madsen. It was an ABC TV Movie of the Week in 1985 and was still far better than this film or RKO-281. They can never get Hearst right, or Louella Parsons, or even Chaplin. The man had BLUE eyes and Bogdanovich has blue-eyed Eddie Izzard wearing creepy dark brown contact lenses and Richard Attenborough casts brown-eyed Robert Downey,Jr. and doesn't have him wear blue ones.
Kirsten Dunst looks like a painted baby with Edward Herrmann. Marion Davies may have been young but she looked like a woman.
"Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!"🍩-HOMER J.SIMPSON
Dreary performance by Kirsten Dunst. Can't believe the producers would even consider such a washed out, pedestrian looking actress as Dunst to portray someone as vivacious as Marion Davies. Even a reality show personality has, well, more personality.
Hated this film because of the mis-casting of the Marion Davies role. Dunst's clueless performance suggested she was in over her head. An actress with more experience and screen presence would have improved the picture no end.
Watch an actual Marion Davies film. And while Dunst is portraying her "off camera" this is still a movie, requiring certain levels of ability to portray an historical character. At least Ms Davies in a picture looks alive, unlike Dunst who looked drugged and underwater and played her role in the same way.
Total claptrap.
Dreary performance by Kirsten Dunst. Can't believe the producers would even consider such a washed out, pedestrian looking actress as Dunst to portray someone as vivacious as Marion Davies. Even a reality show personality has, well, more personality.
Hated this film because of the mis-casting of the Marion Davies role. Dunst's clueless performance suggested she was in over her head. An actress with more experience and screen presence would have improved the picture no end.
Watch an actual Marion Davies film. And while Dunst is portraying her "off camera" this is still a movie, requiring certain levels of ability to portray an historical character. At least Ms Davies in a picture looks alive, unlike Dunst who looked drugged and underwater and played her role in the same way.
Total claptrap.
I saw it with my mom back in the day. It is on YouTube, or was I saw little bit of it a few months ago. I have also seen a few of Marion s films, a silent and talkie. This film is decent as well.
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