Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies

Blonde, beautiful and talented, Marion Davies was the first and funniest screwball comedienne. As star of two of the best comedies ever made, Show People and The Patsy, she combined zany slapstick and exuberant mimicry. Glamorous, witty and kind, both on screen and off, Davies was also famous for her 35-year-long love affair with William Randolph Hearst.

Unfortunately, Davies has too often been remembered for a film in which she never appeared: Citizen Kane. Orson Welles may have based his great film on the life of Hearst, but Davies was never like the character of Susan Alexander.

Loving and insightful, and Narrated by Charlize Theron, Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies combines archival film clips, interviews and rare home movies to explore her life and work. The Brooklyn-born Davies was dancing in the Ziegfeld Follies when she first met Hearst, who went on to build her a movie studio and a castle — the legendary estate in San Simeon where she reigned over the elite of Hollywood. A wonderful, moving tribute to this Hollywood legend, this is a documentary to own and cherish. A bonus feature on this video is Davies' brilliant performance in the rarely seen classic Quality Street!

Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies. Narrated by Charlize Theron. Produced by Elaina B. Archer. Directed by Hugh Munro Neely. Written by Elaina B. Archer, Hugh Munro Neely and John J. Flynn. Original Score by Nigel Holton. Director of Photography: Harry Dawson. Special Consultant: Frederick Lawrence Guiles. Produced by Timeline Films in association with The UCLA Film and Television Archive. © 2001 Timeline Films Inc. and UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Bonus Features

Reviews

"Fascinating!" - Barbara D. Phillips, Wall Street Journal

"A wonderful comedienne deserves, and gets, a wonderful documentary!" - Scott Eyman, Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford