Marion Cecelia Douras (Marion Davies) was born in the borough of Brooklyn, New York on January 3, 1897. She had been bitten by the "show biz bug" early as she watched her sisters perform in local stage productions. She wanted to do the same. As Marion got older, she tried out for various school plays and did fairly well. Once her formal education had ended, Marion started out as a chorus girl in New York City and eventually found herself in the famed Ziegfeld Follies. But she wanted more than to dance. Acting, to Marion, was the epitome of show business and aimed her sights in that direction. Her first film was RUNAWAY ROMANY in 1917 when she was 20. It was a film written by herself and directed by her brother-in-law. The film wasn't exactly a box-office smash, but for Marion it was a start. The film was, instead, a stepping stone to bigger things. The following year Marion starred in three films, THE BURDEN OF PROOF, BEATRICE FAIRFAX, and CECILIA OF THE PINK ROSES. It was this latter film that was backed by newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, whom Marion would launch a long term romantic relationship for the next 30 years. Because of Hearst's newspaper empire, Marion would be promoted as no actress before her. She appeared in numerous films over the next few years with CINEMA MURDER, in 1919, being one of the most suspenseful. In 1922, Marion appeared as Mary Tudor in the historical romantic epic, WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER. It was a film in which her Hearst poured in millions of dollars to showcase her. Although Marion didn't, normally appear in period pieces, she turned in a wonderful performance and the film turned a profit. Marion remained busy with her talent being one of the staples in movie houses around the country. As she neared the end of the twenties, it was obvious that sound films were about to replace the silent ones. It made Marion nervous because she had a stutter when she was excited and the worry was that she wouldn't make a successful transition to the new medium. She was a true professional who had no problem with the change. Time after time, film after film, Marion turned in masterful performances. In 1930, two of her better films were NOT SO DUMB and THE FLORODORA GIRL. By 1934, Marion's films had lost their appeal at the theaters and the downward slide began. Had she been without Hearst's backing, she could have been more successful. He was more of a hindrance than a help. Hearst had tried to push MGM executives to hire Marion for the role of Elizabeth Barrett in THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET. Louis B. Mayer had other ideas and hired producer Irving Thalberg's wife, Norma Shearer for the part instead. Hearst reacted by pulling his newspaper support for MGM. It never really hurt. By the late 1930's Hearst was suffering financial reversals and it was Marion who bailed him out by selling off $1 million of her jewelry. Without her the Hearst Corporation might not be where it is today. Because of Hearst's financial problems, it also spelled the end to her career. Although she had made the transition to sound, other stars seemed to fare better. Roles for her became fewer. By 1937, Marion was 40 and she filmed the last production for the silver screen, EVER SINCE EVE. Out of films and the intense pressures of her relationship with Hearst, Marion turned to alcohol. Despite those problems, Marion was a very sharp and savvy business woman after films. After the death of Hearst in 1951, Marion married for the first time at the age of 54, to Horace Brown. The union would last until she died of cancer on September 22, 1961 in Los Angeles, California. She was 64 years old.



She was the longtime, and sometimes long distance, mistress of newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. Their life together was dubiously mirrored in the film, Citizen Kane (1941) and RKO 281 (1999) (TV), and more factually in The Cat's Meow (2001). Interred at Hollywood Memorial Cemetery (now called Hollywood Forever), Hollywood, California, USA, in section B, east side of the lake. Is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in The Cat's Meow (2001), by Melanie Griffith in RKO 281 (1999) (TV), by Virginia Madsen in The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985) (TV) and by Heather McNair in Chaplin (1992) In 1993, the family of Patricia van Cleve (wife of actor Arthur Lake) revealed, upon her death, that she was actually the child of Marion and William Randolph Hearst. Van Cleve had been raised by Davies' sister Rose and had always been introduced as her niece and Lake as her nephew. Her tomb at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is often overlooked though it is an imposing structure. It is a miniature Greek temple, which is appropriate since she was of Greek heritage, on the east side of the lake very close to the grave of Tyrone Power. Her family name of Douras appears over the doorway. Aunt of Natalie Draper, Charles Lederer and Pepi Lederer. In addition to her acting career, she spent much of her time at Cosmopolitan Pictures as a production manager. She had been appointed to this position by William Randolph Hearst, who wanted to keep her close to him. She was famous for doing dead-on impersonations of celebrities at parties. At least three impersonations made it into The Patsy (1928).