Cosmopolitan was a production company established by Hearst in the hope of turning Marion Davies into a superstar. No expense was spared in providing Miss Davies with the best craftsmen and the most popular co-stars. Everything was done to make Marion look beautiful but unfortunately that "look" had to tally in with an idealized vision of her, in spectacular costume romances or as a much sought after beauty. But Marion had a secret - she just wanted to make people laugh.
"Beauty's Worth" was just a Cinderella tale with Marion playing Prudence Cole, a plain Quaker girl brought up by her aunts who feel that the twentieth century is like a book of Satan!! Prudence's playboy cousin Henry (Hallam Cooley made an early career out of these lounge lizard type roles) comes to visit - and leaves behind a love struck girl but he has been only toying with her affections. Prudence visits Haven and charms everybody - especially struggling artist Cheyne Rovein (Forrest Stanley) who has his own opinion of the "society seals" she has been cast amongst. "What's a diamond doing amongst all those rhinestones"!!! He decides he wants them all to sit up and take notice of her so he designs some beautiful costumes for her part in a lavish charade performance. And wowee!! do they sit up!!
She is just spectacular in the three tableaux - the first has her with fluffy blonde hair and spangley dress as she dances reminiscent of her Follies days, the second gives her a chance at some comic pratfalls as she becomes a doll under a Christmas tree that all the other little boy dolls fall in love with. The last is the most wondrous of all when Prudence dressed as a goddess has all the natives at her feet. The sets were out of this world and were designed by Joseph Urban. Urban was employed in films exclusively by William Randolph Hearst and brought from his background as a prominent set designer of the Ziegfeld Follies the skill and know how to show Miss Davies in the setting and costumes that Hearst felt showcased her to advantage.
Henry, who according to one of the title's, judges women on how smart and up to date their dress is, falls for Prue hard but so do the entire male population of Haven and with an up to date wardrobe by Cheyne she is a sensation!! But she is also smart and sensible and there is no way she is going to accept Henry's definition of love - "love is when women wear smart clothes and look the height of fashion" as opposed to Cheyne's words from the heart.
Critics were not won over by the Davies' personality in 1922 and a particularly scathing review from The New York Times resented the money obviously lavished on the production to prop up a star whose career was being mismanaged. But Marion had the last laugh - she had real talent and had what it took to make it on her own regardless of Hearst's well meant bungles!!
Highly Recommended.
"Beauty's Worth" was just a Cinderella tale with Marion playing Prudence Cole, a plain Quaker girl brought up by her aunts who feel that the twentieth century is like a book of Satan!! Prudence's playboy cousin Henry (Hallam Cooley made an early career out of these lounge lizard type roles) comes to visit - and leaves behind a love struck girl but he has been only toying with her affections. Prudence visits Haven and charms everybody - especially struggling artist Cheyne Rovein (Forrest Stanley) who has his own opinion of the "society seals" she has been cast amongst. "What's a diamond doing amongst all those rhinestones"!!! He decides he wants them all to sit up and take notice of her so he designs some beautiful costumes for her part in a lavish charade performance. And wowee!! do they sit up!!
She is just spectacular in the three tableaux - the first has her with fluffy blonde hair and spangley dress as she dances reminiscent of her Follies days, the second gives her a chance at some comic pratfalls as she becomes a doll under a Christmas tree that all the other little boy dolls fall in love with. The last is the most wondrous of all when Prudence dressed as a goddess has all the natives at her feet. The sets were out of this world and were designed by Joseph Urban. Urban was employed in films exclusively by William Randolph Hearst and brought from his background as a prominent set designer of the Ziegfeld Follies the skill and know how to show Miss Davies in the setting and costumes that Hearst felt showcased her to advantage.
Henry, who according to one of the title's, judges women on how smart and up to date their dress is, falls for Prue hard but so do the entire male population of Haven and with an up to date wardrobe by Cheyne she is a sensation!! But she is also smart and sensible and there is no way she is going to accept Henry's definition of love - "love is when women wear smart clothes and look the height of fashion" as opposed to Cheyne's words from the heart.
Critics were not won over by the Davies' personality in 1922 and a particularly scathing review from The New York Times resented the money obviously lavished on the production to prop up a star whose career was being mismanaged. But Marion had the last laugh - she had real talent and had what it took to make it on her own regardless of Hearst's well meant bungles!!
Highly Recommended.