StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
William Randolph Hearst was one of the America's wealthiest and most powerful newspaper publishers who used his own empire to crusade mostly for progressive causes, a consummate politician who held White House aspirations, and an extravagant spender who build one of the United States' most fabled homes, and the inspiration for a film classic…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.8% of users find it useful
William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies"

Download file to see previous pages

107). The screen career of Marion Davies is of course inextricably bound up with the name of William Randolph Hearst. While this fact has always been recognized, the critical treatment of this particular "help" has shifted considerably over the years. When Hearst and Davies were still actively producing films, none dared mention the personal side of their relationship. Benjamin Hampton, writing in 1930, summarized Hearst's film activities by noting, "Few producers have derived more enjoyment from the game".

Hearst interest in film predated his encounter with Davies. He operated the International Newsreel, an animation studio, and produced several of the most important early serials, including The Exploits of Elaine (1915). According to Proctor (1998), Hearst spotted Marion Davies in the 1916 Ziegfeld Follies and after seeing her performance in a cheaply made feature called Runaway Romany (1917) decided to fold her into his own motion-picture empire. Under the Cosmopolitan banner, Hearst was already producing a series of features with Alma Rubens, but because of his special interest in Davies, he now became involved on a much more personal level.

In the 1920s, with the war and the controversy behind him, the growth of the Hearst media empire was on the march again and he was undoubtedly the most famous newspaper publisher in the United States and c. is overextension, a love affair with Davies, heavily promoted by his newspapers, and his eventual inheritance of the family fortune, following his mother's death, staved off disaster. In time Hearst vast newspaper empire, his movie studio, and his successful magazine division that included Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan became immensely profitable (Nasaw 2000).

The Bulk of Davies' Cosmopolitan productions, Nasaw (2000) continued, which were made in New York until Hearst shifted his center of operations to California in 1924, are light romantic melodramas. Some are more tearful than others, but one finds a wartime spy plot (The Burden of Proof, 1918), a comedy (Getting Mary Married, 1919), and a flapper-era morality tale (The Restless Sex, 1920). These films do no seems to have been especially successful, and Hearst was already being chided in print for his string of Davies features.

After discussing the early serials and newsreels Robert E. Sherwood concluded:"Up to this point Hearst had probably made money from pictures, but then he found Cosmopolitan Pictures Cooperation and started losing on a triumphant scale. He made picture after picture in which Marion Davies was featured, and on which he lavished incredible sums, and one after another flopped dismally. Miss Davies did not prove to be a stalwart box office attraction, and an irreverent wag in the movie industry remarked that Mr.

Hearst had to bribe the exhibitors to rent his pictures" (The Best Moving Pictures of 1922-23, p. 50). Hearst lived on a scale whose lavishness was news-making. He became popular in great measures because Davies was a creation of Hearst newspapers, magazines, and movies. The emphasis in all periods has been to suggest that Davies' screen career was manufactured, and then foisted

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/biographies/1528465-william-randolph-hearst-and-marion-davies
(William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies Essay)
https://studentshare.org/biographies/1528465-william-randolph-hearst-and-marion-davies.
“William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/biographies/1528465-william-randolph-hearst-and-marion-davies.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies

William Hearts Randolph

This paper seeks to discuss william randolph hearst who left a legacy in the history of mass media.... william randolph Hearts is among individuals who helped shape and influenced the broadcasting industry.... william randolph Hearts is among individuals who helped shape and influenced the broadcasting industry.... By 1920s, he owned 31newspapers, which in every four read a hearst Newspaper.... By 1920s, he owned 31newspapers, which in every four read a hearst Newspaper....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Life of David Pool

Francis marion Pool alias Captain Dave Pool was an active member in the Quantrill band, a group of guerrillas who fought with Quantrell and were ready to shed their blood for the preservation of Southern rights.... The various policies of the Lincoln Administration towards Missouri… Francis marion Pool played a pivotal role during the Civil War in Missouri and he was the only notable Quantrell who survived the ferocious Civil War.... It has been identified that Dave Pool joined Quantrill in July 1862 “after his uncle, Archibald Poole, was killed and his home sacked by jayhawkers and another member of his family shot” (Captain Francis marion Pool 1837 – 1899)....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

Asa Randolph Philip

Asa randolph Philip was first educated locally before he travelled to New York city.... He attended the He lectured at the Rand School of Social Science after the World War 1 (randolph Biography 2014).... Asa Philip randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida in April 1889 as a second son of reverend William James randolph, who was a tailor and at the same time a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Elizabeth randolph who was a skilled tailor....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Low Fat Diet as a Way Of Slimming, the Pros and Cons

This essay "Low Fat Diet as a Way Of Slimming, the Pros and Cons" discusses that the increase in the media perception of perfection in human form and structure, there is increased awareness and need among the populations to improve their looks and appearances.... hellip; The need, therefore, is to create awareness about the use of a proper diet schedule, by diet meaning intake of food....
9 Pages (2250 words) Literature review

Bert Randolph Sugar in Michigan of 1961

Bert randolph Sugar is without any doubts a great icon in the history of sports journalism.... Very few people have been able to attain the levels of success and popularity similar to that of Bert randolph Sugar.... The rest of this paper discusses the contribution of Bert randolph sugar as a sports journalist and its impacts....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Citizen Kane and William Randolph Hearst

… The paper "Citizen Kane and william randolph hearst" is an excellent example of a movie review on visual arts and film studies.... william randolph hearst, born April 29, 1863, was raised by millionaire parents.... The paper "Citizen Kane and william randolph hearst" is an excellent example of a movie review on visual arts and film studies.... But Citizen Kane was ultimately voted by the American Film Institute as the greatest film in history, vindicating Welles's attempt to expose the life of william randolph hearst....
1 Pages (250 words) Movie Review

US Supreme Court Decision in Georgia vs Randolph

randolph, particularly the schism (which focuses on the “rules-versus-standards” theme between Justices Souter and Roberts and the little scuffle between Justices Souter and Roberts (which focuses on the important issue of how to go about interpreting the Constitution).... ask 3 -In carrying out the task specified in guideline under task 2, the paper would situate the randolph opinion within the broad landscape of criminal justice bringing to bear the themes, concepts, and dichotomies that are found working within the randolph opinion with our knowledge and insight of criminal law generally....
16 Pages (4000 words) Essay

Key Thinker: William Morris Davis

The object of analysis for the purpose of this current paper "Key Thinker: william Morris Davis" is william Morris Davis as perhaps the most important figure in the history of American Geography, due to his immense contribution in the field.... nbsp;… After graduating from Harvard with a master of engineering, william Morris Davis initially opted to work in Córdoba, Argentina as a meteorologist for three years.... This important choice that william Morris Davis made to work as a meteorologist, despite his major in engineering is a rather puzzling one since he could have done better with his engineering major....
16 Pages (4000 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us