Overview
New York 1915, Marion Davies is a shy eighteen-year-old beauty dancing on the Broadway stage when she meets William Randolph Hearst and finds herself captivated by his riches, passion and desire to make her a movie star. Following a whirlwind courtship, she learns through trial and error to live as Hearst’s mistress when a divorce from his wife proves impossible. A baby girl is born in secret in 1919 and they agree to never acknowledge her publicly as their own. In a burgeoning Hollywood scene, she works hard making movies while living a lavish partying life that includes a secret love affair with Charlie Chaplin. In late 1937, at the height of the depression, Hearst wrestles with his debtors and failing health, when Marion loans him $1M when nobody else will. Together, they must confront the movie that threatens to invalidate all of Marion’s successes in the movie industry: Citizen Kane.
Review
Marion Davies was a young 18 year old dancer on Broadway when she catches the eye of William Randolph Hearst. These two develop a life long affair full of secrets and drama.
I really knew nothing about Marion Davies other than she was an actress “back in the day”. She really was an amazing woman and this author brought her to life on these pages. I also enjoyed reading about all the names from Hollywood, like Charlie Chaplin and the Gabor sisters. But, WR Hearst is the one who stole the story in my book. There were many places I wanted to come across the pages and give him a good “Gibbs slap” upside the head.
I rotated between 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 5 stars because this is just a fascinating tale about a real person and her life. I actually read it in one day on the beach. It read like a biography of old Hollywood! So, this book hit the spot.
Need a very good old Hollywood novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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