Marion Davies

Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions

September 1, 2017 by Robert J. Avrech 4 Comments

“I was a homely kid with freckles that came out every spring and stuck on me ‘til Christmas. I was glamorous because of magicians like George J. Folsey, James Wong Howe, Oliver Marsh, Ray June, and all those other great cinematographers. I trusted those men and the other experts who made us beautiful. The rest of it I didn’t give a damn about. I didn’t fuss about my clothes, my lighting, or anything else, but, believe me, some of them did.”
—Myrna Loy

Hollywood: Cheek to Cheek

July 11, 2013 by Robert J. Avrech 13 Comments

John Barrymore and Dolores Costello were married for a few turbulent years. Costello was one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen. Sadly, her fair skin was badly damaged by the harsh make-up in use during the silent film period. Barrymore, a drunk and serial philanderer, drank himself to death. — John Barrymore and Dolores Costello were married for a few turbulent years. Costello was one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the silver screen. Sadly, her fair skin was badly damaged by the harsh make-up in use during the silent film period. Barrymore, an alcoholic and serial adulterer, drank himself to death.

Commenting on yesterday’s Cheek to Cheek post, a faithful Seraphic Secret reader privately wrote that the lovely pictures saddened her. “Romance is gone,” she mused. “There are no contemporary Hollywood stars who can be photographed with such loving conviction.”

Very true. Ever since movie stars first sat down with Johnny Carson and revealed themselves to be ordinary mortals, the glamorous Hollywood star has devolved into vulgar celebrity. Today, there is no difference between Kim Kardashian and Angelina Jolie. They both occupy the same space in the public’s mind. It’s beside the point that Jolie is a skilled actress. To a celebrity-hungry culture, where reality stars reign supreme as public gladiators of ghastly humiliations, talent no longer matters. In fact, Kardashian’s notorious rise—let’s not forget that her celebrity was ignited by a self-made sex tape—is an awesome success story. The collective public thinks: “If no-talents like Kim and her sisters can earn 40 million a year, why can’t I?”

But the power and majesty of romance will never die, and Seraphic Secret suspects that images—and, of course, the movies—from Hollywood’s Golden Age, would, if given half a chance, exert a magical influence on even the most jaded and cynical of today’s media drenched generation.

Friday Fotos: Vacation

August 19, 2011 by Robert J. Avrech 8 Comments

The theme for our brief summer vacation was “Hooray for Capitalists.”

William Randolph Hearst and John Paul Getty were titans of business who built empires, gathered stupifying art collections and then built suitable structures in which to display their treasures.

Hearst built the world’s first newspaper media empire. San Simeon, designed by the great Julia Morgan, took over 28 years to build. But the Depression hit and portions of San Simeon remain unfinished. This was Hollywood’s greatest weekend playground where Marion Davies, Hearst’s mistress, invited her movie friends to relax for a few days. It was also the location for some of the most elaborate costume parties ever staged.

In a touching aside, actor David Niven recalls visiting the castle in 1957—the golden days long gone—and by then, he said, the wine, including an 1890 Tokay “tasted like the bottom of the San Pedro Harbor.”