MANK FILM INCLUDES W.R. HEARST's MISTRESS MARION DAVIES

NETFLIX : MANK FILM OFFICIAL SITE 

The Old Hollywood actor Marion Davies, the long time Mistress of William Randolph Hearst, our Mistress of the Month in July 2013 here at Mistress Manifesto BlogSpot, is portrayed by actor Amanda Seyfried, in MANK.  Mank is the nickname for a screenwriter named Herman J. Mankiewicz, talented and alcoholic, who was the screenwriter for Orson Well's film Citizen Kane. Citizen Kane was supposed to be a bit of a parody of the lifestyle that Marion and W.R. had at their California "ranch," where they often entertained Hollywood friends. Originally planned as La Cuesta Encantada (Enchanted Hill) it was referred to as San Simeon,  Today it's a tourist spot called "Hearst Castle" and is about half way up the coast of California.

HEARST CASTLE ORG - Informative Site! I'm so glad that Marion's role in Hearst's life is included in the list of bio's at this site. 

EXCERPT: By the end of her career she had starred in a total of 46 films, including 16 talkies.  In the early twenties, she and Hearst moved their company, Cosmopolitan Productions, to California and joined forces with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.  All of her major films were produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and filmed at Paramount, MGM, and Warner Brothers studios.

Shortly after meeting Heart she became his constant companion and confidante. She was Hollywood's foremost hostess, throwing lavish parties at both Hearst Castle and at a extraordinary mansion on the beach in Santa Monica.  Dignitaries, Hollywood stars and famous athletes eagerly accepted invitations to her parties.  She followed the recommendations of Hearst's financial advisors, avoided debt, and invested wisely in real estate.

During the late thirties, hard times hit Hearst Corporation, and Marion gave Hearst a check for one million dollars to save the company from collapse. According to those who knew her, this selfless act was just one example of Marion's character.

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But what of the Davies character in Mank, a film that recieved 10 Oscar nominations, and Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of Marion? Seyfried was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

This NPR article praises the actress: NPR ORG : AMANSA SEYFRIED SHINES AS MARION DAVIES in MANK  This article is about how the actress was turned into a Marion, wardrobe, hair, the works, for the film and is worth the read - or you can listen to the audio instead.

EXCEPT: (Amanda speaking)

"Marion was a really talented actor, she had incredible range, she was really funny, and she was able to lighten any scene that she was in,: says Seyfriend,"She was very unfiltered like I am, and she was very allergic to being dishonest, which I am absolutely, You know, the Brooklynese was kind of, just, at the end of the day, when she took her shoes off and she grabbed her bottle of gin.  She was exactly who seh was and you know, she hd no shame from where she came from."

If interested in Marion, please use the search feature embedded in this blog, or go into the archives to read the whole month!

Missy