The Political Flapper

The Patsy

The Political Flapper

Marie Dressler (Artist), Marion Davies (Artist)

US
1928
Spielfilm
80’
Finally Back on the Silver Screen

Patricia, known as Patsy, is the one who gets browbeaten in the family – particularly by her mother and her older sister Grace who continually push her around and exploit her. When Patsy falls in love with Tony – who, for his part, is courting the sister – she does whatever possible to sabotage the relationship. Pa Harrington, who is actually on Patsy‘s side but who cannot assert himself in the family, supports her on the quiet with hints as to how she might win Tony. Well, she does everything in her power. She reads books on personality development, feigns an interest in another young man and also delivers hugely funny impersonations of Pola Negri, Mae Murray and Lillian Gish. All to no avail: Tony is less than impressed with Patsy. Yet she stays on the ball and only when Pa finally manages to impose himself on the proceedings do the family rows come to an end. As Patsy, Marion Davies pulls out all the stops!

Director

King Wallis Vidor

Script

Agnes Christine Johnston

Cinematograhy

John Seitz

Editing

Hugh Wynn

Cast

Marion Davies, Orville Caldwell, Marie Dressler, Dell Henderson, Lawrence Gray, Jane Winton, William O‘Brian

Production

King Wallis Vidor, Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst

Cast

British Film Institute

Marie Dressler (Artist)

Marie Dressler was 24 when she made her first appearance on Broadway in 1892. Her film debut followed in 1914 with Tillie‘s Punctured Romance alongside Charles Chaplin. However, due to her trade-union commitment, she was blacklisted for a long time. Only in 1927 did Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) take her under contract, first casting her as a resolute elderly lady and subsequently in comedies. The breakthrough to become one of Hollywood‘s best-known stars came in 1930 with Greta Garbo‘s talking film debut Anna Christie. A year later, she won the Best Actress Oscar far her role in Min and Bill (1930).


Films with Marie Dressler (Selection)
Dinner at Eight 1933 | Tugboat Annie 1933 | Emma 1931 | Min and Bill 1930 | Let Us Be Gay 1930 | Anna Christie 1930 | The Divine Lady 1929 | Tillie‘s Punctured Romance 1914

Marion Davies (Artist)

Marion Davies‘s film career began 1916 and is inextricably linked with William Randolph Hurst. He founded a production company especially for her, distributed the films via Paramount and MGM and paid her exorbitant salaries. Her talent lay in the field of light comedy and she was to make her most successful films with director King Vidor. Because she could sing and dance, she was also able to cross over to talkies at the end of the 1920s. In Going Hollywood, she starred with Bing Crosby. When her career stagnated and William Hurst attempted to lock her into other kinds of roles, she transferred to Warner Brothers before officially ending her career in 1937.


 Films with Marion Davies (Selection)
Ever Since Eve 1937 | Operator 13 1934 | The Florodora Girl 1930 | Marianne 1929 | The Hollywood Revue of 1929 1929 | Show People 1928 | Runaway Romance 1917