image Archives

Marion Davies – Paris Vogue – 1929

January 21, 2015 by Vickie Lester

Categories: Advertising, Art, Blogging, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Film, History, Hollywood, law, Life, London, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Politics, Relationships, Story, Theater, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim: a Writer in Early Hollywood", actor, actress, alcoholic, Beachwood Canyon, behind the scenes, bitter, bought her teenage favors, by Frederica Sagor Maas, Classic Movies, comedienne, cronyism, divorce, drunk, federal judge, film, history, Hollywood, Judge, law, Louella Parsons, Marion Davies, MGM, miserable, mistress, Movie Star, passed daughter off as niece, photography, San Simeon, silent movies, toy poodle, tycoon, Villa Carlotta, William Randolph Hearst

The ultimate insider from another era – on Marion Davies and W.R. Hearst

January 21, 2015 by Vickie Lester

The Villa Carlotta was a fun place to live… SOUTH OF BEACHWOOD CANYON | BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD. Louella’s apartment was across from ours… Louella entertained a lot, and William Hearst and Marion Davies frequently attended her parties. I had never met Hearst but had seen him at the MGM studios when Marian made pictures there. It was a real shocker to talk to him because he was a huge man, but he had a tiny, shrill soprano voice. Marion Davies both […]

Categories: Architecture, Blogging, Books, Crime, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Film, Friendship, History, Hollywood, Humor, Life, Literature, Los Angeles, Marriage, Memoir, Movies, Photography, Politics, Relationships, Story, Theater, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim: a Writer in Early Hollywood", Beachwood Canyon, behind the scenes, bought her teenage favors, by Frederica Sagor Maas, comedienne, divorce, drunk, federal judge, film, Hollywood, Judge, Louella Parsons, Marion Davies, MGM, miserable, mistress, Movie Star, passed daughter off as niece, San Simeon, silent movies, tycoon, Villa Carlotta, William Randolph Hearst

The wry and wonderful Bette Davis has a unique perspective on Louella Parsons…

December 16, 2014 by Vickie Lester

Bette Davis putting on a game face at William Randolph Hearst’s birthday party, wedged between Hearst and his minion, Louella. Interviewed by Dick Cavett, Bette has few things to say about Miss Parsons.

Categories: Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Film, History, Hollywood, Life, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Story, Theater, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: Bette Davis, BetteDavis, Dick Cavett, Hearst's Los Angeles Herald & Express, Hedda Hopper, San Simeon, social networking, vulgar curiosity, what is newsworthy, William Randolph Hearst

King Vidor was a frequent guest at the castle, directed Marion Davies in three comedies, and said Hearst had a big lamblike face…

May 16, 2014 by Vickie Lester

He wrote a marvelous book about his early days in Hollywood called, A Tree is a Tree, and while Marion was his friend, and at times Hearst was his boss, he tells some insightful anecdotes about the man: On my first trip to San Simeon, I entered the huge dining hall following Mr. Hearst and the woman architect in charge of this gigantic establishment. She was anxious to observe the “Chief’s” reaction to the newly installed paneling. A fireplace, so […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Blogging, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Film, History, Hollywood, Life, Los Angeles, Movies, Relationships, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: A Cosmopolitan Production, A Tree is a Tree, architecture, baronial, CITIZEN KANE, comedienne, Julia Morgan, King Vidor, Marion Davies, MGM, money can't buy taste, oppressive, Orson Welles, Show People, the autobiography of King Vidor, Walking Into the Night by Olaf Olafsson, William Haines, William Randolph Hearst

Here are some stills from a wonderful silent comedy about Hollywood directed by King Vidor, and starring Marion Davies

May 16, 2014 by Vickie Lester

Categories: Art, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Fiction, Film, History, Hollywood, Humor, Life, Los Angeles, Movies, Story, Theater, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized • Tags: A Cosmopolitan Production, architecture, baronial, CITIZEN KANE, comedienne, Julia Morgan, King Vidor, Marion Davies, MGM, money can't buy taste, oppressive, Orson Welles, Show People, Walking Into the Night by Olaf Olafsson, William Haines, William Randolph Hearst

Am I allowed to say I find Hearst Castle to be an oppressive nightmare?

May 16, 2014 by Vickie Lester

Really, the main house takes the term “baronial” to new heights and there’s some truly odd stuff there pinched from all over Europe. It gives me the creeps. (I should say that the guest houses are bright and sunny and happily devoid of walls torn out of Norman churches, and the swimming pool: oh là là!) There is one room there that doesn’t make me squeamish, and that’s the library, and yes, my angels, this is about as bright as […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Film, History, Hollywood, Life, Los Angeles, Memoir, Movies, Travel, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: A Cosmopolitan Production, architecture, baronial, CITIZEN KANE, comedienne, Julia Morgan, King Vidor, Marion Davies, MGM, money can't buy taste, oppressive, Orson Welles, Show People, Walking Into the Night by Olaf Olafsson, William Haines, William Randolph Hearst

MARION DAVIES HOUSE LIT UP FOR CHRISTMAS – 1937

December 14, 2012 by Vickie Lester

I may have mentioned Marion’s domestic arrangements and a boxy, boring, Tudor… My friend at http://foxpudding.wordpress.com/ said I must be referring to Mr. Hearst. If you check out his posts you will find wit and a deep appreciation of fine arts. In the meantime here’s the house at Christmas:

Categories: Architecture, Christmas, Culture, Design, History, Hollywood, Humor, Los Angeles, Marriage, Movies, Photography, Relationships, Travel • Tags: 1937, architecture, art history, Beverly Hills, Christmas, Christmas lights, fine arts, foxpudding.wordpress.com, house, Marion Davies, Marion Davies residence, Old Hollywood, Tudor, William Randolph Hearst, wit

MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY – CONTINUED

September 30, 2012 by Vickie Lester

As you might have gleaned by now, when there’s a story to tell about Hollywood, I’m inclined to change the names and mix it up a bit to protect the innocent. What follows is mostly true, except what’s not. Ben had been raised in a show-biz bubble, tutored on set, coached by pros, managed by his parents – he had a vague idea that about fifty percent of his income went to “handlers”; publicists, lawyers, the church, and he took […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: actor, actress, apartment building, architecture, auditor, building, Celebrity Centre, chorus girl, church, comedienne, deli, e-meter, Eleanor Ince, heartthrob, Hollywood, John Gotti, Los Angeles, Louella Parsons, Marion Davies, McMansion, Movie Star, OT Clear, Sunset Strip, teenager, Thomas Ince, Thrasher Way, TV star, William Randolph Hearst, yacht

MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY

September 30, 2012 by Vickie Lester

As you might have gleaned by now, when there’s a story to tell about Hollywood, I’m inclined to change the names and mix it up a bit to protect the innocent. What follows is mostly true, except what’s not. Once upon a time a gifted comedienne, Marion Davies, fell hard for a married man, William Randolph Hearst. Mrs. Hearst, a former chorus girl, in a lucrative arrangement, got the East Coast, the children, and the unchallenged status of wife to […]

Categories: Architecture, Books, Culture, Design, Film, History, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: actress, apartment building, architecture, building, Celebrity Centre, chorus girl, comedienne, deli, e-meter, Eleanor Ince, heartthrob, Hollywood, John Gotti, Los Angeles, Louella Parsons, Marion Davies, McMansion, Movie Star, OT Clear, teenager, Thomas Ince, TV star, William Randolph Hearst, yacht