UCLA History: Davies

Actress Marion Davies writes a check to establish the UCLA Children's Health Center in 1952 - still there and named after her.  Davies was famously portrayed in the highly fictionalized film classic "Citizen Kane" as a no-talent, alcoholic floozy/mistress of the William Randolph Hearst character.  That was but one of the elements of the film that infuriated the real Hearst and led to his attempts to suppress the film.

Apart from the mistress element, however, there was no similarity between the film character and the actual person.  As it happens, the City of Santa Monica now operates the Marion Davies guest house on the beach, a remnant of a larger estate. The guest house is open for tours.  Today a celebration of Davies is scheduled for 11 am to 2 pm at the guest house.  Details are available at:
http://www.smmirror.com/articles/seven-days/Whats-Hot-Marion-Davies-Birthday-Celebration-This-Sunday-Jan-6/36465

Here is Davies in an excerpt from a 1928 silent film: