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Scooter Radio Program
Rosetta Kamlowsky Tapes
Marion Davies, Celebrity
Interview date: August 15, 1973
Rosetta: We will have Marion Davies, that lady, and I want you to hear her, and about
her right now.
Recorded ( Helen): Hello, this is Helen Hull in New York. Marion Davies was one of the
most controversial and mysterious women of our time. The first in- depth study of this
little known but much publicized woman was written by Fred Lawrence Guiles and it’s
titled simply Marion Davies. Hello Fred.
Fred: Hello Helen.
Helen: Fred. How did you get this material? It must have taken an enormous amount of
research.
Fred: Well, the material came to me rather easily. I had been sent to the coast by Anita
Lewes, which was one of Marion’s closest friends and put in touch with Marion’s family.
Marion had been dead about seven years at this time. And I was given access to all of her
correspondence, her taped memoirs, a whole trunk full of material, but I discovered early
on that there was a lot of fantasy in this material. A lot of untruths and it took me about
two and a half years to run down the true story.
Helen: Well, she’d been living, as you point out, in such a fantasy world that she really
no longer knew what was true, isn’t that right?
Fred: That’s part of it. And I think actresses as a rule, particularly Hollywood actresses,
tend to fantasize and create a world of their own.
Helen: How did she and Hearst meet?
Fred: They met a little earlier than has been documented in most places. They met in
1915. She was doing a review called “ Stop, Look, Listen” with Pickle St. Claire, another
Corrine and Eilene Percy. Justine Johnstone was starred in this review and Justine had
been approached by Hearst for a date and had declined. Marion took her place and that
was the beginning of it.
Helen: Why did Hearst never divorce his wife, all those years, how many years was it
they lived together?
Fred: Thirty- five years they were together. I believe that it was because he wanted a
family, he had sons and he enjoyed a family life whenever he was East. And with
Marion he was with people he found amusing. So he had two different worlds and
managed to keep both going for a long, long time.
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Helen: He certainly never kept his life with Marion a secret. She was, you say, a better
actress than she was really given credit for.
Fred: Much better. Not only was she a brilliant comedienne, but she was also a pretty
fine dramatic actress.
Helen: As a matter of fact, she was a more intelligent person than we realized. This is
quite a different portrait of both Marion Davies and Hearst than we usually have. Marion
Davies by Fred Guiles. Thank you Fred.
Fred: Thank you for asking me.
Helen: This is Helen Hull in New York.
Rosetta: “ Thank you Helen Hull in New York” ( mimicking Helen’s voice).
Ron: Thank you Helen. Did you mention Night Shade? The vine Night Shade? Do you
remember, in a list? Because apparently we have quite a little around here and it is a vine
that is I guess is quite poisonous.
Rosetta: No. I didn’t mention that. Maybe someone would like to discuss Marion
Davies and William Randolph Hearst. He was probably one of our greatest newspaper
tycoons and…
Ron: While they’re thinking about that.
Rosetta: Pardon?
Ron: Go ahead.
Rosetta: Well he was, and imagine being able to keep two lives like that going, keeping
his family life and that life. I’m fascinated because I’ve been through San Simeon, the
castle he built for Marion Davies and where he lived. It has to be, when we were in
Miami I saw Vizcaya, which is another Italian type palace, and really, I don’t feel it can
hold a candle to San Simeon on the West Coast. San Simeon is exquisite. I, I have a…
Ron: I, I, I….
Rosetta: ( laughter) It won’t be long now! Ron’s always amazed with the way things
work. You never, you’ll never grow old, Ron, as long as you’re continually surprised
with the way things happen.
Ron: You know what surprises me mostly is Scorpios generally are quite, everything is
you know, laid out and orderly. You’re really a Scorpio, huh?
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Rosetta: Well, I like to think that my head is organized. I may not be organized, you
know, I may not have my files organized, and things like that may not be organized, but I
like to think that things are organized inside my little ole head. That’s what I like to
think. What else Ron?
Ron: You have about a minute to, you know, just close everything off.
Rosetta: Canyon Creek Spring Dance is going to be at the Canyon Creek School,
Saturday, June 9, 9 to 2 a. m., music by the Westineers, a free lunch, $ 1 a person, door
prizes, proceeds go to the local 4- H Club sponsored by the Canyon Creek Women’s Club.
Don’t forget to ride the bus. It’s fun to ride the bus and we may all be riding the bus so
don’t let us loose our bus by not patronizing it now. With the gasoline situation as it is, I
don’t know, I don’t want to make any prediction, I’m, you know, I just won’t. Do ride
the bus.
The Gates of the Mountain Chapter Credit Union is hosting the 36th annual meeting of the
Montana Credit Unions League in Helena June the 8th and 9th at the Colonial Inn and let’s
see what else they want you to know about this. Delegates from credit unions from all
around Montana will be here for educational sessions as well as business meetings. And
The Credit Union Ladies of Helena are cordially invited to join the ladies’ tours, there’re
going to be a number of tours. For more information call the League office, 442- 9081
or, and place your reservation. ( Music) You can sign up at the Colonial on Friday and
Saturday and we hope to have large groups both days.
Keep your children busy. I’m anxious to receive the City’s recreational department’s
report so we know what the kids will have an opportunity to do this summer and it’s
always a little challenge that first week school is out, what to do with your young son or
daughter, and sometimes the old ones can be a challenge too.
Tomorrow we’re going to talk about the playground over at Central School. Apparently
there’s something afoot and there’s a group of parents who are distressed with the school
board over this and they’re going to be down tomorrow to discuss that. And I hope you
get out and have a perky day. Ron and I aren’t so perky, but you know you can’t always
be like that. We hope to be perkier tomorrow and we’ll see you then. Bye- bye. ( Music)
