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The Patsy

Ein Mädel mit Tempo
Retrospective 2020
Source: Deutsche Kinemathek, © 1928 Turner Entertainment Co. All Rights Reserved.
Young Pat has fallen in love with her older sister Grace’s boyfriend, the staid businessman Tony. When Grace takes up with playboy Billy Caldwell at the yacht club, causing a rift between her and Tony, Pat sees her chance. Acting on Tony’s advice to “get a personality”, she studies and spouts off familiar quotations and witticisms – which only leads to her family thinking she’s gone mad. It is not until she manages to arouse Tony’s jealousy that he discovers his real feelings for Pat … This fast-paced comedy provides a wonderful vehicle for Marion Davies’ effusive comedic talent. As a young flapper, she distinguishes herself with her funny antics and Chaplinesque extemporising. She demonstrates her range with impersonations of Hollywood divas Mae Murray, Lillian Gish, and Pola Negri, skilfully parodying their outmoded tragic style. The film was financed by Marion Davies’ patron, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and was the first of three King Vidor would make with her. Today, her appearance in The Patsy is counted alongside that in Show People as one of her best screen performances.
by King Vidor
with Marion Davies, Marie Dressler, Lawrence Gray, Orville Caldwell, Dell Henderson, Jane Winton USA 1928 English intertitles 84’ Black/White

With

  • Marion Davies
  • Marie Dressler
  • Lawrence Gray
  • Orville Caldwell
  • Dell Henderson
  • Jane Winton

Crew

Director King Vidor
Screenplay Agnes Christine Johnston
Story Barry Connors The Patsy (1925)
Cinematography John F. Seitz
Editing Hugh Wynn
Art Director Cedric Gibbons
Costumes Gilbert Clark

Produced by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. (Loew’s, Inc.) (A King Vidor Production. A Marion Davies Production)

Additional information

Print: Courtesy of Photoplay Productions, London, © 2005 Photoplay Productions

King Vidor

Filmography (selection)

1919 The Turn in the Road; Lost film 1925 The Big Parade (Die große Parade) 1928 The Crowd (Ein Mensch der Masse) 1929 Hallelujah 1934 Our Daily Bread (Der letzte Alarm) 1938 The Citadel 1940 Northwest Passage (Nordwest-Passage) 1947 Duel in the Sun (Duell in der Sonne) 1949 The Fountainhead (Ein Mann wie Sprengstoff) 1956 War and Peace (Krieg und Frieden) 1959 Solomon and Sheba (Salomon und die Königin von Saba)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020