Actress Marion Davies plays a prominent role in Citizen Kane. Davies is portrayed by American actress Amanda Seyfried in Mank.
In pop culture, Davies is best known for starring in late '20s movies such as Show People and Quality Street, and for being one of the most glamorous actresses of her time. The Mank storyline shifts between 1934 and 1940 as screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) navigates his way through Hollywood while battling alcoholism and attempting to secure new work. Davies initially meets "Mank" on a movie set, and subsequently introduces him to Hearst, portrayed by Charles Dance. The actress eventually discovers that Citizen Kane is loosely based on her experiences, and she unsuccessfully attempts to have the script changed.
When Citizen Kane released in 1941, Davies' movie career had already been over for several years. In the 1934 Mank storyline, she had recently starred alongside Bing Crosby in Going Hollywood and subsequently appeared in Operator 13 with Gary Cooper. Unfortunately, Davies' career was famously hindered by Hearst, who didn't allow his mistress to pursue comedic roles. She was also at the mercy of Hollywood executives who recognized that Davies' industry appeal had declined by the late '30s. In 1937, Davies starred in her final film, Ever Since Eve. She was 40 years old. Her long-time studio, Cosmopolitan Productions (which was owned by Hearst), closed down the following the year.
After Davies' movie career ended, she reportedly (via Davies decided to live on her own money from investments, and sold her inheritance to the Hearst Corporation for $1. Despite being a business-savvy woman, Davies struggled with alcoholism and later had a cerebral stroke in 1956. She was diagnosed with cancer three years later and ultimately ed away in 1961 at age 64.
Given the cultural impact of Citizen Kane, the rumors naturally affected Davies' reputation at the time of release and through the years. According to writer Gay Talese (via Mank, Fincher's storyline underlines the inherent power dynamics of '30s Hollywood and how someone like Davies could be blackballed by insiders, for one reason or another. Twenty-one years after Davies' death, Welles expressed regret (via YouTube) about his treatment of the actress in Citizen Kane:
“It seemed to me to be something of a dirty trick - and still strikes me as something of a dirty trick - what we did to her.”
