The Washington times., 1922-09-16
MARION DAVIES
W|CCLES TOES
At HENRY VIII
when knighthood Was In
Flower" Makes History Live,
Says Alan Dale.
BY ALAN DALE,
Noted Dramatic Critic)


NEW YORK, Sept. 16.-Marion
Davies wiggled her bare toes at
Henry VIII of England, and Eng
lish history gasped! If English
history could possibly take
cognizance Of the magnificence OF
when Knighthood Was in Flower
at the Criterion Theater, 1t would
gasp some more. But / said
Marion. Davies wiggled her bare
toes at Bluff King Hal.
You may think that a somewhat
frivolous start for review or one
Of the most opulent films-Iu
make 1t THE most opulent film
/ have ever seen. II / were worthy
and historical and everything I'm
not, I'd expatiate by the column on
the wonderful pictures OF old Eng
land, the marvelously instructive
visions of the relentless old tower
the pomp and circumstances-as
we'll as stomach-of Henry VIII;
the splendor and coruscant glory
of the coronation scene, where
Mary Tudor becomes the most un-
willing bride of French Louis; the
stirring incidents. the battles and
the brawls; the quaintness OF the
manners and the tremendous re-
search that must have been made
before this priceless film could have
been given to the public.
Such q Bed.
You see Il was like this: Henry
was pestiferously anxious for the girl
to wed senile Louis, and Mary was
copiously in love with Charles Bran
don. So Henry came to see recalci-
trant little sister whilst she was in
bed. Such a bed! Such bed clothes!
Such scintillancy! But Mary Tudor
cared not rap for II all. she
slipped sideways from the gorgeous
bed and wiggled her bare toes. Henry
was absolutely appalled,. He Called
her either a hussy or a wanton.
You see I have to mention THIS
apparently unworthy subject. 1t
throws a light on the singularly
amusing character Of Mary Tudor,
as portrayed by Miss Davies. Mary
was a vamp, a siren. a spittire. a
vixen. a cajoler, persuader. she
was something Of a hoyden. an in
genue, and a willful little mink. That
was ia mink!
And in the picture you see how
she gets her own way, and gets II
good! But she had to work. Miss
Davies certainly rose to the capital
occasion. In one episode, attired in
a sort Of Rosalind doublet and hose.
she had regular out-and-out sword
fight She rampaged over the scene.
She lunged at her opponent; she
ran him to corners; she raced and
romped, and she was the very quin-
tessence OF pep. Gone were the
languor and the elegance" that she
injected into her regal moments.
Cling valiantly for the man she
loved, and doing II most realistically.
I'll venture to say that II the six
wives had possessed one spark Of
the devil:ry that Miss Davies used
to impersonate his mere sister, Eng
lish history would have been written
differently. Oh, that poor Cath.
arine OF Aragon! Oh. the miserab bic
beheaded Anne Boleyn. And oh. the
four other victims Of Henry's per
fidy!
II ugly old Anne Of Cleaves had
only known enough to wiggie her
bare toes at Henry VIII!
when Knighthood Was in Fiow-
cr" sets a new pace for pictures. The
mere cast looks like a list of all the
available stars. and every role was
played with wonderful results. I owed
the Bluff King Hal of Lyn Harding.
and the work of young Ernest Glen
ring. / loved them all. They were
50 historical, so instructive, 20 hu.
man and 30 unlike the must OF the
library. They lived.