BEAUTY'S WORTH
starring Marion Davies
VARIETY
March 31, 1922
This latest Cosmopolitan (Famous Players) starring Marion Davies at the Rivoli this week will give Miss Davies' admirers plenty of opportunity to see their favorite in many costumes and poses, from a demure Quakeress to a flashing beauty in bathing attire. If that were the purpose of the story, it was kept well in mind by the director.
It is Miss Davies all the time, but she doesn't tire the audience, for with each change of dress, whether costume or gown, there is another angle to the Davies type, and in her bathing suit she is a peach from her pretty head to her pretty feet. "Beauty's Worth" shows more of beauty likely than any picture of the famous film star's has within memory.
The story is light, with a dramatic touch here and there. Prudence Cole (Miss Davies), the youngest of an old Quaker family of which remain only two maiden aunts, has been bred by her elderly relatives strictly within the Quaker limitations. When Mrs. Garrison (Truly Shattuck) and Henry Garrison, her son (Halam Cooley), visits the Whitney home, Mrs. Garrision's invitation to Prudence to visit her comes as a rift. At the Garrison home, though, Prudence is just Prudence, a nice little girl who wears a poke bonnet.
Hanging around the neighborhood is Cheyne Rovein, an artist (Forrest Stanley) with his heart in his art and a grouch in his mind against all society. The social set, aware of the artist's attitude, contrive to have Purdence request on their behalf that he stage charades for the society affair. The charades as presented are something of a novelty. Rovein has not been unmindful of the comeliness of Prudence hidden beneath the plainness of her garb. Hearing her sob she is painfully plain, so much so no one will look at her, and she wants one boy to look very hard (Henry), the artist consents, merely to bring out for his own artistic sense what the society folks have missed in the Quaker girl.
Her designed costumes and leading character of the charades cause the men about to fall over themselves in reaching Prudence first, with Henry in the van, until Rovein intervenes with his opinions and definition of love. Prudence asks Henry what he thinks of love, and after that it's all Rovein for Prudence. especially as the artist mentioned he liked her best in her Quaker dress. And as it thus end, Henry as nonchantly selects for his bride Amy Tillson (June Elvidge). another tupe of dark beauty in marked contrast to Miss Davie's fairness. That also marked Henry as a very versatile young man among the ladies.
No depth to this Cinderella-like tale (without the poverty). Just the blooming of a plain maid into a beautyiful young woman, but interesting in a way because of that, and no doubt quite appealing to all women. Miss Davies seems to have a special appeal to women. If it's not direct, it's a discussion as was heard at the Rivoli Sunday between a couple of igrls nearby who talked it over wherther Marion Davies is as beautiful as they say she is. It had not been decided by the time the picture ended, but that's the best kind of personal publicity.
Some of the captions carry laughs through glib comment, with the same spirit of the freshness of youth prevailing. "Beauty's Worth" is neither big nor small, but a first class Marion Davies program release, and especially good for Mis Davies through her large part in it, the wholly capable support and the magnificent manner in which the picture has been produced.
BEAUTY'S WORTH
starring Marion Davies
PHOTOPLAY
June 1922
Marion Davies cast as a little Quaker maiden who blossoms out, via a charade, as a quite surprising beauty - is lovelier than ever. If there are weak places in her acting, one scarcely notices them because of her blonde prettiness. The story is commonplace - but it is pretty, too, in a weak way. Forrest Stanley, June Elvidge, and Halam Cooley are in the cast. An extremely family film.