The Times We Had : Life with William Randolph Hearst (Mass Market Paperback)

by Marion Davies (Author), Orson Welles (Foreword) "I was born in 1905..." (more)
Key Phrases: pony ballet, circus party, New York, San Simeon, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The was the unofficial empress of Hollywood and she spent a lifetime as the mistress of one of America's richest men. Gathered from tapes recroded a decade before Marion Davie's death, read, in her own words, the story of a fantastic and glittering life, as never told before.


From the Publisher
THE book chronicling the high times in San Simeon. Don't even THINK about going to visit the amazing Hearst Castle before reading this one! It made MY trip (and my companions) much richer.
-Mark Bloomfield, Ballantine Sales

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (March 12, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034532739X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345327390
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #187,533 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great summer reading for film fans. , June 27, 2005

By	C. Gilbert "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Honestly, I bought this book for the photographs. Having suffered through any number of star autobiographies I was expecting the book itself to be nothing more than at best a guilty pleasure. It was a pleasant surprise to find The Times We Had refreshing, engaging and moving.

In the summer of 1951, Davies began recording her memories of life with Hearst on tape. The book was not published during her lifetime and is a fairly literal transcription of the tapes (with some-- occasionally very odd-- editorial comments). The diction of the book is particularly striking. I suppose this is because it is really captured Davies spoken words. So often in ghost-written celebrity autobiography you have a strange blandness that makes it sound like a poor magazine article. By contrast, even though the book is not written in the most professional way, it has a strong feeling of immediacy and authenticity.

Davies can be astonishingly blunt, and makes no attempt to make herself look better or to filter the events of her life. For example, there is one eyebrow-raising moment where she discusses how disappointed she had been that she did not get to meet Hitler. She had met Mussolini and clearly thought that it would be really cool to meet Hitler as well. This is not the book to read if you are looking for political reflection or self-examination in the context of world events.

That said, it is really hard not to like the Marion Davies of the book. There is a very nice practical energy to her voice that is both refreshing and interesting to read. Anne Lindbergh once said that of all the people surrounding Hearst, she found Davies the most stable. After reading this, I get a sense of what she meant.

As noted, the editorial presence is a little strange. Pfau and Marx are enthusiastic about Davies, but slightly random. The book is published with a foreword by Orson Welles in which he sets out to prove that Marion Davies is not Susan Alexander Kane.

The Times We Had would be great summer reading for a film fan, or for someone looking for something a cut above the typical airplane book. It should also be of interest to people with an interest in Hearst biographical detail.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marion Davies was a "funny girl.", September 1, 1999

By A Customer

I love it when I find a book that can make me laugh out loud. This one did/does. I get it out and read it again sometimes when I need a pick-me-up. I can see why "WR" loved her. Her childlike sense of fun, her love of animals, her loyalty to friends, just to name a few. Her loyalty and devotion to "WR" would stand out at a time when he was in dire financial straits. Also, this book is interesting in that it gives us a glimpse of the golden era of Hollywood. There are serious moments in the book, but overall it is light-hearted and amusing. She wasn't really shallow or an air-head. The girl just liked to have fun!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable look inside Marion's private world, May 30, 2005

By	MrsSchmidlapp (Hollywood, California) - See all my reviews

There have been a lot of terrible things said about Marion Davies. She was not just a mistress. She was a talented actress and a very generous person. This book is Marion's real story told in her own words. There isn't anything scandalous in this book but Marion does reveal a lot about her career, her famous friends, and her life with William Randolph Hearst. There are also dozens of photos from Marion's private collection. If you are a fan of Marion or are curious to learn more about her you need to buy this book.