Marion Davies is actually funny in The Florodora Girl (1930)

Is this worth watching today? If you like Marion Davies or you have a soft spot for early talkies that feel a bit like a high school play, then yes. 🎬

People who hate old-fashioned singing and 'Gay Nineties' nostalgia should probably stay far away. It is very much a product of its time trying to be a product of another time.

I went into this thinking it would be a stiff, boring musical. It isn't, mostly because Marion Davies is actually a riot.

She plays Daisy, one of the girls in the famous Florodora show. Her friends are basically professional gold-diggers who want her to bag a millionaire. 💰

They keep telling her how to act and how to catch a guy like Jack Vickers. But Daisy is too much of a real person to follow the script perfectly.

The first thing you'll notice is the hats. My god, the hats are massive.

They look like they have entire gardens growing on top of them. I spent about five minutes just wondering how the actresses didn't tip over during the dance numbers.

The movie does this weird thing where it pretends to be 1890, but everyone still feels like they are from 1930. It’s a double layer of history that makes my brain itch a little.

Marion has this wonderful way of looking confused. Her comic timing is way better than people give her credit for, especially in the bicycle scene.

She tries to ride this old-timey bike and it goes exactly as well as you’d expect. It’s the kind of physical comedy that doesn't need a high budget to work.

I noticed a guy in the background of the picnic scene who was just absolutely destroying a sandwich. He wasn't even acting, he was just hungry.

It’s those little things that make these old movies feel alive to me. They aren't perfect and polished like stuff today.

The dialogue is snappy in places, thanks to writers like Al Boasberg. But it also has those long stretches where people just stand around a hidden microphone and talk about marriage. 🥱

I kind of checked out during the scenes with the 'society' family. They are all very boring and mean for no real reason other than the plot needs them to be.

Lawrence Gray plays the love interest, Jack. He’s fine, I guess, but he has the personality of a wet paper towel compared to Marion.

You can tell the movie was filmed right when sound was still a big headache for directors. Sometimes the actors move weirdly so they can stay near the mic.

If you've seen something like The Hope Chest, you'll recognize the light, airy vibe here. It’s not trying to change the world.

The big song 'Tell Me Pretty Maiden' is actually pretty catchy. I’ve been humming it for two hours and I hate myself for it.

Then there is the ending. It’s in Technicolor!

Well, the 1930 version of Technicolor, which means everything is a weird shade of pink and seafoam green. It looks like a hand-painted postcard that got left in the sun too long.

It’s beautiful in a blurry, ghostly way. It makes the whole movie feel like a dream about a time that never really existed.

I think the movie gets a bit slow in the middle when they start taking the romance too seriously. It’s much better when it stays a comedy.

There's a scene where Daisy gets stuck in her own dress that genuinely made me chuckle. It’s simple, dumb humor, but it works because Davies sells it with her eyes.

It is a shame she is mostly remembered as Hearst's girlfriend. She had real chops for this kind of stuff.

The supporting cast is okay, though Walter Catlett is a bit much. He’s like that one guy at a party who tries way too hard to be the center of attention. 🎈

I also spotted some weird editing. In one shot, a girl is holding a parasol, and in the next, it’s just gone.

Nobody cared back then, and honestly, I don't really care now either. It adds to the charm.

Overall, it’s a sweet, messy little film that doesn't overstay its welcome. It’s like eating a giant piece of cotton candy.

It’s mostly air, but it tastes good while it lasts. Just don't expect a masterpiece like Egri csillagok or anything heavy.

If you find it on a late-night broadcast or a dusty streaming corner, give it a look. Just for the hats alone.

Small things I noticed:

• The way the girls all tilt their heads at the exact same time during the songs.
• That one dog that looks very confused to be on a movie set.
• The sheer amount of lace. So much lace.
• How everyone talks like they are shouting at someone in the next room.

It’s not perfect. It’s a bit creaky. But it has a heart, which is more than I can say for a lot of modern stuff.