▁faced ▁the ▁har sh ▁reality ▁that ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁forty , ▁she ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁play ▁the ▁young ▁hero ines ▁or ▁mad c aps ▁as ▁in ▁earlier ▁films , ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁play ▁supporting ▁roles . ▁Dec ades ▁after ▁Dav ies ' ▁ret irement ▁and ▁death , ▁however , ▁the ▁cons ensus ▁among ▁some ▁critics ▁is ▁more ▁appreci ative ▁of ▁her ▁efforts , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁comedy . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁re ass ess ment ▁Due ▁ost ens ibly ▁to ▁damage ▁done ▁to ▁her ▁reputation ▁by ▁Cit izen ▁K ane , ▁Dav ies ▁has ▁been ▁largely ▁ignored ▁by ▁film ▁critics ▁and ▁histor ians . ▁But ▁a ▁recent ▁re ass ess ment ▁of ▁her ▁work ▁has ▁come ▁about ▁via ▁broadcast ▁of ▁her ▁films ▁on ▁Turner ▁Classic ▁Mov ies ▁and ▁the ▁release ▁on ▁DVD ▁on ▁her ▁silent ▁films ▁like ▁When ▁Kn ighth ood ▁Was ▁in ▁F lower , ▁Beaut y ' s ▁W orth , ▁The ▁B ride ' s ▁Play , ▁En chant ment , ▁The ▁Rest less ▁Sex , ▁April ▁Fol ly , ▁and ▁Bur ied ▁Tre asure . ▁This ▁new ▁avail ability , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁The ▁Sil ent ▁Films ▁of ▁Mar ion ▁Dav ies ▁by ▁Edward ▁Lor us so ▁have ▁allowed ▁for ▁a ▁better ▁assess ment ▁of ▁Dav ies ' ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁actress . ▁Despite ▁the ▁legend , ▁most ▁of ▁Dav ies ' s ▁films ▁made ▁money ▁and ▁she ▁remained ▁a ▁popular ▁star ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁her ▁career . ▁Indeed ,