▁Dav ies ▁was ▁the ▁# 1 ▁female ▁box ▁office ▁star ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 2 – 2 3 ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁enorm ous ▁popular ity ▁of ▁When ▁Kn ighth ood ▁Was ▁in ▁F lower ▁and ▁Little ▁Old ▁New ▁York , ▁which ▁both ▁ranked ▁among ▁the ▁biggest ▁box - office ▁films ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁Rel ations hip ▁with ▁William ▁Rand olph ▁H ear st ▁Publishing ▁mog ul ▁William ▁Rand olph ▁H ear st ▁and ▁Dav ies ▁lived ▁as ▁a ▁couple ▁for ▁dec ades ▁but ▁were ▁never ▁married , ▁as ▁H ear st ' s ▁wife ▁refused ▁to ▁give ▁him ▁a ▁divor ce . ▁At ▁one ▁point , ▁he ▁reported ly ▁came ▁close ▁to ▁marry ing ▁Dav ies , ▁but ▁decided ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁settlement ▁dem ands ▁were ▁too ▁high . ▁H ear st ▁was ▁extremely ▁je alous ▁and ▁possess ive ▁of ▁her , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁married ▁throughout ▁their ▁relationship . ▁L ita ▁Grey , ▁the ▁second ▁wife ▁of ▁Charlie ▁Chap lin , ▁wrote ▁four ▁dec ades ▁later ▁that ▁Dav ies ▁conf ided ▁with ▁her ▁about ▁the ▁relationship ▁with ▁H ear st . ▁Grey ▁quoted ▁Dav ies ▁saying : ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁H ear st ▁was ▁suffering ▁financial ▁revers als . ▁After ▁s elling ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁contents ▁of ▁St ▁Don at ' s ▁Castle , ▁Dav ies ▁sold ▁her ▁j ew el ry , ▁stock s