eder er , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Dav ies ' ▁sister ▁Re ine ▁Dav ies . ▁ ▁The ▁D our as ▁family ▁lived ▁near ▁Pro spect ▁Park ▁in ▁Brook lyn . ▁The ▁sister s ▁changed ▁their ▁surname ▁to ▁Dav ies , ▁which ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁sp otted ▁on ▁a ▁real - est ate ▁agent ' s ▁sign ▁in ▁the ▁neighborhood . ▁Even ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁New ▁York ▁was ▁the ▁mel ting ▁pot ▁for ▁new ▁imm igr ants , ▁having ▁a ▁British ▁surname ▁greatly ▁helped ▁one ' s ▁prospect s — the ▁name ▁Dav ies ▁has ▁Wel sh ▁orig ins . ▁ ▁Edu c ated ▁in ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁convent , ▁Dav ies ▁left ▁school ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career . ▁She ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁ch orus ▁girl ▁in ▁Broadway ▁rev ues ▁and ▁mode led ▁for ▁ill ust rat ors ▁Harrison ▁Fish er ▁and ▁Howard ▁Ch and ler ▁Christ y . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁Dav ies ▁was ▁signed ▁on ▁as ▁a ▁featured ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁Z ieg feld ▁Fol lies . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁After ▁making ▁her ▁screen ▁debut ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁mod elling ▁g own s ▁by ▁Lady ▁D uff - G ordon ▁in ▁a ▁fashion ▁news re el , ▁she ▁appeared ▁in ▁her ▁first ▁feature ▁film ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁Run away ▁Rom any . ▁Dav ies ▁wrote ▁the ▁film , ▁which ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁her ▁brother - in - law , ▁prominent ▁Broadway ▁producer ▁George ▁W . ▁L