Tillie the Toiler (1927 film)  Tillie the Toiler is a 1927 American silent film comedy produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and released through Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios. It is based on Russ Westover's popular comic strip "Tillie the Toiler". The film was directed by Hobart Henley and stars Marion Davies. It was remade under the same title in 1941. In her 24th film, Marion Davies starred as the scatterbrained Tillie Jones, which was based on the famous comic strip. Davies donned a black wig for the part and remembered that she worked on this film while she was also working on The Red Mill. She recalled that for six weeks, she had to sleep on a couch in her bungalow. This was another hit film for Davies. Although filmed in Hollywood, Lucille Ball always claimed she had a bit part as an extra in this film. Ball was only 16 years old and was still on the East Coast. Yet Ball always claimed Davies as one of her role models. The only known print exists at the Eastman House Museum in Rochester, New York.