Consequently, a retroactive myth soon developed that Davies was "not a great actress and the films she made were not among the more impressive or profitable releases." By the time of her prolonged death from cancer, Davies was erroneously depicted in press obituaries to have been an extremely mediocre and unpopular actress during her lifetime. However, contrary to the retroactive myth that Davies' films were neither popular nor profitable, most of Davies's films made money, and she remained a popular star for most of her career. She was the #1 female box office star of 1922–23 due to the enormous popularity of "When Knighthood Was in Flower" and "Little Old New York", which both ranked among the biggest box-office hits of 1922 and 1923, respectively.