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Post by petrolino on Aug 20, 2017 1:36:39 GMT
Theda Bara"Long before Mae West, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlowe, and Madonna vamped their way across the silver screen, there was Theda Bara—the original celluloid “vamp.” Born Theodosia Goodman on July 22, 1890, in Cincinnati, she was the daughter of Bernard Goodman, a Jewish tailor from Chorsel, Poland, and Pauline Louise Françoise de Coppet, who was Swiss of French descent. Bara had an older brother named Marque and a younger sister named Lori. At age eighteen, she decided to become an actor and moved to New York City. Seven years later, she became known throughout the country as the sex goddess of the silent screen. Between 1915 and 1919, she starred in forty films as a deadly seductress, ushering in the age of the “vamp,” a word that came to be used as both noun and verb. In movies with such titles as Sin, Destruction, The Serpent, Salome, and Cleopatra, she played exotic and wicked characters who lured helpless men to their ruin."
- Susanne Wasserman, Jewish Women's Archive
"Frequently photgraphed with snakes and skulls, Bara represented the essence of evil sexuality on screen and maintained her machine-made exoticism off screen as well. Second only to Chaplin and Pickford in popularity during the WWI period, Bara was picked apart by critics, who either proclaimed her the greatest actress of her age or the worst."
- Turner Classic Movies
   "What I didn’t know — or perhaps forgot — was the extent of the hoodwink at the center of her career. I’d assumed that, much like, say, Nazimova or Pola Negri, she was an exotic foreign female from Eastern Europe or someplace. But, no. While her father was indeed a Polish Jew, Theda herself was a straight-up American girl from Cincinnati. Naturally, the movie flacks of her day put out quite different, more colorful stories about her background, that she was an Egyptian princess or something, and maybe I subconsciously swallowed that over the years. But, no, she’s much more like one of my favorite vaudevillians, Olga Petrova, a big (huge) delightful, imaginative invention, a projection, a fantasy. I love it so much when the pretend spills out beyond the stage and screen to create another dimension in the real world. Technology makes it harder to accomplish, but I think some occasionally manage. Bara even had a couple of regular old, quotidian years at the University of Cincinnati! She did some local theatre, then moved to New York, where she appeared in the play The Devil in 1908 using the pseudonym Theodosia De Cappet. She then barnstormed with touring stock companies, returning to the New York area in 1914."
- Trav S.D., 'Theda Bara : The Screen's Premiere Vamp'
“Irma Vep,” the title of the film within the film, is the head villainess in Les vampires, her name an anagram of “vampire,” who rules a gang of thieves who prey exclusively on the rich. Played in the original serial by Musidora — a deft, dark-haired stage and music-hall performer who did all her own stunt work and whose plumpness, like that of Theda Bara, virtually defined female beauty in the teens — the character is identified mainly by the black tights and black mask she wears when slinking down corridors and fleetly escaping over rooftops. (Her costume — and much more in Les vampires — inspired the look of such later fantasy-adventures as The Phantom and Batman.)"
- Jonathan Rosenbaum, 'Irma Vep : Life Intimidates Art'
"Theda’s “vampire” character in A Fool There Was ushered in the word – and idea – of the vamp. Two years later, in 1917, she played the title role in one of the great lost films of motion picture history, Cleopatra (Of course, 2017 is the centennial of that movie). By 1920, Theda Bara’s motion picture career was mostly over. Theda’s relatively short time in films belies her incredible productivity while working, however. She made about one movie every six weeks while working for the Fox Film Corporation in the mid- and late-1910s, for a total of about forty four films (She made two film appearances in the 1920s). Tragically, ninety percent of these are now lost, victims of a 1937 Fox film vault fire, inadequate movie preservation methods, and the naturally combustible and fragile nature of early nitrate film stock. Overall, 70% of American silent films are lost."
- Oliver Sheppard, 'Theda Bara : Centenary Of An American Vampire'
"Unfortunately, Theda isn't the star who has it the worst off as far as missing work goes. There is the sad story of another vamp, Valeska Suratt. The only thing that remains of her 11 or so films are photo stills that were taken on set. I will cover her in her own entry, but I wanted to note how tragic it is that none of her films survive. It would have been pretty cool to see her at her best on film, in all her outrageously amazing and beautiful vamp glory."
- Jessica Keaton, Silence Is Platinum
"Theda was well versed on all religions. However, closest to her heart was her crystal ball, the Ouija Board, Tarot Cards and the spirits around her. She felt that her karma was from a former life. Theda was a very quiet, reserved and well-educated individual."
- Joan Craig, author of 'Theda Bara, My Mentor: Under The Wing Of Hollywood’s First Femme Fatale'
Theda Bara
Theda & her Mahjong opponents
Tony Curtis, Theda Bara & Piper Laurie
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Aug 20, 2017 14:41:44 GMT
I've seen two of her films, A Fool There Was (1915) and The Unchastened Woman (1925), enjoyed both. Wish East Lynne (1916) would be released on DVD, even though it is said she was badly miscast in the film.
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Post by petrolino on Aug 20, 2017 19:46:47 GMT
I've seen two of her films, A Fool There Was (1915) and The Unchastened Woman (1925), enjoyed both. Wish East Lynne (1916) would be released on DVD, even though it is said she was badly miscast in the film. It's great you saw 'A Fool There Was', right from the start of her career in movies. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected this film for preservation in the National Film Registry. |
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Aug 20, 2017 19:57:04 GMT
I've seen two of her films, A Fool There Was (1915) and The Unchastened Woman (1925), enjoyed both. Wish East Lynne (1916) would be released on DVD, even though it is said she was badly miscast in the film. It's great you saw 'A Fool There Was', right from the start of her career in movies. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected this film for preservation in the National Film Registry. Wish I could see more with her. Apart from the two films I mentioned the only other thing of hers available is Madame Mystery (1926), a comedy short that marks the end of her film career. It's on YouTube, but I checked the opening minutes and the picture quality is poor (too much digital compression). |
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Post by snsurone on Aug 21, 2017 15:51:00 GMT
What's sad is that most of her films are now lost.
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Post by teleadm on Aug 22, 2017 17:58:45 GMT
I was surpriced to see her in that photo with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie, since I thought she disappeared into obscurity. It would have made more sence if it was Janet Leigh, since then it could have been connected with the Houdini movie from 1953, and she maybe could have been called in to be some sort of consultant, as the real Houdini acted in a few movies. Then I found this picture from 1937:  1937, at a Basil Rathbone masquerade party. Reversing roles, as her husband playes the vampire, and she the vampire's bride. |
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Post by petrolino on Aug 25, 2017 21:45:46 GMT
Then I found this picture from 1937: 1937, at a Basil Rathbone masquerade party. Reversing roles, as her husband playes the vampire, and she the vampire's bride. Wow, nice find. Thanks. |
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Post by petrolino on Aug 26, 2017 10:17:07 GMT
It's possible that Creighton Hale and Theda Bara made their debuts around the same time; both appeared in 'The Stain' (1914), and according to online filmographies, both made their big screen debuts in 1914.
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Post by teleadm on Aug 26, 2017 15:27:28 GMT
I've only seen Creighton Hale in The Cat and the Canary 1927, it was showed on a commercial (!!!!) Tv channel one night many years ago, and it was absolutely fantabulous. Directed by Paul Leni, no less. It also showed that comedy works best if the story has a serious background and plays it straight. Empty big house, fabulous creepy cinematography, many mysterious guests gathered.  Flora Finch, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Laura la Plante, Arthur Edmund Carewe (girl in background, no idea) |
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Post by Doghouse6 on Aug 26, 2017 17:13:57 GMT
I've only seen Creighton Hale in The Cat and the Canary 1927, it was showed on a commercial (!!!!) Tv channel one night many years ago, and it was absolutely fantabulous. Directed by Paul Leni, no less. It also showed that comedy works best if the story has a serious background and plays it straight. Empty big house, fabulous creepy cinematography, many mysterious guests gathered. Flora Finch, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Laura la Plante, Arthur Edmund Carewe (girl in background, no idea) That's Gertrude Astor in the background, whom I remember best (other than from this film) as Oliver Hardy's unsuspecting wife in the 1931 short Come Clean, in which Ollie tries to keep her from finding out about blackmailing "bad girl" Mae Busch. |
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Post by teleadm on Aug 26, 2017 17:22:24 GMT
I've only seen Creighton Hale in The Cat and the Canary 1927, it was showed on a commercial (!!!!) Tv channel one night many years ago, and it was absolutely fantabulous. Directed by Paul Leni, no less. It also showed that comedy works best if the story has a serious background and plays it straight. Empty big house, fabulous creepy cinematography, many mysterious guests gathered. Flora Finch, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Laura la Plante, Arthur Edmund Carewe (girl in background, no idea) That's Gertrude Astor in the background, whom I remember best (other than from this film) as Oliver Hardy's unsuspecting wife in the 1931 short Come Clean, in which Ollie tries to keep her from finding out about blackmailing "bad girl" Mae Busch. Thanks for the information! _01.jpg) Love that Wig or hairdo, Gertrud Astor |
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Post by Doghouse6 on Aug 26, 2017 17:40:22 GMT
Love that Wig or hairdo, Gertrud Astor Here she is in Come Clean, realizing what Ollie doesn't yet: that his attempt to pretend they're not home when Stan comes calling is already doomed to failure (and in a considerably more subdued hairstyle; all those curls might have clashed with that wild wallpaper).  |
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Post by teleadm on Aug 26, 2017 17:51:30 GMT
You are right! that is absolutely awfull Wall paper!!! or as Ollie used to say: Another fine mess...
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Post by petrolino on Aug 26, 2017 20:44:32 GMT
I've only seen Creighton Hale in The Cat and the Canary 1927, it was showed on a commercial (!!!!) Tv channel one night many years ago, and it was absolutely fantabulous. Directed by Paul Leni, no less. It also showed that comedy works best if the story has a serious background and plays it straight. Empty big house, fabulous creepy cinematography, many mysterious guests gathered. I love that movie so much. Paul Leni was phenomenal. I think Creighton Hale has a touch of the Harold Lloyds about him in 'The Cat And The Canary'. |
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Post by Doghouse6 on Aug 26, 2017 21:25:35 GMT
A touch of Harold Lloyd, yes; cross-pollinated with Harry Langdon, it's always seemed to me. |
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Post by petrolino on Aug 26, 2017 21:58:37 GMT
A touch of Harold Lloyd, yes; cross-pollinated with Harry Langdon, it's always seemed to me. He had a baby face. I remember seeing him dressed as a baby in a movie and he really looked liked a baby. |
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