The Vamps - Part 1

A Fool There Was....

Virginia Pearson: a 2nd string vamp with big props

When the flapper exploded into popular culture in the 1920s, women in film suddenly became more complicated. Before the woman of the 20^th century appeared, there were usually only 2 types of women depicted in film: the virgin or the vamp. The virgin was good, but the vamp was more fun.

The vamp of the silent screen was a vixen, a temptress and a heartless wench. The term “vamp” referred to Rudyard Kipling’s 1897 poem “The Vampire”

A FOOL there was and he made his prayer (Even as you and I!) To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair (We called her the woman who did not care) But the fool he called her his lady fair— (Even as you and I!) Oh, the years we waste and the tears we waste And the work of our head and hand Belong to the woman who did not know (And now we know that she never could know) And did not understand! A fool there was and his goods he spent (Even as you and I!) Honour and faith and a sure intent (And it wasn’t the least what the lady meant) But a fool must follow his natural bent (Even as you and I!) Oh, the toil we lost and the spoil we lost And the excellent things we planned Belong to the woman who didn’t know why (And now we know that she never knew why) And did not understand! The fool was stripped to his foolish hide (Even as you and I!) Which she might have seen when she threw him aside— (But it isn’t on record the lady tried) So some of him lived but the most of him died— (Even as you and I!) “And it isn’t the shame and it isn’t the blame That stings like a white hot brand — It’s coming to know that she never knew why (Seeing, at last, she could never know why) And never could understand!”

The poem was inspired by this Sir Philip Burns-Jones’ painting of The Vampire.

Allegedly, the inspiration for the woman was famed actress Mrs.
Patrick Campbell, who evidently broke the painter's heart

You can see she was a voracious creature – so unlike Lillian Gish.

As movies became the popular entertainment of choice, the vamp was shown in full flower – heartless, beautiful, a woman of the world who took what she wanted and moved on, leaving her victims broken and bowed.

There were many bad movie ladies in those early days, but 2 ladies notably pushed the vamp-meter to its highest level.

Theda Bara

Watch out!

Even today, the name of Theda Bara is associated with the vamp. Almost none of her films survive, yet the fame still persists.

Struggling actress Theodosia Goodman (of a proper Cincinnati family) landed the part of The Vampire in 1915’s “A Fool There Was” and her fame was sealed. Thankfully, this film does survive and even in the crude technology of the day, her absolute audacity shines through.  Compared to Mary Pickford, this gal was a handful!

Theodosia had changed her name to Theda Bara for the lowly movies (Bara being part of a family name Barranger), but by 1917 the sexpot’s allure was so great that the masterminds at Fox declared it was really an anagram for “Arab Death” and that his mysterious minx was born in the shadow of the Sphinx, possibly the daughter of an Italian sculptor or a Sheik and a French temptress. She was always to appear mysterious in public and never a just the American girl she was. And so the movie publicity machine was born.

Theda was a hot ticket at the box office from 1915 – 1919, when such blockbusters as Cleopatra and Salome wowed ‘em across the country. Once she left her home studio, Fox, in 1919, she couldn’t keep the momentum going. Being so heavily identified with the vamp, she founds non-vamp parts hard to come by. She tried the stage and a few minor productions, but the world of cinema had passed her by. The truth was, she probably wasn’t much of an actress, but she sure was a terrific movie star.

Sadly, all that remain from Theda's blockbusters are still photos that make the loss of such films especially painful. What would you give to see Theda in action as Cleopatra in these duds?

Theda married director Charles Brabin in 1921 and they remained married until her death in 1955. She always listed herself as available for employment until the day she died.

Nita Naldi

On the heels of Theodosia Goodman came Mary Dooley, better known as Nita Naldi. Nita was a lovely Ziegfeld Girl who, after a few minor films, made a splash in 1921’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with John Barrymore. She and Barrymore became great and lasting pals.

Nita really hit the big time when she was chosen to play Dona Sol in 1922’s Blood and Sand, starring opposite Rudolph Valentino. 

Although she was a New York gal, Nita exuded a continental and exotic appeal that a vamp required. She and Rudy had great screen chemistry and they went on to star in 3 films together. Nita became friends with Rudy and his wife, Natacha Rambova, but when they split, the friendship failed.

Nita as "The Cobra"

As quickly as her star rose, it fell at the end of the silent period. Nita never made a talking film. Unlike Theda, Nita was inable to secure a comfortable retirement. The Depression hit her hard, but she managed to find occasional work and some successes on the stage. She even coached Carol Channing on the ABCs of vamping for the 1955 Broadway musical "The Vamp."

The emergence of a more three dimensional feme fatale put an end to the reign of the vamp. Stars like Garbo, Negri and Dietrich offered the public a more complex woman of mystery. No more skulls and mysticism, but it was sure fun while it lasted.

Next up: The Silent Italian Divas: Vamping with a Vengeance! 

Classic Movie History Project: 1917 in Film: Vamps, Tramps and Box Office Champs

This post is my contribution to the Classic Movie History Project Blogathon, jointly hosted by Movies Silently (1915 - 1926), Silver Screenings (1927-1930) and Once Upon a Screen (1939-1950). Please visit each site for a roster of fascinating posts about your favorite movie year.

1917! 

97 years ago America entered the war raging in Europe, Mata Hari was arrested, the Russian Revolution took place, US suffragettes battled on for the right to vote  and Woodrow Wilson began serving his second term as US President. The entire world was in turmoil and the silent cinema offered an oasis of mirth, sentiment, comfort, and hot, steamy sex to American audiences.

Mary as Gwendolyn, the Poor Little Rich Girl

Box office queen and America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, starred in 2 of the year’s highest grossing films. Little Mary’s popularity in 1917 was unsurpassed. She was the perfect “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” (#2 at the box office for the year) and gave one of her very best performances as the “Poor Little Rich Girl,” which came in at #3 for the year.

Gwendolyn, the neglected little rich girl, gave Mary Pickford one of her most perfect roles. Anyone who thinks that she was a one-trick pony who imitated little girls needs to see Mary here at her best. It is impossible to deny her charm, her naturalness and her awesome star power. She was the greatest star and was loved, not only by American audiences, but by moviegoers all over the world. Such was the power of silent film.

Little Mary takes on the nasty Germans - and wins!

An interesting Pickford film from 1917 was "The Little American," directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Shown to American audiences just as the USA was entering World War I, the film was a tale of our American miss who is loved by both a German and French soldier, survives a torpedoed boat, is nearly raped by the loutish Germans and eventually saves the day. How could it miss? Outright propaganda, for sure, but America was entering the fray amid much protest and films like this greased the wheels.   

With Mary on our side, how could we lose?

While Mary Pickford was outwardly of the Victorian Age, she also embodied the spunk and independence that reflected the inevitable evolution and change in the American woman. Her little girl would definitely be wearing bloomers and picketing with the suffragettes.

 

The Vamp of the Nile - Hubba Hubba

The highest grossing film of 1917 was one that showcased a woman who emancipated herself. “Cleopatra” was the #1 box office champ of 1917 and starred the original vamp herself, Theda Bara, as that wanton woman of the pyramid set.

 

This Nile River humidity just kills my hair!

“Cleopatra” was a mega production. No expense was spared on the lavish sets and costumes (revealing and outrageous and, sadly, uncredited). The casting of Theda as Cleo was brilliant, as Theda’s carefully crafted image as home wrecker and insatiable love machine was a perfect fit for the temptress of the Nile.

Tragically, this and another tiny piece of footage is all that is known to survive of “Cleopatra.” The loss of such an important film highlights how much of the silent cinema has been lost. It is estimated that 75 % of all silent films have been lost to us forever (unless one happily turns up in some attic in the Balkans or somewhere as they have known to do from time to time). 

What I wouldn't give to see Theda in her many costumes!

One artist whose work thankfully survives is Charlie Chaplin.

Charlie ♥s Edna in "The Immigrant"

By 1917 Charlie Chaplin was already loved by the entire world. Both he and Mary Pickford enjoyed a global popularity during that time that remains unmatched. After serving his film apprenticeship with Mack Sennett, Chaplin moved on to Essanay in 1915 and then to Mutual in 1916, where he produced 12 of the most perfect comedies ever made for film. After treating the audience to "The Floorwalker", "The Fireman", "The Vagabond", "One A.M.", "The Count", "The Pawnshop", "Behind the Screen" and "The Rink" in 1916, he gave them "Easy Street", "The Cure", "The Immigrant" and "The Adventurer" in 1917. All co-starred his loveliest leading lady, Edna Purviance, as well as his perfect heavy, Eric Campbell, and Chaplin's loyal go-to character, Henry Bergman. Each and every one offered approximately 20 minutes of comic genius. Chaplin was on a creative and personal high (he and Edna were a romantic item at the time) and he called those years his happiest professionally.

Easy Street

Cop Charlie and Bully Supreme Eric Campbell

Chaplin's tramp takes the offer of a job as a police officer in the very dicey neighborhood of Easy Street after a quick conversion from thief to goodness by a lovely missionary (Edna, of course). Cops drop like flies there because the local toughs, lead by that burly bully, Eric Campbell, terrorize the population, but Charlie saves the day (and saves Edna from molestation with the help of a shot of cocaine in the butt). Love triumphs and, instead of his usual chaos, Charlie restores order for the good people of Easy Street.


The Cure

Chaplin's drunk takes the cure

In "The Cure," Chaplin abandons his Tramp persona in favor of the drunken swell, a part he had honed to perfection during his days on the stage. He arrives at a health spa (run by a physical wreck), in an effort to take "the cure." Instead, hilarity ensues as he drunkenly creates havoc in the gym, on the massage table and with a grouchy victim of gout (all while courting the the charming Edna). At last, he vows to sober up for her, but his stash of booze has found its way to the water fountain and the ladies love the new source of hydration!

The Immigrant

Charlie and Albert Austin share some beans

My favorite and justly famous. Charlie and Edna are steerage passengers on the way to a better life in America. Their passage is rough and they lose one another once they disembark and go their separate ways. A chance meeting in a cafe reunites them and an artist, who offers to paint Edna, changes their financial outlook. 20 minutes of film greatness includes the ironic corralling of the immigrants in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, a gem of a scene in the cafe involving beans and a surly waiter (played by the great Eric Campbell) and the lovely last scene of a rain-soaked Charlie and Edna on their way to obtain a marriage certificate.

The Adventurer

The PJs provided by Charlie's host have an uncomfortably
 familiar look to the escaped convict!

Chaplin's last Mutual is a delight. He is an escaped convict who happens into a rich man's party. Naturally, he woos the pretty hostess and annoys the host and generally causes total chaos. Chaplin has perfected the 2-reel comedy and the gags, the tone and the timing appear effortless.

While Hollywood was in its infancy and may more glory years were to come, the stars established during those early years had an unbelievable staying power. 97 years later the names of Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Theda Bara (incredibly, since so few of her films survive) are still known and their fame and art still has the power to awe anyone interested, not just in the history of film, but in the simple pleasure of entering the world of make-believe.

Stars for the ages

What stars of today will be rememberd 97 years from now?

Bitches and Blaggards: Theda Bara and Richard Widmark

This is the eighth in the "Bitches and Blaggards" series;  posts devoted to my favorite movie bad girls and rogues.  A bitch is a selfish, malicious woman. A blaggard is a villain, a rogue and a black-hearted man. Both are bad, both are devastatingly alluring. 

Theda Bara: Bad to the Bone

               

The original vamp, this bitch and bad girl was a sexually independent and unrepentant woman. No wonder we still love her!

The story of Theda Bara is well known: the demure Theodosia Goodman from Cincinnati Ohio is transformed by the Fox Studio Publicity Department into the screen's first sex symbol, a woman of exotic mystery whose name was an anagram for Arab death. Theda was the anti-Mary Pickford/Lillian Gish,  but the heavy perfume of the vamp was actually a breath of fresh air for her fans.

And boy did she have fans! Between 1915 and 1919 Theda was her studio's biggest star and in such extravaganzas as "Cleopatra" and "Salome," Fox spared no expense. Sadly, almost all of Theda's films have been lost. We are left with just a few glimpses of her allure in action and a boatload of enticing stills that only make what has been lost all the more painful.

A Fool There Was

This is the film that put Theda on the map as the vamp supreme. Thankfully, it is still with us. As the "vampire" who literally drains the life from her men, Theda, behind 1915 heavy make-up, is cool, purposeful and surprisingly pretty. She is a sexual predator who goes about her business with great focus.  It's not her fault that her victims are ultimately fools and oh so boring.

 

Those Photos: A reminder of lost treasure

All that remains of Theda's great epic "Cleopatra" are these few, tantalizing moments.

 Your work as been obliterated and still, Theda, we remain in awe of your power, your allure, your bad to the bone badness.

 Richard Widmark

                           

I admit I am a little conflicted about Mr. Richard Widmark. He was a fine and versatile actor, but every time I see him I just can’t get the image of giggling Tommy Udo pushing the old lady in the wheelchair down the stairs. Blaggards are supposed to be charming and bad, but Widmark, especially early in his career, was more psychotic and bad. Still, he could be a not-so-bad guy. He was awfully good looking, so he never had a hard time attracting the ladies. Now, if he wasn’t so darn good at being murderous….. 

Kiss of Death 

Widmark is horrifying and unforgettable. His performance as the menacing psychopath Tommy Udo is fearless. Shudder....

The Cobweb 

I’m including this film here, not so much for Widmark’s performance, but because this is a film about drapes. Granted, drapes as therapy in a mental institution, but still drapes. With a cast consisting of Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Grahame (terrific as always), Charles Boyer and Lillian Gish, this is a film where most of the inmates are saner than the caretakers. Widmark is handsome, but way too obsessed with the drapes.

In real life, Richard Widmark was one of the good guys. A man of peace who loved his ranch, Widmark got to show a much broader range as he aged, playing many a good and decent guy. But the thing I really liked learning about Richard Widmark was that, not only was he a movie star, he was, from an early age, a real movie fan. How nice for him that he got to fulfill his heart's desire. The Bitch and Blaggard of October: Glenn Close & Michael Douglas

What the Nitrate Gave Me: Life Lessons from the Silent Stars

Jennifer at Flappers Flickers & Silent Stanzas and I are swapping posts this week. She has graced "A Person in the Dark" with this wonderful article about Theda Bara. To read my post on Charlie Chaplin, swing on over to Jennifer's beautiful site at http://silentstanzas.blogspot.com/. Meanwhile, get your vamp on and read up on Theda!

It might seem odd to think of gleaning wisdom from silent film, but in learning about the stars, both on and offscreen, I’ve found a message that each can teach us. 

Part I – Theda Bara

It’s only proper to start with the woman who was my gateway into silents: Theda Bara, Miss Arab Death herself.  I discovered her while researching something else online; her dark eyes and smoky stare intrigued me.  Who was this mysterious woman?   Onscreen, as The Vamp, she chewed men up and spit them out without so much as a hint of conscience.  Her offscreen life was just as decadent and dangerous; her studio bio said she was “born in the shadow of the Pyramids”, and enjoyed surrounding herself with the exotic, the occult.  

One of my favorite stories comes from VAMP: The Rise and Fall of Theda Bara by Eve Golden.  It’s her first big interview for the press, and her hotel room is “draped in Egyptian trimmings, sprayed with perfume, and bedecked with lilies and roses”.  She answers their questions while lounging in velvets and furs, the very picture of foreign allure…until they all leave, and she runs to the window “gasping ‘Give me air!’ in perfect mid-American”. 

As most of you already know, Theda was just Theodosia Goodman from Cincinnati, a pretty but naturally quiet woman disposed to reading.  Everything about her public image was carefully constructed by the studios; not one scrap of her was genuine.  It was par for the course then, to invent a backstory to account for aspects in a performer’s life that they wanted to promote (or sometimes to hide), but Theda, being one of the first, was one of the most thorough cases.  Every word she said or step she took was scripted by Fox in order to preserve the integrity of her story. 

What I learned from Theda is to never let others define you.  She was not a bad actress!  She could’ve transcended her typecast vampire image, if only she had been allowed to be Theodosia and not a caricature of a type that became obsolete quickly.  Sure, it was successful for a while, but it wasn’t long before it swallowed her whole, exhausting her and leaving nothing left.   That’s no way to live your life.

So Ms Goodman, thank you for teaching me to always be myself.  It’s the most important lesson anyone could ever learn. 

If you would like to read more in this series, stop on by Flapper Flickers & Silent Stanzas at http://www.silentstanzas.blogspot.com/.

 

Theda Bara: What I Learned From My Jenny Craig Consultant

Theda checking in here.

Yes - I admit I was a little out of shape. I looked into the mirror one day and I was not especially pleased with what I saw..

Things were starting to expand, if you know what I mean. It was most distressing!

It is not easy being a Vamp. Vamping consists mainly of lounging about in revealing outfits and forcing my victim to stare into my eyes before I reduce him to a pile of mush. It does not leave much time for cardio training.  The only exercise I might get is from lifting a glass of champagne or a knife. And here's a little tidbit I bet you didn't know - Vamp victims are very fattening!.

I tried to diet, but the more I denied myself, the more I felt compelled to rip the flesh off of my victims and chow down right to the bone.

Self restraint is not a Vamp characteristic.

I then decided to take a cruise, thinking that the sea air might do me some good.

But, there were those fattening victims again.

 Another thing: besides always being hungry after "Vamping," I  long for a cigarette. A  lifestyle like this is just not good for a girl's health.

The state of affairs worried me so that I actually made myself sick. Can you imagine?

Being a modern, self-sufficient woman, I took a modern approach. I looked into my crystal ball and decided to take matters into my own hands. I bit the bullet, swallowed my pride and met with my Jenny Craig consultant. She showed me how to eat healthy, how to introduce exercise in my life and, most importantly, to accept myself for the beautiful woman I am.



Now look at me! I am Theda Bara and I am hot, hot, hot!

Thank you, Jenny, for putting a smile back on my face!* I am back on the Vamping beat again and am better than ever. Vamp victims, here I come. You know you can't resist my charms.

* I'd like to think that Theda would make a fabulous Jenny Craig spokesperson. She was one fabulous Vamp!