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In the fledgling cinema industry of the 1910's, the "vamp" female archetype came to the fore. The vamp was a character who was powerful, fearsome and put men under her spell through her sexual gravitas. This was in direct contrast with another popular female archetype of the time; the ingenue, who included popular proponents such as Mary Pickford. In 1915 there would emerge a vamp who would make the role popular on a scale never seen before - Theda Bara.
Theda Bara: The Enigmatic Vamp
In 1915 the film A Fool There Was appeared in American theaters, which featured Theda Bara in her first role as a vamp. Fox used unconventional ways to market it; at a press conference for example, they told assembled journalists the actress was a French-Italian women who was "raised in the shadow of the Sphinx". Theda played along with glee, as she wore black clothing with dark eye shadow, and also posed with skeletons in publicity photos.
The vamp's popularity coincided with the suffrage movement in the USA. It was no coincidence that the strong independent vamp archetype became popular as women fought for more rights. In the 1910's girls and women who copied Bara's dress and mannerisms were called baby vamps.
Theda Bara was in actual fact Theodosia Goodman, a tailor's daughter from Cincinnati. She would legally change her name to Theda Bara in 1917, which at last made the fiction a reality. She was 29 years old at the release of A Fool There Was and, because of ageism being so prevalent in Hollywood, she shaved off about 5-7 years and told press she was 24 years old. Many were fooled, illustrated by how many sources from the time continued to give her incorrect age. There was considerable pressure on female stars to diet and look a certain way as well, but Theda fought against that. As she said, "I have no use for people who don't like food. I enjoy it so much myself."
One thing she was well known for was her searing gaze. She was nearsighted though, and before a scene was filmed she would go around the room to touch the furniture, to be sure where everything was situated. Theda had a love for literature, and became one of film's early female screenwriters, when she wrote the script for her 28th film, The Soul of Buddha.
The film star made about 40 films at a tremendous pace over a four year period (1915-1919). She was Fox's biggest star and saved the studio from bankruptcy. Although she was paid well, she became fatigued as the years dragged on and the work didn't challenge her as an actress, because she was typecast as the vamp, and that is what the public always demanded from her.
The theater was where Theda Bara had started as a thespian, and she returned to Broadway in 1920 with the production Blue Flame, which drew large crowds, but was hated by critics. In 1921 the film star married British director Charles Brabin, and only appeared in two more films, The Unchastened Woman in 1925 and Madame Mystery in 1926, then seemed to retire.
Theda's personality was quite different from her public persona; by all accounts she was a quiet person who enjoyed staying home and reading, and in comparison with her Hollywood contemporaries she led a scandal free life. Theda and Charles chose to remain childless (which was unusual for that time) and they remained married for 34 years, when the silent screen star passed away in 1951, as a result of stomach cancer.
Only four of her films have survived, in part because of the disastrous 1937 Fox vault fire, which destroyed many silent films. Her influence can still be seen in the modern femme fatale role and even in goth culture.
Thank you for reading!
In the fledgling cinema industry of the 1910's, the "vamp" female archetype came to the fore. The vamp was a character who was powerful, fearsome and put men under her spell through her sexual gravitas. This was in direct contrast with another popular female archetype of the time; the ingenue, who included popular proponents such as Mary Pickford. In 1915 there would emerge a vamp who would make the role popular on a scale never seen before - Theda Bara.
Theda Bara: The Enigmatic Vamp
In 1915 the film A Fool There Was appeared in American theaters, which featured Theda Bara in her first role as a vamp. Fox used unconventional ways to market it; at a press conference for example, they told assembled journalists the actress was a French-Italian women who was "raised in the shadow of the Sphinx". Theda played along with glee, as she wore black clothing with dark eye shadow, and also posed with skeletons in publicity photos.
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| Theda Bara in A Fool There Was (1915). |
Theda Bara was in actual fact Theodosia Goodman, a tailor's daughter from Cincinnati. She would legally change her name to Theda Bara in 1917, which at last made the fiction a reality. She was 29 years old at the release of A Fool There Was and, because of ageism being so prevalent in Hollywood, she shaved off about 5-7 years and told press she was 24 years old. Many were fooled, illustrated by how many sources from the time continued to give her incorrect age. There was considerable pressure on female stars to diet and look a certain way as well, but Theda fought against that. As she said, "I have no use for people who don't like food. I enjoy it so much myself."
 |
| Theda Bara in a scene from Under Two Flags (1916). |
One thing she was well known for was her searing gaze. She was nearsighted though, and before a scene was filmed she would go around the room to touch the furniture, to be sure where everything was situated. Theda had a love for literature, and became one of film's early female screenwriters, when she wrote the script for her 28th film, The Soul of Buddha.
The film star made about 40 films at a tremendous pace over a four year period (1915-1919). She was Fox's biggest star and saved the studio from bankruptcy. Although she was paid well, she became fatigued as the years dragged on and the work didn't challenge her as an actress, because she was typecast as the vamp, and that is what the public always demanded from her.
 |
| Theda Bara in Blue Flame (1920). |
The theater was where Theda Bara had started as a thespian, and she returned to Broadway in 1920 with the production Blue Flame, which drew large crowds, but was hated by critics. In 1921 the film star married British director Charles Brabin, and only appeared in two more films, The Unchastened Woman in 1925 and Madame Mystery in 1926, then seemed to retire.
Theda's personality was quite different from her public persona; by all accounts she was a quiet person who enjoyed staying home and reading, and in comparison with her Hollywood contemporaries she led a scandal free life. Theda and Charles chose to remain childless (which was unusual for that time) and they remained married for 34 years, when the silent screen star passed away in 1951, as a result of stomach cancer.
 |
| Theda Bara and her husband, Charles Brabin. |
Only four of her films have survived, in part because of the disastrous 1937 Fox vault fire, which destroyed many silent films. Her influence can still be seen in the modern femme fatale role and even in goth culture.
Thank you for reading!
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