“Kiss
me, my fool!”
In movies today we do not really see a female character
that can be classified as a “vamp”. A vamp is a woman who used her sexuality
and manipulation to get what she wants. Maybe we do have them around today but those
types of women cannot compare to the vamps in classic films. They may not have
been as pretty or gorgeous as some actresses today but goodness gracious not
only did they know how to grab their men they knew how to grab the viewer’s
attention! When I hear the word “vamp” the first actress and film I think of is
Myrna Loy as Ursula Georgi in the great Pre-Code Thirteen Women. Before Loy became “the perfect wife” she was known for
her vamp roles and she was pretty darn good at them too. But before Loy and
several other actresses in the thirties and even the twenties, there was the
original vamp embodied by Theda Bara. Her first major starring role A Fool There Was launched her legend.
A diplomat named John and his family are on vacation at a
resort. At the same resort is a woman simply known as The Vamp (Bara). John’s
wife Kate and their daughter were out playing when the daughter’s ball rolled
towards the Vamp. Kate says something to her daughter about being near the Vamp
and the Vamp gets a little worked up.
The Vamp is down at the resort with her current victim. She
is tired of this man she wants someone with more money and sets her new plan of
attack on John. John is leaving for London for a month. Kate was supposed to go
with him but her sister has become ill. He is going to London on a ship and so
is the Vamp. The man the Vamp was with comes onto the ship before it leaves. As
he comes on board he is warned by another man that others have been ruined by
her and that two of them are still in prison. Their reunion is short lived; he
kills himself because she does not want to be with him anymore. All she does is
laugh and walk away.
John and his family are sad to be leaving each other for
what seems like such a long time.
As soon as the ship leaves the dock the Vamp makes her
move on John.
Two months have gone by and John has not returned home.
He is now in Italy happily in the arms of the Vamp. A couple John knows sees
him and the no good woman together in Italy and refuse to stay at the hotel.
Soon news of his affair spreads and his sister-in-law and friend Jack hear of
it.
Kate is finally told the truth about John’s affair by her
sister. The sister wants Kate to get a divorce but Jack tells her to stick with
him. In the meantime, John returns home with the Vamp and sets up residence
with her in a townhouse.
Eventually John turns to drinking. The Vamp goes out and
parties in a hotel room with her friends leaving John all alone. Kate wants to
go see him and try to convince him to come home. The Vamp hears about this and
rushes back in time to kiss John in front of his wife. Kate even tries to bring
their daughter to see him but the Vamp and drinking has become an incredible
weakness.
A
Fool There Was is a decent silent film. The story is alright and a little
dragged out. Theda Bara was by no means beautiful but just the way she looked
at men and the way she carried herself made her sexy. If I were a man I would
definitely had been in her clutches! A
Fool There Was is worth watching because it is one of only very few films
Theda Bara made that have survived.
A Fool There Was, was
made at Fox Studios in Fort Lee, NJ. I am currently completing my internship at
the Fort Lee Museum. The museum is not only dedicated to telling the story of
the community but of its important role in the history of film. If you live in
the area or live in New Jersey please come by and no matter where you live
please check out the Fort Lee Film Commission’s website and the Fort Lee Museum’s website. Currently there is an exhibit on the Barrymore Family and their
beginning in Coytesville, a section of Fort Lee.
No comments:
Post a Comment