La Reine des Césars

Like many of Theda Bara's film, the classic "Cleopatra" does not exist in print form. We can only remember it in stills and the written word. Theda (Born Theodosia Goodman, July 29 1885) was at the very height of her fame in mid 1917, she was as a big a star as Chaplin, Pickford or Fairbanks. Fox chose this time to star her in what would become her most successful and famous film. The film was shot during the summer of 1917, and released that October. This was to be the Cleopatra to end all Cleopatra's, which meant big name casting and lavish sets and costumes. The publicity for the film began in April 1917, stating that ancient prophecies predicted Theda would play Cleopatra! The film was directed by J. Gordon Edwards, and Thurston Hall played Antony. Theda was well cast as Cleoptra, they were both about the same age when the action takes places, and Theda wore the very skimpy costumes to a "T". Fox spent $50,000 on the sets, which included hundreds of rugs, tapestries and hangings. The production employed 30,000 people with actors, extras, carpenters, costumers, and crew, as well as 2,000 horses. The film opened on October 14th 1917 in Los Angeles, and it was so successful that Theda was cheered and pelted with flowers at the end of the film. Too bad we can't see this classic movie, we can only imagine how good it was. Pity.

Theda Bara debuted in "A Fool There Was" in the spring of 1915. The role as a female vampire propelled her to stardom, while the film made the term "vamp" synonymous with dangerous women the world over. Fox Studios promoted Theda Bara as the daughter of an Arab sheikh and a French duchess and claimed that she was born in the middle of the Sahara. In reality, her name was Theodosia Goodman, and she came from a lover-class, Jewish background in Cincinnati. One thing was true, though. Theda Bara was Hollywood's first genuine sex symbol.

Speaking of Hollywood: Theda Bara made all her first movies at the Fox Studio in New Jersey. But when it came time to film "Cleopatra," the company decided to move to new premises on the West Coast. Although no one knew it at the time, Hollywood would grow to become the "Movie Capitol of the World." And Theda Bara was very much involved in that process. With "Cleopatra" the young actress would leave an enormous mark on the development of modern cinema.

Starting up in Tinseltown, it was crucial for Fox to maintain the allure of its star. So, Theda Bara wore extremely lavish costumes in every scene. And the company spared no expense on the sets either. The Egyptian pyramids were re-created at Balboa Beach, while the city of Alexandria was built outside Venice, California. Even the screenplay was reasonably historically accurate - except for the touches of mysticism that people had come to expect from a Theda Bara movie.

Unfortunately, Fox Studios underestimated the fickleness of the movie audience. When "Cleopatra" premiered in 1917, the era of big-budget epics that began with "Intolerance" and "The Birth of a Nation" had just concluded. And that wasn't the only disaster that befell the production. In 1935, the Fox vaults in Little Ferry, New Jersey, were ravaged by a catastrophic nitrate fire. The company's entire collection of old movies, including "Cleopatra", was tragically lost.

Wearing a series of ludicrous and sexually arousing costumes, Egyptian "vamp" queen Theda Bara (as Cleopatra) forms ruling alliances and dalliances with Roman leaders Fritz Leiber (as Julius Caesar) and Thurston Hall (as Mark Antony). There are presently no known copies of this film in existence, the last having been destroyed by fire in the 1930s. The script, numerous photographs, and a small film fragment survive. The story served as a model for the 1963 "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor. Only a handful of Ms. Bara's films survive, with her "Cleopatra" being the most missed...

Bara rocketed to stardom with "A Fool There Was" (1915); her most widely seen film, it can most kindly be put in the "historically important" category. Bara was an immediate sex symbol. She remained one of the world's biggest box office draws through 1920, peaking in 1917 as a sexy alternative to wholesome favorites Mary Pickford and Marguerite Clark. The "Fool" formula was revisited for many Bara films, but success also afforded Bara an opportunity to essay classics like "Cleopatra", "Camille" and "Salome". Of all, "Cleopatra" would be an excellent opportunity to appreciate her appeal...

Contemporary reviewers noted the popular star's then standard "eye-rolling" performance with some kindness. In the surviving seconds of film footage, Bara's style appears better suited to costume drama. The production was also an "epic" of the time, with a huge budget. "The New York Times" called it an "uncommonly fine picture." Tantalizing further, their reviewer stated: "From a scenic standpoint, also, it is quite a triumph for the director. The Sphinx, the pyramids and a goodly section of Rome are duly duplicated, and the larger scenes are handled in a way that suggests D. W. Griffith."

****** Cleopatra (10/14/17) J. Gordon Edwards ~ Theda Bara, Fritz Leiber, Thurston Hall, Henri de Vries