CLEOPATRA (1917) SILENT FILM WITH THEDA BARA

Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog may remember my fondness for silent movies.

CLEOPATRA (1917) – Born Theodosia Goodman in Cincinnati, OH on July 29th, 1885, Theda Bara was the first monumental “man-eating”, femme fatale sex symbol in American cinema. It was inevitable that she would portray one of history’s most notorious women. Only part of this film has survived, and the story is a mix of various accounts of Cleopatra’s activities.  

Cleopatra is covertly brought to Julius Caesar (Fritz Leiber Sr.) wrapped in a carpet and seduces him. The pair plan to conquer the known world, but Caesar’s assassination prevents this. A plot to kill Cleopatra herself is formed within her own court, but Pharon (Albert Roscoe), the designated assassin, succumbs to his love for her instead.

Pharon even permits Cleopatra to loot the treasures from the tombs of his ancestors and she uses this wealth to travel to Rome, where she entices Marc Antony (Thurston Hall) to come with her back to Egypt. Their affair is interrupted when Antony is summoned back to Rome to marry Octavia (Genevieve Blinn).

Pining for Cleopatra, Marc Antony arranges for the queen to have her navy rendezvous with his own forces at Actium to oppose Rome, but the lovers are on the losing side of the resulting battle. They flee to Alexandria, where Octavius Caesar and his troops capture them.

Marc Antony dies in Cleopatra’s arms, and, before Octavius can have the Egyptian queen dragged behind his chariot, the lovesick Pharon smuggles an asp to our heroine, who uses it to kill herself.

FOR MANY MORE THEDA BARA FILMS CLICK HERE.

FOR SARAH BERNHARDT’S SILENT MOVIES CLICK HERE.