The Vampire | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert G. Vignola |
Written by | T. Hayes Hunter Robert G. Vignola |
Starring | Alice Hollister Harry F. Millarde |
Cinematography | George K. Hollister |
Production company | |
Distributed by | General Film Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 38 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent film |
The Vampire is an American silent film drama, directed by Robert G. Vignola, based on the 1897 eponymous poem by Rudyard Kipling. It stars Alice Hollister and Harry F. Millarde. It is generally considered the first recognized film depicting the vamp character, also known as femme fatale. [1] [2]
Harold Brentwell moves to the city for a new job and meets Sybil, an adventuress. Harold is totally fascinated by Sybil and forgets his fiancée Helen but, actually, Sybil is a vampire who is going to ruin his life. He soon loses his job and becomes an alcoholic. Abandoned by the vamp, desperate and alone, Harold goes to the theater and watches the "Vampire Dance", depicting a man dominated by a beautiful woman who, eventually, takes his life putting the bite on him. Thus Harold understands his weakness and tries to redeem himself.
The Vampire was shot in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. [3]
The highlight of the production is the presence of dancers Alice Eis and Bert French performing their "Vampire Dance", inspired by Philip Burne-Jones painting The Vampire (1897). A still of the performance recreates the exact features of the painting. [4] "The Vampire Dance" was famous and controversial at the time in the American vaudeville circuit for its provocative poses, before it was documented as part of the film. [4]
On February 20, 1913 the dancers scandalised authorities with their number "Le rouge et noir" and were arrested on obscenity charges the next day, later freed on $500 bail each. [5] [6] Eis and French were paid $2,000 by the Kalem executives to immortalise the "Vampire Dance". [7]
The New York Dramatic Mirror wrote: "The acting of Miss Hollister as the adventuress in handling the different situations with the hero stands out. The director has carried detail to a fine point and very artistically. Photography good." [8]
The Moving Picture World stated: "It is well acted and in photography is, for the most part, above criticism." [9]
Previously considered to be a lost film, a print exists in the George Eastman Museum film archive. [10] It is cited as the oldest existing "vamp" movie.[ citation needed ]
An earlier film, The Vampire (1910), starring Margarita Fischer and produced by William Nicholas Selig is considered lost. [11]
1913 was a particularly fruitful year for film as an art form, and is often cited one of the years in the decade which contributed to the medium the most, along with 1917. The year was one where filmmakers of several countries made great artistic advancements, producing notable pioneering masterpieces such as The Student of Prague, Suspense, Atlantis, Raja Harischandra, Juve contre Fantomas, Quo Vadis?, Ingeborg Holm, The Mothering Heart, Ma l’amor mio non muore!, L’enfant de Paris and Twilight of a Woman's Soul.
Theda Bara was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname "The Vamp", later fueling the rising popularity in "vamp" roles based in exoticism and sexual domination.
A femme fatale, sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of literature and art. Her ability to enchant, entice and hypnotize her victim with a spell was in the earliest stories seen as verging on supernatural; hence, the femme fatale today is still often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, witch, having power over men. Femmes fatales are typically villainous, or at least morally ambiguous, and always associated with a sense of mystification, and unease.
Vamp most commonly refers to:
Robert G. Vignola was an Italian-American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later moved to directing, becoming one of the silent screen's most prolific directors. He directed a handful of films in the early years of sound films, but his career essentially ended in the silent era.
The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to Vitagraph Studios in 1917.
Harry F. Millarde was an American silent film actor and director.
Alice Hollister was an American silent film actress who appeared in around 90 films between 1910 and 1925. She is known for her roles in movies such as From the Manger to the Cross and The Vampire.
Alice Lake was an American film actress. She began her career during the silent film era and often appeared in comedy shorts opposite Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle.
A Fool There Was is an American silent drama film produced by William Fox, directed by Frank Powell, and starring Theda Bara. Released in 1915, the film was long considered controversial for such risqué intertitle cards as "Kiss me, my fool!"
Rosemary Theresa Theby was an American film actress. She appeared in some 250 films between 1911 and 1940.
Married Flirts is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Robert Vignola and starring Pauline Frederick, Mae Busch, and Conrad Nagel. The screenplay, written by Julia Ivers, is based on Louis Joseph Vance's 1923 best seller Mrs. Paramor. The drama was considered quite daring at the time as the story centered on husbands being lured away from their wives. One scene has well known Hollywood stars playing themselves at a party.
Her Better Self is a 1917 American silent drama film starring Pauline Frederick and Thomas Meighan and directed by Robert G. Vignola. It was produced by Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is now considered lost.
The Kerry Gow is a 1912 American silent film produced by Kalem Company and distributed by General Film Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Alice Hollister and Jack J. Clark in the leading roles.
Ireland, the Oppressed is a 1912 American silent film produced by Kalem Company and distributed by General Film Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with himself, Jack J. Clark and Alice Hollister.
The Shaughraun is a 1912 American silent film produced by the Kalem Company and distributed by the General Film Company. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with himself, Gene Gauntier, Alice Hollister and Jack J. Clark in the leading roles.
The Blue Flame is a four-act play written by George V. Hobart and John Willard, who revised an earlier version by Leta Vance Nicholson. In 1920, producer Albert H. Woods staged the play on Broadway and on tour across the United States. Ruth Gordon, the main character, is a religious young woman who dies and is revived by her scientist fiancé as a soulless femme fatale. She seduces several men and involves them in crimes, including drug use and murder. In the final act, her death and resurrection are revealed to be a dream. The production starred Theda Bara, a popular silent film actress who was known for playing similar roles in movies.
Margaret West was a Texan heiress, vaudeville performer and later radio hostess.
The Vampire's Trail is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and Robert G. Vignola and written by Benjamin Barondess, T. Hayes Hunter, Michael Potter and Robert G. Vignola.
Lillian "Billie" Brockwell was an early 20th-century American actress and scriptwriter.