Theda Bara: A Biography of the Silent Screen Vamp, with a Filmography

by Ronald Genini

Despite being a mediocre actress with less than classic beauty, Theda Bara was one of Hollywood's leading performers in the early years of cinema. Her success was mostly due to Fox Studio's they made her a screen vamp and used her to titillate the public. And Theda Bara, ambitious and nearing 30 when she made her first film, enthusiastically played the role.

In real life, Theodosia Goodman bore little resemblance to the vampish Theda Bara character. But the studio-created persona, with the invented name, evil personality and fictional history, was a major star. Though her films were often trite, poorly acted, extravagant and crude, the public packed movie houses. But her film career ended once the public tired of the persona. Through contemporary newspaper accounts, film reviews, interviews and other sources, this is a comprehensive account of the life and times of one of Hollywood's first female stars.

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decisamente interessante: il primo esempio di attrice a cui gli studios hanno imposto nella vita quotidiana comportamenti coerenti con il personaggio in cui è specializzata nei film.
Donna per cui fu coniato il termine Vamp!
Una donna notevole che seppe avere una vita privata normale, non funestata dalla carriera cinematografica, sia nell'apice che nel fondo :D
Un buon libro che forse perdo troppo tempo nel raccontare i tanti film girati dalla donna sia in trama che regia e attori, cosa che avrei visto meglio come appendice.
Ora non mi resta che trovare i fuoi film più celebri e provare ad entrare nella mentalità di uno spettatore dei primi del novecento :D

[Beth Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genini's take on Theda Bara is acceptable, but one wonders if he was a little bored by his subject matter. Startlingly, he at times wavers between reverence and contempt. The filmography chapter is a little dry to read, but complete and a good reference for Theda's many lost films. I'll still recommend Eve Golden's Vamp over Genini's offering, but as there are few Bara bios out there, this is one fans shouldn't pass up.

[Kyle O'Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was alright. Truthfully, I liked the Eve Golden book more and would recommend it over this one. It wasn't bad, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as the other one.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this biography of Theda Bara better than the more popular Golden biography. I feel that Genini doesn't have an agenda and just sticks to the facts of her life, using a lot of primary sources (though not all necessarily reliable).

[Greta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pedestrian compared to Eve Golden’s book, has a few different points but also some factual errors. A very quick read