Lost Cleopatra: A Tale of Ancient Hollywood

by Phillip Dye

This is the story of Cleopatra, a motion picture made in 1917; how it was made, how it was received, how it was lost, and why its absence is such a tragedy. This is a true story, except for the parts that are not true.The tale involves different personalities who became involved in the production, including Ruth St. Denis, one of the founders of modern dance; Anne Haviland, the ‘famous psychic perfumist;’ Edward Bernays, ‘the father of public relations;’ Major Funkhouser, the powerful Chicago censor; and Topsy, the Army camel. However, the two dominant figures in the story of Cleopatra were its producer, William Fox, and its star, Theda Bara.

546 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2020

Reviews

[Beth Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For film that is, apparently, lost for all time, we silent film fans will eat up any well-researched content we can find! This book is a satisfying answer to the many "if only..." laments. Highly recommended.

[Keith M Altomare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

A great book telling me more about Bara and Fox beyond Cleopatra. Basically it felt like bonus material. Thank you Mr Dye

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The film is lost so this is the next best thing. Lots of photos and incredible research makes you long for Theda Bara's films to be found