A melodrama featuring a Fool, wealthy diplomat John Schuyler (Edward José) who falls under the spell of a "woman of the vampire species" (Theda Bara), abandons his wife and yellow-ringleted daughter, sojourns in Italy, returns to New York, and dies a mere husk of a man. It is never clear how the Vampire attracts and holds menit must be sex and drink and perhaps some other unspecified unauthorized pleasures, because her victims seem both drunk and hypnotized and, in the end, suffering from alcoholic dementia. Theda Bara is not especially glamorous here, at least not by our standards 90 years later, but the signals are right: she assumes the body language of a harlot, hipshot, head thrust forward, and she moves aggressively on some occasions and sinuously at others. In the opening scene she stands draped in silk in a dark room, shredding a bouquet of roses and laughing. Moreover, throughout the film her costume is always powerfully different from that worn by other women. In an early scene she appears in a summer resort, where all the other women wear white or light-coloured clothing, loose-fitting, with soft lines. She wears a black and white vertically striped satin sheath skirt and a fitted black jacket, and a dark hat with a big feather, and her eyes are heavily shadowed. Schuyler's wife "cuts" her, standing right next to her but not acknowledging her existence, and the Vampire swears revenge. Obviously her costume represents darkness contrasting with innocence, but the contrast hasn't aged well, so she appears overdressed rather than exotic. The concept of the movie comes from a Kipling poem, "The Vampire," which appears in fragments in the intertitles. She is first and foremost the woman "who does not care," and who attracts fools, uses them up, and discards them, laughing. Things do not end any better for Mr. Schuyler then they did for her previous victims.
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funkyfry10 October 2002Theda Bara in her classic role as the "vamp" (even the movie calls her a "woman of the vampire variety" or something like that) plays up to various millionaires, ruining their lives. One man is happily married, but the appearance of Theda always draws him back -- literally (and very theatrically) right in front of his wife! Bara's performance is good; she often uses her whole body (especially her formidable shoulders) to play a scene, in a style which though a bit overdone is very refreshing in a 1915 film, as I'm sure it was for the audiences.
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A Fool There Was (1915) wasn't Theda Bara's first film (The Stain (1914) holds that special honor), but it was her first lead role. It also, I think, sets the template for every other role she played and her entire persona. I say that I think, because while I am familiar with Theda Bara the legend, A Fool There Was is the first and only Theda Bara movie I've watched. Will it be my last? A Fool There Was, directed by Frank Powell and produced by William Fox, centers around The Vampire (Theda Bara) and wealthy lawyer John Schuyler (Edward José) who falls under her seductive spell. In pursuit of this (apparently) irresistible piece of tail, he leaves his loving wife and cherubic child, ruins his successful career, and destroys his health. I believe there's a moral in this story, but it's hard to sympathize with any of these characters. As the wronged wife, Mrs. Schuyler (Mabel Frenyer) just comes off as a self-righteous, judgmental martyr and Schuyler seems too easily swayed by another woman to be as devoted to his wife as the title cards might lead us to believe.
Of course, none of that matters. The real attraction in A Fool There Was is Theda Bara herself. I was prepared to be disappointed by her, mostly because of the disappointment of others. Despite being the designated first sex symbol of the silver screen, the original Vamp as it were, and one of the highest paid actresses of her day, very few of Theda Bara's films exist. Out of more than 40 films, complete prints of only six of her movies remain. While silent film fans will wring hands over the lost Cleopatra, based almost solely on the astounding still photos of Bara in character, the quality of her surviving works suggests it may be no tragic loss.
In A Fool There Was, Theda Bara is confusing to me. She is certainly magnetic, much more so than any of her screen mates. But is she the soul stealing Vampire that the script calls for? I don't think so. Theda Bara was no beauty. She is sensual, with the soulful eyes, fleshy physique, and full lips of a sex pot, but there's a certain vulnerability about her that makes the role an ill fit. In one scene, The Vampire dances about the deck of a steam ship after having driven one man to suicide and just before seducing her next chosen victim. As she swans about, Theda Bara actually makes eye contact with the camera once or twice, and generally looks uncomfortable with all the shimmying. As any good Vamp can tell you, you got to own that stuff and Theda Bara looks like she left the tags on so she could return it if it didn't work out.
Of course, Theda the Vamp is a construct, perhaps one of the earliest examples of a complete movie marketing package. Born Theodosia Burr Goodman, she was really just a good girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. Producer William Fox saw something there, however, and set about constructing an exotic, mysterious persona. She was rechristened Theda Bara, she grew up in the shadows of the Great Pyramid, and came to Hollywood via the French stage, and she was encouraged to discuss the occult and mysticism. Flip through a few publicity shots of her and you'll find snakes, skulls, skeletons, and all manner of occult paraphernalia. She was also costumed in very revealing – keep in mind this is the silent era – get ups. It all added up to sensation.
To see more pictures of Theda Bara, visit my Facebook Photo Album.
For me, in looking at publicity photos of Theda Bara, I still see someone who isn't quite sure about what she's doing there in a snake bra, holding a skull. Theda Bara has large, lovely eyes that even an excess of kohl can hide, and more often than not she's confronting the camera head on. But it's not the mystery of the seductress I see there, but rather a certain confused innocence. There's something tragic in those eyes, and that tragedy is born out by the typecasting that began with A Fool There Was. The Vampire became the Vamp, synonymous with Theda Bara herself.
She did try to branch out of that mold and work on more serious roles. But Theda Bara was worth too much as a wanton woman, and she never really launched that dramatic version of herself. After marrying film director Charles Brabin in 1921, Theda Bara retreated from the spotlight. Hers was a popularity that probably wouldn't not have survived the harsh trials of the late 20′s and early 30′s, but she got out while the getting was good. What we're left with is A Fool There Was and a handful of other vamp roles to judge her by. This movie is worth checking out to see the wicked woman in action. Then you can tease the hype from the reality for yourself. -
Snow Leopard2 September 2004There's no question about its imperfections, but "A Fool There Was" is still an interesting melodrama, and it also looks better when considered in the context of its era. The pacing and storytelling are often uneven, but they are not too bad for a time when everyone was still learning how to tell a feature-length story on film. Theda Bara's performance is sometimes exaggerated, but it also contains some very effective moments, and it's not hard to see why she was something of a phenomenon for a time.
The story is relatively simple, with Bara as a 'vamp' who enters the lives of a respected statesman and his family. In general, the story works rather well, resisting the temptation to resort to anything forced or showy. It's driven solely by the strange power that Bara's character can acquire over good-natured but weak-willed males. Similar stories have been used in recent movies, but usually with the addition of a lot of extraneous or indecent material that adds nothing of genuine value.
To be sure, only someone who already enjoys silent movies will be interested in this one. Within just a few years, film-makers would learn many better and more efficient ways of setting up and telling a lengthy story. Bara is also the only performer here whose performance is of particular interest. But there is more than enough here to make it worth seeing if you like the silents. -
Cineanalyst10 October 2009"A Fool There Was" is mostly of interest for being one of the few surviving films to star Theda Bara. In her films, reportedly beginning with this one, Bara provided an archetype of the vampire, or vamp, character: an irresistibly attractive woman who seduces and destroys men. It's similar to the later femme fatale and other siren types which have existed in art for ages. Bara, director Frank Powell and the other filmmakers receive credit for introducing it to cinema.
Unfortunately, this film doesn't really show much of how the vamp manages to so fully seduce her male victims--subjecting them to what would seem a hypnotic state based on their actions. There's a brief sequence where she flirts with and entices Schuyler on a ship, and then the film cuts to "2 months later", where he is then fully under her spell. I suppose, she is supposed to be just that sexy. The transformation of Schuyler is especially dramatic, as he eventually becomes a withered, convulsing alcoholic--seemingly decades older in appearance than he was just a few months ago. (The makeup and costumes, for a melodrama, are good overall, additionally in respect to Bara; Hopkins' outfits for her, if no longer in style, remain eye catching.)
Outside of Bara's vamp, the film is a rather uninteresting melodrama. There's also some comic relief provided by the Schuylers's daughter playing with her butler. One of the major strengths of "A Fool There Was", however, is in crosscutting between the plots, characters and locations. The photoplay moves along at an appreciatively quick pace as a result. Editing--crosscutting--is also used to avoid staging a couple violent scenes. The editing is a bit choppy in places, though some of it is probably due to missing frames. The photography isn't bad for 1915, either, including a couple nice sunset shots near the beginning of the picture.
On Bara, her acting isn't overly dated. She's attractive and does have a screen presence, which makes it easy to see why she became a star back then. Among her few other surviving films, "The Unchastened Woman" (1925) has been available on home video, too.
(Note: There is constant speckling and some scratches, but the Killiam restoration is very good.) -
AlsExGal26 December 2010Theda Bara's films are practically all lost due to a vault fire at Fox in the 1930's. This is the only commercially available film of hers that I am aware, and I found it interesting even if somewhat flawed.
Bara herself is terrific as "The Vampire" and she is so in both known meanings of that word. She seems to be irresistible to every man she sets her sights on while draining them of life or any will of their own. As she sets her sights on wealthy lawyer John Schuyler, we see a beggar in the street who apparently was one of her past victims, and in the present there is young Reginal Parmalee who seems to think of nothing but winning Bara's character back. Nobody seems to be able to pull it together after she's crossed their path. To make her more of a seemingly supernatural dehumanizing force she is given no name - just "the woman".
The best part of this film is her performance and that of Edward Jose as Schulyer. The man literally ages before your eyes and goes from a vital man in the prime of life to a frail looking alcoholic who appears to be in his 60's as he falls prey to "the woman".
What is not so good is that some of the subplots are a bit confusing. In particular, there is quite a bit of correspondence going back and forth between Schulyer, his wife, and his employers, and the letters are shown but the writing is so faded it is difficult to read unless you stop the film and take time to look at the frame. Even then I couldn't make out some of the writing. Also, there are very few title cards, and when one finally does appear it is usually quite verbose. Finally, there is lots of time spent with Schulyer and his wife and child at home before he ever meets "the woman". This is obviously present to show how good Schulyer had it and what it was he was throwing away for a temporary thrill, but it just goes on a bit too long.
However, overall I enjoyed it and it will keep you guessing up to the end exactly what is going to happen. -
I've been frequenting YouTube a lot lately in order to search for various movies I'd like to see that happen to be in the public domain (and many that aren't that haven't been taken off). Many of these movies are shown in segments that last little more than ten minutes each though there are some exceptions like this one that was shown in its one hour, seven minute entirety. It's one of the few surviving films of Theda Bara who is a pioneer as an alluring sex symbol of the movies. Here she likes to take happily married rich men and play with their emotions for the fun of it. Having said all that, while I found Ms. Bara's vamping pretty entertaining near the end, the first 30 minutes of A Fool There Was almost put me to sleep since that time mainly concerned the man she was fooling with's family. It probably didn't help that many messages that were shown on screen were mainly blurry. So for that, I'd only recommend A Fool There Was for any silent movie buff out there. P.S. This is the one with the famous inter-title card "Kiss Me, You Fool!"
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jethrojohn8 July 2023Theda Bara plays The Vampire in this early film about a man who gets whisked away from his loving family by a seductress.
This isn't a brilliant film, I have to admit. A lot of it doesn't quite work so well.
I'll start with Bara, who is the main reason to watch. As soon as she appears on-screen, you get an idea of why she was such a star.
A fabulous presence throughout, she sells her role so well with the little things. Like how, when a man pulls a gun on her, she smiles at him, her body showing no fear whatsoever. Instead, she taunts him, and we don't need titles to tell us this.
It's a terrible shame so much of her work was lost. And that Hollywood was so awful to her, for her talents could surely have made her a star - had the studios been willing to help her instead of dropping her immediately.
As for the rest of the film, it is messy, at best. None of the other actors are very good. They seem on the level of very amateur dramatics, and you can hardly tell what they're doing, were it not for the inter-titles.
The direction and staging is almost non-existent, with overcrowded, messy shots that don't convey any emotion. It gives the whole film the feel of a home movie someone shot, interesting only for the period which it is in.
I realise a lot of this can be put down to how early the film is. The crew were still coming to grips to with the technology, and they would learn fast.
There are a few really well composed shots, but they are not in service of anything. They're there to look pretty.
Bara manages to take control of the screen when she's on it. Holding attention and actually acting with her entire being, much like Lon Chaney used to do. No one else in the cast does this.
The wife is ineffectual. The brother is just a man. The sister an idiot that falls out of a car for some reason I still don't quite understand.
All this leads to a somewhat listless film. Any scene in which Bara is absent may as well be skipped, for it is either of the wife being sad or the child playing with the butler. Visual storytelling is wholly absent.
All in all, see it for Bara alone, but don't be surprised if the rest of the picture doesn't live up to expectations
I also find it entertaining how The Fool is ostracised from society for having a mistress, when I am sure that he would be perfectly fine. A rich man taking a mistress would hardly have led to his servants quitting or a decline in his social standing. His wife and mistress would surely have suffered, but the man would have been fine. -
wes-connors4 January 2011Exotic seductress Theda Bara (as "The Vampire") learns happily married Edward Jose (as John Schuyler) will be sailing for Europe on a business trip. Deciding to entrap the wealthy man, Ms. Bara secures herself on board his ship. When Mr. Jose's sister-in-law May Allison falls to illness, wife Mabel Frenyear (as Kate) decides to stay home with cute little Runa Hodges. On board, this gives Bara free reign over Jose. A glimpse at Bara's bare ankles fills him with desire, and he succumbs to her wiles. The month-long trip doubles in length. Apparently, Jose is addicted to the sex and drugs provided by Bara. She may destroy his life
This film was "inspired" by Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Vampire" (1897), which could conceivably be about what we now call a "vampire". But, the word has a different meaning; here, "The Vampire" (or "vamp") was a female who possessed an irresistible sexual command. Allegorically, it's all about sex; however, "A Fool There Was" is unimaginative in that regard. Nevertheless, this stilted sex drama introduced someone new, and was a big critical and commercial success. Bara became a major movie star, appearing in the lower half of the "Top Ten" lists in "Motion Picture Magazine" and "Quigley Publications" from 1916-1921.
**** A Fool There Was (1/12/15) Frank Powell ~ Theda Bara, Edward Jose, Mabel Frenyear, May Allison -
planktonrules24 May 2010This film is an archaic morality tale--and probably seemed pretty dated even when it debuted in 1915. While stories like this were pretty common in the day, the film is structurally pretty old-fashioned--with less a narrative style and more like a string of vignettes. Too often, scenes were described first by inter-title cards and then the scene was acted out for the camera--a technique common about 1900 but pretty much passé by 1915. In addition, a very moralistic poem by Kipling was included as narration though it came off as preachy and unnecessary. Overall, the whole thing just seemed very, very obvious and way too melodramatic to be of interest today.
"A Fool There Was" is the story about a respected businessman who has a loving wife and daughter. You know this is true because too many times, the camera cut away to an idealized scene of the young daughter doing not particularly anything--it's just there to reinforce, yet again, how precious she was. Despite this and a very important diplomatic appointment, the man is an utter slave to the wiles of the evil vamp, played by Theda Bara. In fact, her 'vampire' routine was a bit ridiculous as you see a string of men who she has personally destroyed with her dangerous and amoral sexual appeal. One is now a homeless man, one kills himself and the focus of this tale becomes a raging alcoholic--all leading credence to the silly stereotype of 'the other woman'--to which a man cannot resist. Despite the film saying he was a good man with a good family, he was actually a total jerk and got what was coming to him! In fact, that's about the only thing I liked about the film--at the end there was no miraculous conversion and return to his family--something that happened too often in other films of this type. Overall, the film is obvious and a horribly dated...and you wonder WHAT Miss Bara had that was so gosh-darn appealing to audiences of the day. Like milk, this film has not aged well. -
rudy-4629 December 1999This is a wonderful early cinematic gem that we are fortunate to have survived. The strong screen presence of the legendary Theda Bara is its greatest attribute. I don't think her talent gets the recognition it deserves and this is sadly due to the fact that this and one other film, 1925's "The Unchastened Woman" actually survive to my knowledge. Ms. Bara was the ultimate femme fatale and this is clearly seen in this film, her first starring role. Her film career was relatively short and many of her films were the tragic result of deteriation that so many of the early nitrate films were subject to. This makes film preservation a very vital movement so that many movie icons, such as Ms. Bara can be preserved for posterity.
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jldmp120 November 2006Watching this today is akin to taking a trip in a time machine. That is, to a time when a snub or a peccadillo had serious social consequences, when an exposed ankle was suggestive and daring, and when the presence of an assertive, sexualized vamp had power to shock us.
Sadly, however, this scores low on the scale of cinematic value; whatever luster it once had isn't evident today.
The story itself is a simple, if lurid, morality play, and nothing more. The intertitles are designed to lead us to the inevitable "see what happens!" conclusion. Nowadays, we expect a bit of irony, a degree of ambivalence.
Likewise with the cinematography...all quite straightforward storytelling, with no narrative games. The filter color changes don't denote anything. In short, this is a depleted asset. -
Jamie-5816 June 1999Considering that 1915 was the year of "Birth of a Nation", it is interesting to see what else passed as entertainment for cinema goers that year. "A Fool There Was" is probably the equivalent of your average Sharon Stone epic; lurid, melodramatic and utterly irresistible. This was a star making vehicle for Theda Bara, and though her style seems as remote as the ice age, one can clearly see the strength of her persona. Her appeal to 1915 audiences must have been profound.
The film is primitive even by silent standards. Close ups are stinted upon, the direction is rudimentary. Alone in the cast Bara is worth watching, though I suspect it gives but a glimpse of her full powers. Good fun, if hardly profound entertainment. -
dogk30 June 2007A Fool..was shown several years ago late at night on AMC. I found it interesting for the Oldness of it, and for a chance to try to figure out what Bara actually looked like on screen, especially facially, since about all we usually see of what she looked like comes from photos of her in weird Vamp makeup. She appeared to have a somewhat weak chin in profile and a pointed nose, and it was hard to guess her real age. From some photos of her in a website of old movie stars she could appear "pretty" from certain angles. She seems to have worked hard to bring the role of a heartless vamp to life on film, making it even more sad that we have so little now for being able to see what she could do in front of a movie camera.
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JohnHowardReid15 December 2017Going really back into time -- to 1915, to be exact -- Theda Bara's "A Fool There Was" made a great deal of hay at movie box-offices, and it can now be purchased from Kino Video in a nice, 8/10, color-tinted print which has -- alas! -- little else than its tints to recommend it. Except, of course, curiosity value.
Miss Bara's chubby, sexless, matronly "vampire" wouldn't attract a fly, let alone a high-flying statesman.
The direction is not only dull but jerky. I thought at first these odd jumps near the end of nearly every scene were caused by print deterioration, but I now believe they were contrived either deliberately by the editor or in an inadvisable brainwave by the director, in a fruitless effort to speed up the extremely languid, slow-moving, all-too-predictable narrative.
Despite its great fame, the movie, alas, is virtually a total wash-out. -
scsu197519 November 2022One of the few existing Theda Bara films, this comes off as silly today. Bara's character is billed as "The Vampire," which is appropriate since her acting bites ... but then, I could say that about everyone in the cast.
The film begins with what looks like somebody's home movies, and then the semblance of a plot begins. Bara has already led some guy to a ruin, and when he and she are aboard ship, he ends up blowing out what is left of his brains. This happens between scenes, so we see him point the gun to his head, and then a few scenes later, he is lying on the deck. So Bara moves on to a character billed as "The Husband," who is also on board. He is a diplomat headed for England (and ruin, of course). Scenes cut back and forth between his hapless wife and child in America, and he and Bara having a good time overseas. Eventually he loses his job, and ends up hitting the bottle. When he croaks, Bara drops some flower petals on his carcass.
I don't see the sex appeal of Bara. Her outfits are very strange; one consists of striped pants and a Robin Hood-type hat. Nothing she wears is the least bit alluring, unless in 1915, these outfits were considered racy. "The Husband" is played by Edward José, who was only about 35, but looks twice that, even before the makeup guys worked on him to make him looked aged. His acting makes Bara look like Meryl Streep. He spends some time on the floor and crawls down a staircase on his stomach - now that's real acting folks. Perhaps the best scene in the movie occurs when he and Bara are riding in a car, with some horse-drawn carriages on the same street. You don't have to look hard to see the horse manure. -
dutchie8929 December 2005A pity for this is only one of a few films left of the icon Theda Bara. Theda was a true madame who knew how to act. The film is not with Theda in a leading role. Although the movie to me is completely about miss Theda. Especially the scene where she truly convinced everyone she was a vamp. The scene where she convinces 'the fool' that she does not discard him but that she just took a ruse to test his love. But later on when he is gone she takes a wallet full of money. Another scene that draws attention is when Theda take a few flowers and crumbles one of them to dust. I truly enjoyed this classic and I surely tell you all to also see this masterpiece.
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Theda Bara, she of the weird publicity ('born in the shadow of the Sphinx, etc.), was a dynamic personality and a true screen femme fatale, and we're lucky that this, perhaps her best known film, has survived. She also portrayed Cleopatra and others but that work can no longer be seen.
'A Fool There Was' presents Bara as a woman who brings madness and ruin to the men in her life, as we watch them go headlong to their destruction while under her spell. The bulk of the story presents her romance with a middle-aged millionaire she meets on a cruise, where a scene with a lounge and grapes soon establishes their relationship. No matter that he has a wife and young daughter at home; he is completely in thrall to this modern vampire.
Yes, it was made in 1915 so certain allowances have to be made regarding the filming and acting, but at this time in the story of cinema techniques were getting more sophisticated, and in Bara a sexy and appealing star was born. 'A Fool There Was' showcases her perfectly. -
Weaselsarefree6 April 2012First off, allow me to begin by stating the importance this film holds in for cinematic history. Theda Bara was one of, if not the first American actresses who could accurately be described as a seductive sex symbol. Images of her that still exist, are still memorable in the American zeitgeist, especially those of which come from the few remaining fragments of her later lost film Cleopatra. Unfortunately, however, of the nearly twenty films she would be a part of, and despite her legendary status, only two of her films still survive. A Fool There Was, is one of those films. On this alone, this film is worth watching simply to view a great early American actress who unfortunately had her filmography destroyed. Theda Bara apart, this film is still amazingly good.
The seductive plot is more common today, but in 1915 it would have been amazingly revolutionary. A seductive vampiress (Bara) lures in men and sucks all the life force from them, except that which keeps them dedicated to her. One man in particular, John Schuyler (Edward José) becomes the focus of the Vamp's obsession after his wife offends her. Eventually, he leaves his family to become essentially what amounts to a junkie, who's only desire is to remain with the vamp.
The film enjoys several revolutionary features which would later become standards in the more edgy films of the future. Foremost, Bara's strong femme fatale lead is impressive to see in a film from 1915. Apparently the famous line, "Kiss me, my fool," caused quite a stir for 1910s audiences. Additionally, the film enjoys a fairly non-static camera, unlike the fairly motionless camera angles which existed in the pre- Intolerance era, which give the viewer a much better view of the world that these events are taking place in. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the film results in no resolution and leaves the viewer wondering who truly is the protagonist in this film.
My only real gripe with the film is that the viewer is introduced to other people who were also seduced by the vamp, we however only get to see them after their undoing. I think the film would have benefited from some flashbacks which showed these men while under the vamp's spell. This, however, is my only major critique. And after all, a film that makes you beg to know more can't be that bad of a film.
A fool there was certainly is among of the best American pre-Griffith era films, even if it was right in the cusp of the releases of such titles as Intolerance and Birth of a Nation. My only real disappointment is that there are so few Theda Bara films left to view, A fool There Was at least leaves an idea of what other Bara films may have been. I am certainly under the Bara's spell, and you should be too. Highly recommended. -
xan-the-crawford-fan1 August 2021This film holds the honors for being the oldest film I have ever seen, although Tillie's Punctured Romance, which was released a year earlier and stars Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin and Marie Dressler is on my list.
I actually quite liked this film and would watch it again. Theda Bara is good, and I can watch her (seen all her surviving films other than East Lynne, which is not available to the public as far as I can tell), but Pola Negri stills holds the honors of being my favourite screen "vamp".
But back to Theda Bara. Her acting isn't as dated as some of her contemporaries (the aforementioned Mabel Normand would be one of them), but she kind of acts rings around the rest of the cast- they were mostly background noise. Maybe because we know Theda as "Oh, it's a shame all her films are lost! We must preserve EVERY SECOND OF THEDA WE HAVE LEFT." For the record, one of Theda Bara's contemporaries (who was a vampire at the exact same time as her), Valeska Suratt, has no surviving feature films. At all. Nada.
This film is very moralistic, but it is odd in that the vampire character doesn't seem to get any punishment for her sins. If the film were made even a decade later, she would probably get killed off, taught a lesson, or been forced to marry the guy, or have been driven out of town by the local folk.
There's no creative use of camera angles, no CGI, no sex, no blowing up stuff, no blood, no cussing, no sound, and it's in black-and-white, so my fellow young people will hate it and probably not want to watch it. But I think that you should, even for curiosity value.
Also, get a load of Theda's striped skirt. -
konstantinosdim-601482 June 2020Theda Bara is ichoniiiic. The movie it is OK for her time,,
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Michael_Elliott21 September 2010Fool There Was, A (1915)
*** (out of 4)
John Schuyler (Edward Jose) is the luckiest man in the world as he has great friends, a wonderful wife, money and a young child who loves him. However, on a cruise he happens to get seduced by "The Vampire" (Theda Bara) and he's willing to give it all up for her deadly poison. While watching this film I had to keep reminding myself that this was made in 1915 because on a technical level it looks years earlier. There are a lot of negative things you could say about this movie as the thing is way too over dramatic and in many ways it comes off corny and hammy today but it's a very rare opportunity to see Bara, the main sex symbol of the day and perhaps the first vamp in the history of cinema. I'll start off with the story, which is based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling. To say it's silly would be an under statement but it doesn't help that the director is constantly showing us the poem as if it were quotes from the Bible. The screenplay really isn't anything too original as you'd expect the dumb men to give up everything good in their life just to be tempted by the "Vampire" who is going to do nothing but ruin their lives. What's so funny is how over-the-top this is done. There are countless times we'll see the husband getting ready to do something bad and this will follow by a scene showing his young daughter and wife just having fun together. Every time the husband goes to do anything wrong we get these rather silly flashbacks but the silliest thing happens to the men who "fall" for the vamp. The only thing I can compare it to are the zombies in a George Romero film. We see two or three of the vamp's previous lovers and they're all ruined movie who move as if they were zombies with the life sucked out of them. Even the husband character goes through a Jekyll and Hyde thing and it's just incredibly how "dead" they show him towards the end of the movie when he's breaking down from not having the vamp near him. So, how is Bara, the original movie vamp? While the sexuality is certainly very old-fashioned, I must admit that I really enjoyed her. You can just tell she loves playing bad as her walk is pure snake-like and she has no problem showing off the coldness of her character. She certainly doesn't look like a sex symbol that you'd see today but her attitude and cocky nature were just terrific to watch. The supporting players range from fair to good but none of them really stick out. Even though the story and over dramatic nature are silly at times, it's still hard not to recommend this to film buffs as it's certainly an important film and a rare chance to see Bara in action. -
I_Ailurophile23 February 2022I can't say there aren't some issues here. We get overreaching early use of pathetic fallacy as a metaphorical device, and at the start it's difficult to discern between male and female actors who, barring costume design, all mostly look quite alike as per the styles of the 1910s: the wife, her sister, and the vampire; the husband, the friend, and the doctor. We also see what feels like a passing racist caricature, and the whole picture is defined by an obvious misogynist trope that's emphatically cemented with a specific scene late in the runtime. In addition: whether owing to censorial scissors, hard editing cuts (also seen throughout), or unwillingness or inability to film some moments in the first place, there are definite shortcuts in the course of events as it presents (e.g. A character only just starts to fall, and in the next instant, they are flat on their back). These are indelicacies that are unfortunate, and must be acknowledged - but which are unmistakably common to fare of the timeframe generally, and even still, prevalent throughout movies at large, not least of all of the medium's earliest years. While one must keep such matters in mind, the film is sufficiently well made as to overshadow possible detractions. 'A fool there was' has its problems, but is more so than not a very worthy slice of early cinema.
Despite the film's faults, and the casting director's questionable eyesight, the scene writing is unexpectedly absorbing and dynamic as it builds the story, with some moments being especially and gratifyingly strong. Whether the screenwriters are to be commended, or playwright Porter Emerson Browne, there is some cleverness to the dialogue that is imparted through intertitles. Though the gradual recital of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The vampire' is a bit pretentious at some points, at others it is neatly befitting the sequence of events. While the characters are broadly unremarkable as written, everyone in the cast turns in an admirable performance in bringing their characters to life, with suitable nuance and physicality. Edward José is particularly notable as "the husband," John Schuyler; the diplomat's countenance and comportment visibly shifts as the plot progresses, and José very capably meets the demands of the part. Perhaps more than anything else, however, 'A fool there was' is highly noteworthy as being one of the few surviving films of star Theda Bara - spirited and conniving as the unnamed "vampire" - and on that basis alone is worth checking out.
And this brings us at last to the overall narrative. At first blush the course of events feels like a contrivance of cinematic storytelling - the ease with which the husband's behavior is discovered and made public; the widespread infamy of the vampire. One must consider, however, how often the personal affairs of modern politicians and celebrities become headline news, and with that the sordid tale begins to seem like something we hear about every day. But that's not to say 'A fool there was' comes across as common; as suggested, what is most truly (sadly) ordinary about the feature is the certain sexism of the core premise. Rather, this is somewhat astounding for how very unremittingly dour the saga becomes, a stark contrast to dominant moralizing in early cinema that demanded "virtue" triumph, "sin" be punished, and all end well according to these precepts. To some extent this title feels like it's ahead of its time in regards to how it all plays out and resolves, reflecting trends in ensuing decades of dramas more true to the darker side of life, and declining the easy happy conclusion. For that refusal - though more depressing, the picture also becomes more engrossing, and more satisfying as a viewer.
Further commendations are due, too, to those who contributed to wardrobe, hair, and makeup here. Once more - while this isn't a feature without flaws, there is so much here that is done very well indeed. To be honest, the first approximate quarter of the length doesn't do much to impress, and I began questioning what I was committing to, but the strength of the film builds as the digital timer advances. The value of the title reveals itself well before the finale, with José and Bara, and the scene writing, providing the greatest substance. I certainly won't say this is perfect, and it's not going to be for everyone, but mixed expectations that remained even as the feature began were ultimately defied and surpassed. Not least of as a surviving representation of its stars' careers, 'A fool there was' is an engrossing early full-length film that holds up fairly well, and is recommendable as a fine drama of the silent era.