The video that says “Rediscovered Theda Bara” is an amazing find… I didn’t know it existed.
The human version of this movie, “Salome”, starring Theda Bara, has been considered a completely lost film for many years
In that era, the film itself was very flammable, and also subject to deterioration from heat, light and chemicals.
Fox’s only extant copy of “Salome” was, sadly, destroyed, along with most of their silent films, in a 1937 fire… a museum that held the last known copy burned in the 1940’s.
I’ve always thought I’d never see any of it… but the bits in that two minute video were discovered in the archives of a Spanish film society, and put online last October.
“Cleopatra” remains lost, as well, except for a few seconds.
Luckily there were lots of stills, from the films as well as publicity shots, that remain.
Susan, there is a longer (8:21) clip of the 1918 version, but I chose not to post it because of the inappropriate (to me) modern rock music that they chose to accompany it. What were they thinking???
Her breasts famously were flashed or even fell out of her costume in several brief shots, especially through loose, wide armholes.
Versions were made with those scenes snipped, to appease the censors in various jurisdictions, but none of those survive, either, as film distribution was by rental.
Fox destroyed all but one copy for their vault, which burned in 1937.
…
It was first thought that the 2 minute Spanish video might be made of scenes clipped out by censors, but watching it, you see none of that, so its origin is unknown.
such a great poster, Stel! especially the sparklies. never saw the human version, but i’ll meet everyone at the BassetPlex for our special showing. i’ll even bring enough popped kibble.
most of you have probably seen this before, but it’s so cute, I couldn’t resist posting it again….
It must have been a cold night.
Where are the other 2 then?
It took me all day but i finally got the reference. 😀
That IS cute!
What a naughty role for such a sweet young puppy!
Wow….One of my all-time favorite basset posters…
Thank you, Stel…… did you post it just for me?
Sigh…. Theda Basset was so beautiful wasn’t she?
So very lovely, in her basset sort of way!
Those huge, drooping jowls…. that big black shiny nose….
…
This is actually a movie poster…. in a gorgeous late Art Nouveau style…
For the classic 1918 silent film, “Salami”…
It starred world-famous basset actress and sex symbol, Theda Basset…
a huge box office draw at the time.
…
The film was very controversial…
.
It had a Biblical theme, but very modern, for the WWI era, racy plot elements and scandalously brief costumes.
The scenes with Salami and John the Basset drew church condemnation and even picket lines in many small towns when it opened…
But of course, that often unintentionally boosted ticket sales…
especially when they created publicity for the inimitable Ms. Basset’s scanty attire…
if one could even call it “attire.”
….
There was a human actress who copied her, you know….
She was OK-looking, I suppose… but her legs were too long, her nose and ears too short, to be a match for our Theda.
She called herself Theda Bara, which I like to think is in tribute, not just in imitation… but you know how humans are.
She once said..
“To be good is to be forgotten. I’m going to be so bad I’ll always be remembered. ”
When told of this, Theda Basset remarked…. “Not me. I’m a good dog, I am!”
Good girl, Theda!
….
Just look at the poster of the human Theda in a similar costume…..
the production values were obviously lower….
I mean, her headpiece doesn’t even have lights.
…
You know, I had a small version of this poster back in my college days…
It moved with me from apartment to apartment… cos student populations are always on the move.
So it’s also very nostalgic to me.
Yes….just for you! And, your write-up was so thorough. I’m impressed!
One question: didn’t the bassets name it “Salami” because that’s what was served on a silver platter to the royal court…a whole salami?
I do believe that’s true…
AFAIK, though, the film isn’t named after the salami that was served to the court, but after Salami, the woman… er… I mean, female dog.
…
Exotic, beautiful, desirable… from the moment she was born it was obvious that she would be the sensuous object of canine longing!
So it was SHE who was named after the actual royal salami…
then taught, as a pup, to dance provocatively, and, when barely in her teens, was offered to Herod as another sort of treat.
The film bears her name.
…
As 21st century humans, this sounds inhumane to us…
But remember, that word, “inhumane”, is based on how humans want to be treated.
Things are different in the canine world… and were even more so back in their biblical times, when they mated even younger…
and a mother dog was proud if her puppies attracted attention …. and sniffing.
Theda Bara, the human actress, originated the film persona of “the vamp”, and has been called the first sex symbol.
..
I couldn’t find a good example from “Salome”… but these two from her 1917 “Cleopatra” show what I meant about her costumes…
…
…
…
They caused a sensation… even sometimes picket lines outside the theaters… but that actually helped sell tickets.
However, this sort of thing was disallowed by the Hays Code after 1930… and I don’t think mainstream movies would allow them even now.
The video that says “Rediscovered Theda Bara” is an amazing find… I didn’t know it existed.
The human version of this movie, “Salome”, starring Theda Bara, has been considered a completely lost film for many years
In that era, the film itself was very flammable, and also subject to deterioration from heat, light and chemicals.
Fox’s only extant copy of “Salome” was, sadly, destroyed, along with most of their silent films, in a 1937 fire… a museum that held the last known copy burned in the 1940’s.
I’ve always thought I’d never see any of it… but the bits in that two minute video were discovered in the archives of a Spanish film society, and put online last October.
“Cleopatra” remains lost, as well, except for a few seconds.
Luckily there were lots of stills, from the films as well as publicity shots, that remain.
Susan, there is a longer (8:21) clip of the 1918 version, but I chose not to post it because of the inappropriate (to me) modern rock music that they chose to accompany it. What were they thinking???
I was excited to see this, because I read in several places last night that only two minutes existed!
I just watched it…. and you’re right, the music is a completely inappropriate choice, not even an understandable decision.
…
But I’m thinking this video may have been made just to showcase that bizarre selection…
Dunno whether you actually watched it…
But it’s the same two minute video, shown four times, perhaps only to give the music time to play.
Whoa!!!
I can’t imagine that she would have dared move and still expect those costumes to stay in place!
They apparently didn’t.
Her breasts famously were flashed or even fell out of her costume in several brief shots, especially through loose, wide armholes.
Versions were made with those scenes snipped, to appease the censors in various jurisdictions, but none of those survive, either, as film distribution was by rental.
Fox destroyed all but one copy for their vault, which burned in 1937.
…
It was first thought that the 2 minute Spanish video might be made of scenes clipped out by censors, but watching it, you see none of that, so its origin is unknown.
banana daiquiri
.
“Sorry, sir, I can’t put on my mask… it appears to be occupied by a… uh… well, by… a baby chicken.”
such a great poster, Stel! especially the sparklies. never saw the human version, but i’ll meet everyone at the BassetPlex for our special showing. i’ll even bring enough popped kibble.
Thanks!!
Yes, an excellent poster. And I much prefer Salami to Salome.
Me, too. Thanks!
She (or at least her makeup) is spectacularly unattractive.