The original vamp

She was the first sex goddess of the silver screen, but ironically, her appeal would end her career early – even if, off-screen, she was far from the vixen she portrayed. Ashleigh Austen reports.

THEDA BARA

In a shadowy chamber draped in luxurious silks, a woman stands at the edge of a bed, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder. Her piercing yet seductive eyes lock onto the man in front of her. With a smile, she moves toward him, her long gown sweeping the floor. He stumbles, trying to resist, but it’s futile. This is Theda Bara in her element – a cinematic temptress weaving her spell over audiences as Cleopatra, a character so wicked and sensual that she left critics gasping and moviegoers mesmerised. It was scenes like this that turned her into the first vixen of the silver screen, an enigmatic figure who, in the 1910s, electrified audiences while scandalising polite society. Dubbed ‘The Wickedest Woman in the World’ by Fox Studios, Theda’s…

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