Theda Bara

[Lycidas at worldnet.att.net]

Pollyanna Philosophy gave way to Bara Theda. With the
growing sophistication of the screen the "vamp" was
introduced. Valeska Suratt brought the fascination of sinful
love to the movies and Theda Bara helped establish sex as a
dominant motif. Theda had tremendous success, her staring,
sensual face, with exotic, heavy-lidded eyes, was
photographed with skull and crossbones, she was described
as  "fascinating and unfathomable, whose passion is touched
with death," her face,  "the wickedest face in the world,
dark-brooding, beautiful and heartless." Voluptuously
swathed in black silks and satins, her white shoulders and
arms left bare ("fascination in the icy passion), the dark
cloud of hair encircling her white face "spelled disaster,
at the same time holding a promise of pleasure."