Not to be dismissed as mere 'cheesecake' imagery; this was one of hollywood's earliest and most popular femme fatales. The on-screen persona of Theda Bara - whose real name was Theodosia Burr Goodman - was built up to be the very essence of exotic mystery, but she was actually born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1885. Her eventual screen popularity was second only to Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Her sometimes risque pre-Hays code costumes only added to her reputation. What also contributes to her legend today is that the vast majority of her silent films (made between 1914 and 1926) were destroyed in a fire in 1937. There is a very wide tonal range in this photograph, from a value of almost complete white, to dark black. She has a very interesting photographic persona.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A femme fatale role model - Theda Bara
Not to be dismissed as mere 'cheesecake' imagery; this was one of hollywood's earliest and most popular femme fatales. The on-screen persona of Theda Bara - whose real name was Theodosia Burr Goodman - was built up to be the very essence of exotic mystery, but she was actually born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1885. Her eventual screen popularity was second only to Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Her sometimes risque pre-Hays code costumes only added to her reputation. What also contributes to her legend today is that the vast majority of her silent films (made between 1914 and 1926) were destroyed in a fire in 1937. There is a very wide tonal range in this photograph, from a value of almost complete white, to dark black. She has a very interesting photographic persona.
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