UC
United States Library of Congress
"Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance, reflecting its importance."
John Schuyler, a happily married lawyer, is appointed diplomat and sent to England. Due to an unfortunate accident, his wife and child can not come along with him. On the ship to England, Schuyler meets the notorious Vampire - a relentless gold digger who causes the moral degradation of those she seduces, first fascinating and then draining the very life from her victims.
Directed byFrank Powell
Written byRoy L. McCardell, Frank Powell, Porter Emerson Browne, Rudyard Kipling
Critical Consensus
5.7
IMDb
5.0
TMDB
Upon its release, A Fool There Was was controversial for its risqué intertitles and was not approved by the British Board of Film Censors. Despite this, it was later selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
The Cast
Theda Bara
The Vampire
Edward José
John Schuyler
MF
Mabel Frenyear
John Schuyler's Wife
May Allison
The Wife's Sister
RH
Runa Hodges
Schuyler Child
Clifford Bruce
The Friend
Frank Powell
The Doctor
MG
Minna Gale
The Doctor's Fiancee
VB
Victor Benoit
One of the Vamp's Victims
Creighton Hale
Young Man at Wild Party (uncredited)
Trivia
Upon release, A Fool There Was was long considered controversial for risqué intertitle cards such as "Kiss me, my fool!"
The film popularised the word "vamp" (short for vampire) to describe a femme fatale who degrades those she seduces.
In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected A Fool There Was for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
Producers paid tribute to the literary source by having an actor read the full poem to the audience before initial showings and presenting passages via intertitles.
Scenes supposedly set in England and Italy were actually filmed in the USA, specifically in St. Augustine, Florida, New York Harbor, and at Fox Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
BC
British Board of Film Censors
"Not approved for public showing in Great Britain due to its policy of rejecting films depicting illicit sexual relationships."
Audience
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Tags
#INFIDELITY | #SUICIDE | #HUSBAND WIFE RELATIONSHIP | #SEDUCTION | #MAN WOMAN RELATIONSHIP | #FEMME FATALE | #MADNESS | #SILENT FILM | #SEDUCTRESS | #GOLD DIGGER | #MANIPULATIVE LOVER | #FINANCIAL RUIN | #VAMP
