Louise Glaum as “The Wolf Woman” (1916)

The Wolf Woman is a 1916 silent era drama motion picture starring Louise Glaum. Leila Aradella (played by Glaum), is a young and egotistical woman, who finds pleasure from preying on weak men with her charm and beauty.

After seeing the film, it was reported that New York critics unanimously pronounced Glaum as “the greatest vampire woman of all time.”

Another reviewer noted that Glaum had become famous for her “vampire” characterizations and billed The Wolf Woman as the “Greatest Vampire picture of all”.

Louise Glaum in The Wolf Woman, 1916 via

Theda Bara in Romeo & Juliet (1916)

Portrait of Theda Bara in Romeo & Juliet directed by J.Gordon Edwards, 1916 via

Theda Bara in Romeo & Juliet directed by J.Gordon Edwards, 1916 via

 

Norma Talmadge in Silent Drama “The Lady” (1925)

The Lady is a 1925 American silent drama film starring Norma Talmadge and directed by Frank Borzage. A young woman, Polly Pearl, marries the wastrel son of a British aristocrat. Her husband, who has been disinherited by his father, loses what little money he has left gambling in casinos and then dies, leaving her penniless and with an infant son. When her former father-in-law tries to get custody of the child, she leaves him with a couple she trusts, but when she later goes to reclaim her son, she can’t find the people she left him with.

Norma Talmadge in The Lady directed by Frank Borzage, 1925 via

Norma Talmadge in The Lady directed by Frank Borzage, 1925 via

Norma Talmadge in The Lady directed by Frank Borzage, 1925 via

Norma Talmadge in The Lady directed by Frank Borzage, 1925 via

Vintage Photos of Loretta Young in “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” (1928)

Laugh, Clown, Laugh is a 1928 American silent drama film starring Lon Chaney and Loretta Young. The movie was directed by Herbert Brenon and produced and released through MGM Studios.

The film is based on the 1923 Broadway stage production Laugh, Clown, Laugh, by David Belasco and Tom Cushing, based on a 1919 play Ridi, Pagliaccio by Fausto Maria Martini

Ruth Harriet Louise, Loretta Young in “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” directed by Herbert Brenon, 1928 via

Portrait of Loretta Young and Lon Chaney in Laugh, Clown, Laugh directed by Herbert Brenon, 1928 via

Lon Chaney and Loretta Young in Laugh, Clown, Laugh directed by Herbert Brenon, 1928 via

Ruth Harriet Louise, Loretta Young and Nils Asther in “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” directed by Herbert Brenon, 1928 via

Silent Film Star Gilda Gray for Aloma of the South Seas (1926)

Aloma of the South Seas is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film. A young South Seas native boy is sent to the U.S. for his education. After his father dies, he returns to his island to try to stop a revolution. Gilda Gray starres as the exotic dancer Aloma. The films setting was in Puerto Rico and Bermuda. It was based on a 1925 play of the same title by John B. Hymer and LeRoy Clemens. ‘

Grossing $3 million in the U.S. alone, this was the most successful film of 1926 and the fourth most successful film of the 1920s. The film is now considered to be a lost film.

Gilda Gray in Aloma of the South Seas, 1926 via

Gilda Gray in Aloma of the South Seas, 1926 via

Gloria Swanson in Silent Drama ‘Sadie Thompson’ (1928).

Silent screen star Gloria Swanson (1897 – 1983) plays a woman of ill repute in the film ‘Sadie Thompson’, 1928. The film was directed by Raoul Walsh for Gloria Swanson Pictures Corporation and United Artists via

Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson (1928)

Sadie Thompson is a 1928 American silent drama film that tells the story of a “fallen woman” who comes to Pago Pago on the island of Tutuila to start a new life, but encounters a zealous missionary who wants to force her back to her former life in San Francisco. The film stars Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, and Raoul Walsh.

A smoking, drinking, jazz listening, young prostitute named Sadie Thompson (Gloria Swanson) arrives at Pago Pago (now part of American Samoa), on her way to a job with a shipping line on another island. At the same time, ‘moralists’ arrive, including Mr. and Mrs. Davidson (Lionel Barrymore and Blanche Friderici).

Portrait of Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh, 1928 via

Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore in Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh, 1928 via

Portrait of Gloria Swanson and Directo Raoul Walsh on the set of Sadie Thompson, 1928 via

Theda Bara in Silent Film Sin (1915)

Theda Bara made over 40 films for the Fox Film Corporation, with titles like The Eternal Sin, The Blue Flame, The Soul of Buddha, Purgatory’s Ivory Angel & Carmen.

In 1915 Fox produced silent drama Sin with Theda Bara starring  as Rose.

In order to play up Theda Bara’s image as a vamp, Fox Film Corporation publicized the film with the tagline “Sin With Theda Bara!”. Upon its release, Sin was an enormous hit with audiences and Bara earned generally good reviews for her performance.

In spite of its success, the film was banned in Ohio and Georgia due to its themes of suicide, lust, Roman Catholic sacrilege and love triangles. The Pittsburgh Board of Welfare condemned the film as did the Kansas Board of Censorship (which apparently still allowed the film to run in Kansas theaters).

The film is now considered to be lost.

Theda Bara as Rosa in Sin, 1915 via

Theda Bara as Rosa in Sin, 1915 via

Theda Bara as Rosa in Sin, 1915 via

Theda Bara as Rosa in Sin, 1915 via

Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore in Sadie Thompson (1928)

Sadie Thompson is a 1928 American silent drama film that tells the story of a “fallen woman” who comes to Pago Pago on the island of Tutuila to start a new life, but encounters a zealous missionary who wants to force her back to her former life in San Francisco. The film stars Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, and Raoul Walsh, and was one of Swanson’s better known silent films.

Due to the subject matter, the making of the film was extremely controversial. However, it was a financial and critical success for Swanson. The film was based on the short story “Rain” by W. Somerset Maugham and the 1922 play that was based on the book by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, starring Jeanne Eagels.

Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore in Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh, 1928 via

Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore in Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh, 1928 via

The Doctor’s Bride (1909)

Silent film, The Doctors Bride, 1909

Dr. Fletcher, while on a professional visit, finds a young girl homeless and penniless. Her father, a poor laborer, had just died. He offers her home and protection which she thankfully accepts. A year has passed. The new ward has found her way to the heart of the doctor. He finds that she is more to him than a child. He proposes marriage and is accepted. The doctor’s busy life keeps him much away from his young wife which time she uses for a little innocent flirtation. Some evening one of her admirers hands her a note and asks her to see him after her husband has retired. She reads the note and laughingly hides it in her bosom, never intending of taking the flirtation serious. The company has gone. The doctor decides to work before retiring while his young wife stays in his office until he had finished his work. She lays down upon the couch and is soon fast asleep. She dreams that she met her admirer outside of the gate. He induces her to run away with him. He is soon tired of her and drives her from his home. Reverses come, her lover loses everything. He becomes a drunkard and drives her and her child from shelter. Weak from lack of food, she breaks down on the road where she is found by Dr. Fletcher and revived. At this point of the dream the doctor has finished his work. He goes over to his young wife lovingly awakening her. She relates the dream and wants to show him the note but he smilingly tears it up; he does not want to read it. He has full confidence in his young wife which confidence is never betrayed.