| A Fool There Was | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Fooltherewas1915movieposter.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Powell |
| Written by | Roy L. McCardell (scenario) Frank Powell (adaptation) |
| Based on | A Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne |
| Produced by | William Fox |
| Starring | Theda Bara Edward José |
| Cinematography | George Schneiderman |
| Distributed by | Box Office Attraction Company, Fox Film Corporation (1918 re-release) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 66 minutes (1915 release) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
A Fool There Was is an American silent drama film produced by William Fox, directed by Frank Powell, and starring Theda Bara. Released in 1915, the film was long considered controversial for such risqué intertitle cards as "Kiss me, my fool!"[1]
A Fool There Was is one of the few extant films featuring Theda Bara. It popularised the word vamp (short for vampire),[2] which describes a femme fatale who causes the moral degradation of those she seduces, first fascinating and then exhausting her victims.
In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4][5]
- ^ "Progressive Silent Film List: A Fool There Was". www.silentera.com.
- ^ "vamp | Origin and meaning of vamp by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
- ^ Mike Barnes (December 16, 2015). "'Ghostbusters,' 'Top Gun,' 'Shawshank' Enter National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ "2015 National Film Registry: "Ghostbusters" Gets the Call". Library of Congress. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved October 2, 2020.