A Fool There Was
(1915) American
B&W : Six reels
Directed by Frank Powell

Cast: Theda Bara [the vampire], Edward José [John Schuyler, the husband], Mabel Frenyear [Kate Schuyler, the wife], Runa Hodges [the child], May Allison [the wife’s sister], Clifford Bruce [Tom, the family friend], Victor Benoit [Reginal Parmalee, the vampire’s victim], Frank Powell [the doctor], Minna Gale [the doctor’s wife]; Creighton Hale

William Fox Vaudeville Company production; distributed by Box Office Attractions Company [Box Office Productions Extraordinary]. / Produced by William Fox. Scenario by Roy L. McCardell, from the adaptation by Frank Powell of the play A Fool There Was by Porter Emerson Browne inspired by the poem “The Vampire” by Rudyard Kipling. Cinematography by George Schneiderman. Presented by William Fox. / © 14 January 1915 by William Fox [LP5970]. Premiere on 12 January 1915 in New York, New York. Released January 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Working title: The Vampire. Bara’s film debut, at age 25. The film was rereleased at five reels (edited by Hettie Gray Baker) in June 1918, under a different title, by Fox Film Corporation.

Drama.

Synopsis: Synopsis available in AFI-F1 n. F1.1412.

Survival Status: Prints exist in the Museum of Modern Art film archive, in the Worldview Entertainment film collection (Paul Killiam collection), in the Em Gee Film Library film collection [16mm reduction positive], and in private film collections [16mm reduction positives].

Keywords: Affairs - Self-destruction - Vamps

Listing updated: 1 August 2006.

References: Film credits, film viewing : AFI-F1 n. F1.1412; Ball-Shakespeare pp. 239, 386; Barry-Griffith p. 14; Bohn-Light pp. 42, 110, 111; Brownlow-Parade p. 78; Everson-American pp. 198, 369; Higashi-Virgins pp. 55, 57-60, 74, 78; Leish-Cinema p. 29; Limbacher-Feature p. 84; McCaffrey-Guide p. 10; Shipman-Cinema pp. 55, 56; Sinyard-Silent p. 79; Sklar-Movie p. 92; Tarbox-Lost p. 219; Vermilye-Twenties p. 131 : Website-NFPF.

Home Video: DVD.