The Serpent (1916 film)

The Serpent
Film poster
Directed byRaoul Walsh
Written byGeorge Walsh
Raoul A. Walsh (scenario)
Based on"The Wolf's Claw"
by Philip Bartholomae
Produced byWilliam Fox
StarringTheda Bara
James A. Marcus
CinematographyGeorges Benoît
Distributed byFox Film Corporation
Release date
  • January 23, 1916 (1916-01-23)
Running time
60 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

The Serpent was a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Theda Bara. The film was based on the short story "The Wolf's Claw", by Philip Bartholomae, and its scenario was written by Raoul A. Walsh.[1] Produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, The Serpent was shot on location at Chimney Rock, North Carolina, and at the Fox Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey.[2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine review,[3] after Vania Lazar is betrayed and debauched by Grand Duke Valanoff, she leaves Russia with no thought except to prey upon the sex that has made her what she is. Then comes the war, and she sees wounded Russians being taken to the hospital. In one room, she finds Prince Valanoff, the son of her betrayer, and with her wiles she wins his love and then his name. When the Grand Duke comes to visit, his son the Prince is absent. Not recognizing the new Vania, the Grand Duke responds to her lure, and the son discovers his own father as the betrayer of his happiness.

Cast

Preservation

With no prints of The Serpent located in any film archives, it is considered a lost film.[1][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Progressive Silent Film List: The Serpent". silentera.com. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  2. ^ Fort Lee: Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry. Arcadia Publishing. 2006. p. 64. ISBN 0-738-54501-5.
  3. ^ "Advertising Aids for Busy Managers: The Serpent". Moving Picture World. 39 (3). New York City: Chalmers Publishing Company: 389–90. January 18, 1919. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  4. ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: The Serpent


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