Showbiz History: The Vamp, a Psycho, and The Others
Friday, August 10, 2018 at 10:00AM 8 random things that happened on this day in history (Aug 10th)...
1918 Today is the centennial of Salome, one of Theda Bara's key pictures. Sadly, the film is lost as are so many silents of historic significance and almost all of Theda's films. She was nicknamed 'The Vamp' setting an archetype that would stay with the cinema forever basically. Theda was in her 40s by the time sound killed off the silents; she never even attemped a talkie.
1933 Hedy Lamarr marries her first husband (of six!) when she is just 19 years old. If you haven't yet watched Bombshell the Hedy Lamarr story on Netflix I urge you to do so. She's fascinating. Currently both Diane Kruger and Gal Gadot are planning to play her in different biographical projects for film and television.
1950 Sunset Boulevard, only one of the all time greatest films, has its world premiere at Radio City Musical Hall in NYC
1959 Rosanna Arquette born in NYC. She's the first child in what will become a bustling family of acting siblings.
1960 Antonio Banderas born in Málaga Spain. Meanwhile over in Los Angeles Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho premieres in Los Angeles. Banderas will later play three psychos superbly for Pedro Almodovar in Law of Desire, Tie Me Up Tie Me Down! and The Skin I Live In.
1971 Justin Theroux is born in DC.
2001 The Others opens in movie theaters just two months after Moulin Rouge! making it the summer Nicole Kidman went supernova.
2007 Stardust opens in movie theaters with Michelle Pfeiffer terrorizing Claire Danes and Charlie Cox with her ooh ah ah sorcery.
Reader Comments (10)
Theda Bara- anagram of Arab Death - real name is Theodosia Burr Goodman. She is the Graham Bell of the sex symbols and her story is fascinating. Her nickname "vamp" comes from "vampire", she is one of many to play Cleopatra and never made a sound movie. And made history.
Amenábar originally wanted Emily Watson for the role. Nicole totally nailed it but she got the role because Tom Cruise was producing.
The Others alongside Rabbit Hole and To Die For are the only Kidman movies where she shines IMO>
@rdf, cue up Birth and Moulin Rouge! (to name just two).
She's a total miscast in Rabbit Hole.
The Others - one of my all-time favourite films. Fionnula Flanagan should have been Oscar nominated for it.
Theda Bara is a fascinatingly dated actress displaying some of the worst of silent movie habits. Of course they weren't so when she was popular but there is a definite power to her onscreen presence.
As far as talkies go Theda's film career was kaput by the time sound came in and it seems she wisely followed Constance Talmadge's (a huge silent star who never made a talkie either) advice to star sister Norma when Norma's attempts at sound films met with resounding failure. "Quit pressing your luck, baby. The critics can't knock those trust funds Mama set up for us".
Kidman was exceptionally good in The Others--and has been exceptionally good in many, many other things. I remember in 2001 she just totally blew up in a way that few were probably expecting would ever happen for her. So glad her career is thriving again after a fairly rough stretch.
I alws wonder had Nicole been nom for her stronger perf in The Others, rather than Moulin Rogue!, wld she've won instead o Halle Berry?
I have tried to watch Moulin Rouge a number of times ( as my wife loves it) I cannot get thru it... and I love musicals. Have to watch Birth.