''The Vampire'' is an American

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

, directed by

Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian-American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mov ...

, based on the 1897 eponymous poem by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

. It stars

Alice Hollister Alice Hollister (born Rosalie Alice Amélie Berger, September 28, 1886 – February 24, 1973) was an American silent film actress who appeared in around 90 films between 1910 and 1925. She is known for her roles in movies such as ''From the Man ...

and Harry F. Millarde. It is generally considered the first recognized film depicting the vamp character, also known as

femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

Plot

Harold Brentwell moves to the city for a new job and meets Sybil, an adventuress. Harold is totally fascinated by Sybil and forgets his fiancée Helen but, actually, Sybil is a vampire who is going to ruin his life. He soon loses his job and becomes an alcoholic. Abandoned by the vamp, desperate and alone, Harold goes to the theater and watches the "Vampire Dance", depicting a man dominated by a beautiful woman who, eventually, takes his life putting the bite on him. Thus Harold understands his weakness and tries to redeem himself.

Cast

as Sybil the Vampire * Harry F. Millarde as Harold Brentwell * Marguerite Courtot as Helen * Henry Hallam as Martin * Bert French and Alice Eis as the dancers *

(uncredited)

Production

''The Vampire'' was shot in

Cliffside Park, New Jersey Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 25,693, an increase of 2,099 (+8.9%) from the 2010 census count of 23,594, which in turn reflecte ...

. The highlight of the production is the presence of dancers Alice Eis and Bert French performing their "Vampire Dance", inspired by Philip Burne-Jones painting ''The Vampire'' (1897). A still of the performance recreates the exact features of the painting.James Card, ''Seductive cinema: the art of silent film'', Knopf, 1994, p.183 "The Vampire Dance" was famous and controversial at the time in the American

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

circuit for its provocative poses, before it was documented as part of the film. On February 20, 1913 the dancers scandalised authorities with their number "Le rouge et noir" and were arrested on obscenity charges the next day, later freed on $500 bail each. Eis and French were paid $2,000 by the

Kalem The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

executives to immortalise the "Vampire Dance".

Reception

The ''

New York Dramatic Mirror The ''New York Dramatic Mirror'' (1879–1922) was an American theatrical trade newspaper published in New York City. History The paper was founded in January 1879 by Ernest Harvier as the ''New York Mirror''. In stating its purpose to cover t ...

'' wrote: "The acting of Miss Hollister as the adventuress in handling the different situations with the hero stands out. The director has carried detail to a fine point and very artistically. Photography good." ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. ...

'' stated: "It is well acted and in photography is, for the most part, above criticism."

Preservation status

Previously considered to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

, a print exists in the

George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...

film archive. It is cited as the oldest existing "vamp" movie. An earlier film, ''The Vampire'' (1910), starring

Margarita Fischer Margarita Fisher (née Fischer, February 12, 1886 – March 11, 1975) was an American actress in silent motion pictures and stage productions. Newspapers sometimes referred to her as "Babe" Fischer. Early life Margarita Fischer was born on Fe ...

and produced by William Nicholas Selig is considered lost.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vampire (1913 film), The 1913 films 1913 drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films 1910s rediscovered films American black-and-white films English-language drama short films Films based on poems Films based on works by Rudyard Kipling Films directed by Robert G. Vignola General Film Company Kalem Company films Rediscovered American films Silent American drama short films Surviving American silent films