“Cleopatra (1917 film)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Cleopatra is a 1917 American silent historical drama film based on H. Rider Haggard's 1889 novel Cleopatra and the plays Cleopatre by Émile Moreau and Victorien Sardou and Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.^[1] The film starred Theda Bara in the title role, Fritz Leiber, Sr. as Julius Caesar, and Thurston Hall as Mark Antony. The film is now considered lost, with only fragments surviving.

Plot

Cleopatra (Bara), the Siren of Egypt, by a clever ruse reaches Caesar (Leiber) and he falls victim to her charms. They plan to rule the world together, but then Caesar falls. Cleopatra's life is desired by the church, as the wanton woman's rule has become intolerable. Pharon (Roscoe), a high priest, is given a sacred dagger to take her life. He gives her his love instead and, when she is in need of some money, leads her to the tomb of his ancestors, where she tears the treasure from the breast of the mummy. With this wealth she goes to Rome to meet Antony (Hall). He leaves the affairs of state and travels to Alexandria with her, where they revel. Antony is recalled to Rome and married to Octavia (Blinn), but his soul cries out for Cleopatra. He sends her a message to arm her ships and meet him at Actium, where they battle the opposing forces. They are overpowered, and flee to Alexandria. There they are captured by Octavius (De Vries), and Antony dies in Cleopatra's arms. Before Cleopatra is to be dragged behind the wheels of Octavius' chariot, Pharon the priest, who has never ceased to love her, brings her the serpent that she joyously brings to her breast, dying royally with her crown on her head and scepter in her hand as becomes Egypt.

Cast

Production

Cleopatra was one of the most elaborate Hollywood films ever produced up to that time, with particularly lavish sets and costumes. According to the studio, the film cost $500,000 (equivalent to around ${{Inflation|US|.5|1917|r=2}} million today) to make and employed 2,000 people behind the scenes. Theda Bara appeared in a variety of costumes, some quite risqué. The film was a great success at the time.

The picture was filmed on the Dominquez slough just outside Long Beach, California. The throne prop used in the film ended up, years later, in the possession of Leon Schlesinger Productions; its disposition after the acquisition of that company by Warner Bros. is unknown.^[2]

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Cleopatra was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required the following cuts:

After the Hays Code was implemented in Hollywood, Cleopatra was judged to be too obscene to be shown.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} However, despite its controversies, the film was a huge box office draw, becoming one of the most successful blockbusters of 1917.

Preservation status

The last two prints known to exist were destroyed in fires at the Fox studios in 1937 (along with the majority of Bara's other films for Fox) and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City,^[4]^[4]

and the majority of the film is now considered lost.^[5]^[6] Only brief fragments of footage are known to survive.^[7]^[8]

Filmmaker and film historian Phillip Dye is reconstructing Cleopatra on video, titled Lost Cleopatra, editing together still picture montages combined with the surviving film clip. The script is based on the original scenario with modifications based on research into censorship reports, reviews of the film and synopses from period magazines.^[9] Dye screened the film at the Hollywood Heritage Museum on February 8, 2017.^[10]

See also

Notes

1. ^{{cite book|last1=McCaffrey|first1=Donald W. |last2=Jacobs|first2=Christopher P. |title=Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-313-30345-2|page=82}}
2. ^Magill's Survey of Silent Films, Vol. 1. A-FLA p. 322, edited by Frank N. Magill c.1982 {{ISBN|0-89356-240-8}} (3 book set {{ISBN|0-89356-239-4}}) Retrieved December 11, 2014
3. ^{{cite journal |title=Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors |journal=Exhibitors Herald |volume=6 |issue=12 |page=29 |date=March 16, 1918 |url=https://archive.org/stream/exhibitorsherald06exhi#page/n522/mode/1up}}
4. ^{{cite book|last=Klepper|first=Robert K. |title=Silent Films On Video: A Filmography Of Over 700 Silent Features Available On Videocassette, With a Directory Of Sources|year=1996|publisher=McFarland & Co.|isbn=0-786-40157-5|page=8}}
5. ^The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:Cleopatra
6. ^[https://web.archive.org/web/20141225003106/http://www.thegreatstars.com/lost_film_wanted.htm Cleopatra at TheGreatStars.com; Lost Films Wanted](Wayback Machine)..Retrieved July 19, 2018
7. ^¹{{cite book|last=Solomon|first=Aubrey |title=The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography|year=2011|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0-786-48610-4|page=1}}
8. ^Progressive Silent Film List: Cleopatra at silentera.com
9. ^[Lost Cleopatra http://www.lostcleopatra.com]
10. ^{{cite web |url=http://laist.com/2017/02/06/20_of_the_coolest_events_happening_2.php |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2017-05-01 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501083710/http://laist.com/2017/02/06/20_of_the_coolest_events_happening_2.php |archivedate=2017-05-01 |df= }}

External links