''Thais'' is a 1917 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

produced by

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

, and based on the 1890 novel ''Thaïs'' by

Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...

. This film featured opera

prima donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pers ...

Mary Garden A Mary garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue or shrine of the Virgin Mary, who is known to many Christians as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, or the Mother of God. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Mary ...

, making her film debut at the then-lavish weekly salary of US$15,000. Other cast members include Lionel Adams,

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

, and

Charles Trowbridge Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1915 and 1958. Biography Trowbridge was born in Veracruz, Mexico, where his father served in the ...

. This film is considered "one of the most colossal flops in movie history, both artistically and financially".

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Thais (Garden), a lustful dancer, tries to get Paphnutius (Revelle) under her power, but since he is a Christian he leaves to become a monk. Later, he returns to reclaim her soul and convinces the petted, spoiled, and lustrous Thais to cast off her riches, luxuries, and friends and to follow in his footsteps. Attempting to live solitary lives, the tortuous remembrance of their past lives causes them to forget everything and rush out into the desert. Thais is rescued by some sisters who take her to a

nunnery A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican C ...

. Paphnutius, unable to conquer his love for Thais, rushes to the nunnery only to find Thais dying the death of a saint. Her saintliness brings him a realization of his wrongs, and the film ends with his begging forgiveness for bowing to temptation and the strength to continue his work.

Cast

as Thais *

Hamilton Revelle Hamilton Revelle (31 May 1867 – 11 April 1958) was a British-born stage and later silent screen actor. Biography He was born Arthur Lloyd Hamilton Engstrom at Moorish Castle in Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. His parents ...

as Paphnutius *

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

as Lollius *Lionel Adams as Cynius *

Alice Chapin Alice Chapin or Alice Ferris (August 28, 1857 – July 5, 1934) was an American actress, playwright and suffragette active in England. She returned to America and played roles in silent films. Life Chapin was born in Keene, New Hampshire to Eph ...

as Mother Superior *Margaret Townsend as Nun *

as Nicius

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''Thais'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required, in Reel 1, a shortening of the scene on stone bench where Thais embraces man, Reel 2, cut stabbing of man, Reel 3, the intertitle "To rid this city of this courtesan", Reel 4, the intertitle "Your life is a life misspent. Your body a thing impure", closeup of dancer on pedestal, closeup of intoxicated couple on couch, the intertitle "And with the morning the feast became a revel unashamed" and flash the orgy scene following, scene of two young women with man on couch prior to intertitle "Lust", all scenes of intoxicated men and women in closeup views, the intertitle "Look, Thais has a monk for a lover", suicide of man, two scenes of drunken couple staggering down banquet hall, Reel 5, stabbing Nicius, and scene of Thais in desert where her figure shows through the draperies.

Preservation

The film is preserved in three film archives, the

George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection The George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection in Rochester, New York comprises about 28,000 titles, including features, shorts, documentaries, newsreels, and experimental moving images. The collection is renowned for its holdings of silent f ...

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, and

BFI National Archive The BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was founded as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955, its name became the N ...

References

External links