''The Serpent'' was a 1916 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 ...

directed by Raoul Walsh and starring

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

. The film based on the short story "The Wolf's Claw", by Philip Bartholomae, and its scenario was written by Raoul A. Walsh. Produced and distributed by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

, ''The Serpent'' was shot on location at Chimney Rock,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, and at the Fox Studio in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

. It is now considered

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, 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 War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, 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

as Vania Lazar *

James A. Marcus James A. Marcus (January 21, 1867 – October 15, 1937) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in New York City. On October 15, 1937, Marcus died in Hollywood, California from a myocardi ...

as Ivan Lazar * Lillian Hathaway as Martsa Lazar * Charles Craig as Grand Duke Valanoff *

Carl Harbaugh } Carl Harbaugh ( – February 26, 1960) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director. Biography On Broadway, Harbaugh performed in ''The Greyhound'' (1912) and ''The Bludgeon'' (1914). He was married to Frances Lawson Bouis (? - ...

as Prince Valanoff *

George Walsh George Frederick Walsh (March 16, 1889 – June 13, 1981) was an American actor. An all-around athlete, who became an actor and later returned to sport, he enjoyed 40 years of fame and was a performer with dual appeal, with women loving hi ...

as Andrey Sobi * Nan Carter as Ema Lachno * Marcel Morhange as Gregoire *

Bernard Nedell Bernard Jay Nedell (October 14, 1898 – November 23, 1972) was an American film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1916 and 1972. He was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California. He was married to actress Olive Blak ...

References

External links

* 1916 films 1916 drama films 1916 lost films Fox Film films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Raoul Walsh Films shot in Fort Lee, New Jersey Lost American films Lost drama films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films {{1910s-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links