Theda Bara starred in over 40 silent films in just over 12 years, most of which were lost in a fire. Nicknamed “The Vamp” for an early role as a vampire and numerous roles as a woman of mystery, Theda portrayed women of all virtue, from Juliette and a princess, to Cleopatra and a Priestess.

Her press tour during the promotion of Cleopatra sparked the birth of the studio publicity department. The studio suggested a mysterious past, growing up in the shadow of the Sphinx, and urged her to speak of mysticism and the occult during interviews.