James Aubrey, professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver believes he has discovered the oldest existing vampire film in the vaults of the George Eastman Museum. The film will be exhibited for the first time (at least this century) on March 4th, 2024
"I first came across a still picture in 2019 of a vampiric-looking woman dancing around a male body, which apparently came from a little-known film called “The Vampire.” However, it wasn’t clear whether the woman had actually killed the man or was merely celebrating his demise. (Early films often featured “social vampires,” who ruined men financially and emotionally.) Having discovered that the film was preserved at the Eastman Museum, I flew to Rochester last spring to watch it on a viewing device. And sure enough, I saw that the woman lured her unsuspecting male into the bushes, then killed him by pinning him down and biting him in the neck."
Here are some stills from the film:
And the plot: "Harold is ensnared by the wiles of Sybil, an adventuress. The boy forgets Helen, his country sweetheart. Sybil's influence over him is so evil that he can no longer apply himself to his work. His employer finally discharges him. When Harold's money is gone, the adventuress throws him over. He becomes a drunkard. Helen, failing to hear from him, comes to the city, where she secures a position. Harold decides to become a hold-up man. To pass away the time before midnight, he goes to a theater where Bert French and Alice Eis are presenting their famous "Vampire Dance." The characters are an artist and a vampire, in the guise of a wood nymph. Harold sees the artist attracted by the beautiful creature and then his struggles as he realizes what the result of the fascination must inevitably be. The victim beats her in his frenzy of fear, but is irresistibly drawn into the coils by the vampire's fiendish wiles. The vampire fascinates the man by her beauty and lures him toward a forest dell There the horrible creature succeeds in taking his life. Harold feels that a veil has been torn from his eyes. He seems to have reviewed his life with Sybil, and vows to reform. He succeeds in regaining his position and once more takes his place among men. The boy learns of Helen's presence in the city, but can find no trace of her. Sybil, learning of Harold's prosperity, attempts to drag him into her net once more, but the boy, with the memory of "The Vampire Dance" before him, resists her efforts. That night he finds Helen, and to insure his reformation, proposes immediate marriage. His sweetheart consents, and the knot is tied."
The suitably alluring vampire dancer is played by Alice Eys
Rumour has it that there was an earlier vampire movie with a female vampire from 1910 but I have never been able to verify any details
"I first came across a still picture in 2019 of a vampiric-looking woman dancing around a male body, which apparently came from a little-known film called “The Vampire.” However, it wasn’t clear whether the woman had actually killed the man or was merely celebrating his demise. (Early films often featured “social vampires,” who ruined men financially and emotionally.) Having discovered that the film was preserved at the Eastman Museum, I flew to Rochester last spring to watch it on a viewing device. And sure enough, I saw that the woman lured her unsuspecting male into the bushes, then killed him by pinning him down and biting him in the neck."
Here are some stills from the film:
And the plot: "Harold is ensnared by the wiles of Sybil, an adventuress. The boy forgets Helen, his country sweetheart. Sybil's influence over him is so evil that he can no longer apply himself to his work. His employer finally discharges him. When Harold's money is gone, the adventuress throws him over. He becomes a drunkard. Helen, failing to hear from him, comes to the city, where she secures a position. Harold decides to become a hold-up man. To pass away the time before midnight, he goes to a theater where Bert French and Alice Eis are presenting their famous "Vampire Dance." The characters are an artist and a vampire, in the guise of a wood nymph. Harold sees the artist attracted by the beautiful creature and then his struggles as he realizes what the result of the fascination must inevitably be. The victim beats her in his frenzy of fear, but is irresistibly drawn into the coils by the vampire's fiendish wiles. The vampire fascinates the man by her beauty and lures him toward a forest dell There the horrible creature succeeds in taking his life. Harold feels that a veil has been torn from his eyes. He seems to have reviewed his life with Sybil, and vows to reform. He succeeds in regaining his position and once more takes his place among men. The boy learns of Helen's presence in the city, but can find no trace of her. Sybil, learning of Harold's prosperity, attempts to drag him into her net once more, but the boy, with the memory of "The Vampire Dance" before him, resists her efforts. That night he finds Helen, and to insure his reformation, proposes immediate marriage. His sweetheart consents, and the knot is tied."
The suitably alluring vampire dancer is played by Alice Eys
Rumour has it that there was an earlier vampire movie with a female vampire from 1910 but I have never been able to verify any details
statistics: Posted by andrew.stephenson999 — 8:39 AM - 1 day ago — Replies 0 — Views 262