Did Rudolph Valentino ever act with/know Theda Bara?
This is a question a lot of new silent film fans ask as the names are both quite iconic. No they never acted together. Maybe they did meet once or twice, but I’ve never heard of it. Theda Bara, the world’s first vamp and icon, acted in films from 1915 to 1919. After that she retired from the screen, making a brief appearance in a Hal Roach short (and a half) and one last feature, “The Unchastened Woman” in 1926. Though the press seemed to want Theda to come back, her final pictures were b rate and barely garnered much notice. In fact Rudy and Theda’s careers almost went opposite of each other. When Theda was famous Rudy was a b picture star. When Rudy was famous, Theda was a b picture star. The two never acted together, and perhaps this association comes from his films with Nita Naldi, easily Theda’s vamp successor. It’s unknown if they ever met, and in fact it might be unlikely. Theda did vaudeville tours during Rudy’s peak years. She didn’t really start attending Hollywood parties an
