Cleopatra (1917) - Newly Discovered Footage

[@oldfilmsandstuff4679]

Thanks for watching everyone! This isn't the last time that I will be posting Cleopatra related footage so be sure to stay tuned.

[@ehtz]

I’m wiping right now and i’m shocke

[@Unbreakify]

Do you have the entire movie, or did you only recieve this clip?

[@xXDoomWolfeXx]

thank you so much for protecting this piece!! it is such an amazing gift to have it saved

[@alternateunreleasedshellac505]

Do you think you could restore any of the films Al Bowlly was in? I know the BFI has access to every film, but they won't release it to the public for some reason.

[@FreedomLovingLoyalist]

It's absolutely beautiful, keep it safe from harms reach.

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

Judging from this brief footage, it's apparent that this was an elaborate, well-mounted production. It makes it all the more regrettable that the rest of this film is lost. Theda Bara was one of the silent era's legendary stars, and I wish we had more of her output.❤

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

Every kid who loved old movies back in the pre-cable TV days remembers the film history books all had a picture of Theda Bara posed seductively as Cleopatra. Heavy eye makeup. The wide hips and one leg posed out of her "Egyptian" clothing...."Theda Bara was an anagram of 'Arab Death'...she was known as "The Vamp".

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

​@@paulaharrisbaca4851 I can concur!

[@jesustovar2549]

@@paulaharrisbaca4851 Once I was in a huge antique store, they had everything, books, projectors, record players, with records included, they had this huge photo of Theda Bara hanging on a wall, I recognized it, atte: I'm 19 years old and I just love old things/films.

[@cosmic_passer-by6496]

It’s very sonder

[@tudorhistoryguy]

She said in an interview that there was no research department so every day she'd go to the New York library and just read about Cleopatra. I think in some ways she had a lot more input about the production than actors do now.

[@arseface2k934]

It's crazy to think how many "lost" films have at least partial copies just lying around, collecting dust in somebody's attic. Hopefully more will be discovered soon.

[@joseguerreroneri18]

Definitely.

[@JimMilton-ej6zi]

If It's film it's got a shelf life, and they weren't built to last

[@thallysonyuri5]

Concordo Alguém deve ter gravado o filme, enjoado dele, guardado no sótão e esquecido dele Está esperando ser achado

[@MediaArchive2-z9f]

@@joseguerreroneri18 Clara Bow in The Pill Pounder 1923 recently found.

[@Erica_Obviously]

@@JimMilton-ej6ziwell the studio that held all her films burnt down, hence why many of them were considered lost. This is such an amazing find!

[@calfman3333]

this “new” footage really puts in perspective how grand in scale this movie was at the time, further making it crazy that an epic of its magnitude could vanish forever

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

Im honored to be one of the first people, to witness this ancient piece of incredible movie history, not seen by general public in 100 years, im sharing this

[@marknewbold2583]

That's modern history

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

@@marknewbold2583 Modern is a bit subjective when it comes to these things,this is basically ancient, not the oldest, but old

[@mumzy996]

Same, I'm 27 and have been watching silent films since I was a child and I hope this vital art will be preserved for future generations.

[@Goldaction0]

😂😂😂😂😂 is that what you think?

[@cezar211091]

​@frozenwarningare you here to correct the way people talk? He means very old

[@BritMonkey]

I cannot even imagine how you felt when you realised what you had discovered.

[@HatterTobias]

Must be one of pure joy and ecstasy

[@oldfilmsandstuff4679]

It was a very sureal experience.

[@kerberos9821]

Hopefully there are more lost films waiting to be rediscovered lurking on online shops.@@oldfilmsandstuff4679

[@cici-ht6px]

I heard he didn't know what it was and had to ask around

[@SDS-ee9js]

To watch a 106 year old film that the general public has not seen in over 100 years, is just… I don’t even know the word. Incredible?

[@GrandpasOldMoviesChest]

That's a good word.

[@linoleum61900]

It may be 41 seconds, but this is still a legendary find.

[@SaturnD]

Seeing new footage of this film suddenly turn up after over a century is incredible! Even from this short segment you can tell it was an amazingly impressive movie for 1917.

[@scrappy2082]

just from these 40 seconds alone you could tell so much effort was put into the film. such a shame its lost :(

[@Saturnome]

I never thought I'd get to see anything from Theda Bara's Cleopatra. This is exciting and I can't wait until the video goes up. Thank you

[@bgp001]

A short clip also exists and is up on youtube already

[@Carriedeeznutz]

Even just a few seconds, this is HUGE! You’re really doing amazing work and I hope you know how much you’re appreciated!

[@charlesramos4294]

Not only is it amazing to see newly rediscovered footage of Theda Bara, but also Western star Art Acord as Kephren along with Delle Duncan as Iras and Dorothy Drake as Charmian, the personal handmaidens to Cleopatra!

[@fullmoonmatinee1698]

Hell yeah - she was the cat's meow back in the Silent Era! It's a shame that all of her films were lost in that fire. But so many -- if not most -- silent films have been lost due to destruction (such as a studio fire), studios going bankrupt (and nobody to pay storage/warehousing fees), or just a simple "disinterest" in preservation (once "talkies" came in, the old "silent" movies began to be viewed as nearly worthless). And as an Ohio man myself, I gotta say it: she was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio!

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

Not all her films were lost,A fool there was (1915),East Lyne (1916) and The unchasted woman (1925) survived. But her best films Carmen,Du Barry,Cleopatra and Salome had their negatives destroyed in the Fox vault fire in 1937. It is a miracle that any scene still exists.

[@fullmoonmatinee1698]

@@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526 Oh, cool ! I was under the impression that ALL of her films were lost. Then I’ll have to look for the movies you listed, and watch my Cincinnati girl !!

[@VinMar-m6w]

Why oh why oh why oh Why did I ever leave Ohio? Why did I wander To find what lies yonder When life was so cozy at home? Wondering while I wander Why did I fly? Why did I roam? Oh why oh why oh Did I leave Ohio? Maybe I'd better go O - H - I - O Maybe I'd better go home!

[@cellytron]

I love that she was marketed as this exotic beauty from Egypt, descended from Pharoahs or something, into the occult, possibly able to perform black magic… and meanwhile Theodosia Goodman was just a nice girl born and raised in Ohio 🤣

[@lamalama9717]

Black Death!

[@nullera]

Not gonna lie this actually almost made me tear up a bit, this is absolutely insane, I never thought we'd ever see anything more of this film, but this got recommended to me a minute ago and I'm completely blown-away and totally amazed!

[@trenchartproductions1895]

Cleopatra (Theda Bara) in anguish for Marc Antony, whom she believes is dead or is alive but blaming her for the defeat at Actium. Kephren (Art Acord) reports that the armies of Octavius are marching on the city.

[@julianhermanubis6800]

I honestly thought this was going to be a prank, like a few years ago when someone posted a video claiming to have found footage from "London After Midnight" and, after a long introduction, you were Rick-rolled. But this is genuine, and it is amazing. That footage needs to be duped on safety film by a museum.

[@ismayb754]

Agreed, I seriously felt a prank coming.

[@jointheclan6700]

So cool

[@nobodysperfect06]

I really hope this is a sign that the rest of the lost footage still survives out there somewhere awaiting to be rediscovered, I hope by miracle a complete print still exists out there. Even though the odds are stacked against that, I want to keep hope alive.

[@PungiFungi]

Every year the chance of rediscovering them gets smaller and smaller as any surviving print out there right now may be deteriorating into oblivion.

[@XioJN]

Woah, such a weird feeling to see a film that is over 100 years old created before my entire family. Good job for your hard work for preserving old media

[@Shock_Treatment]

Well, your ancestors were alive when this was made. It wasn't that long ago.

[@starkillerdude1914]

It kind of makes you wonder what other lost films are just sitting in someone's film collection rotting away.

[@Mew_Master]

The rest is out there somewhere… I can feel it!

[@BattOuttaHel]

Holy shit this is incredible. I always found that the idea of lost silent films seemed super eriee to me, not because the films themselves but because the idea of lost footage of long dead people being completely forgotten felt so disturbing to me. So seeing something like this be restored is so crazy yet beautiful to me

[@patmonte8426]

You perfectly described the thing I'm feeling about this subject! Thank you!

[@frijolesborracho9340]

@@patmonte8426 thank you bill cipher

[@JohnnyChicago]

Good to see people are still out there trying to preserve the past in film. This could have been a great film to watch one day, I guess we'll never know. Thanks for posting!

[@MuchWhittering]

What's especially noteworthy to me is that this came out in 1917, and the last known full copy was destroyed in 1937. It existed for only 20 years before it was destroyed. That'd be like a film from 2004 today. Insane that it's been lost for more than 4 times as long as it existed for.

[@cL-bf2ug]

Can’t help but feel much dread when remembering that most silent films are completely gone. This was so beautiful to see. Thank you for uploading this.

[@Peter-Luior]

It's great that it fell into the hands of someone who knows how to properly scan and clean the footage.

[@michaelmcgee8543]

Pristine! That fragment was excellent. No scratches, perfect.If only the rest of the film could be found in that condition.

[@TheAnneMarie]

Thank you for this! I’m a descendant of Art Acord and seeing footage of him from anything is always a treat!

[@Jordan3DS]

That's awesome, I'm happy for you! Which actor is he in this footage?

[@surajganiger2837]

@@Jordan3DS probably the one thats raising his hand at 1:02

[@Jordan3DS]

@@surajganiger2837 That's what I figured, but I was wondering if maybe he was one of the other men in the scene

[@deletdis6173]

​@@surajganiger2837I can see the resemblance in OPs pfp, that's wild.

[@surajganiger2837]

@@deletdis6173 yeah pretty cool isnt it

[@holyspacemonkey]

I cannot get over the fact that we can see this now. Still in shock. Thank you! It looks gorgeous!

[@trevoreyre2775]

You got to tell Lost Media Mike!

[@deletdis6173]

Yup

[@alexvokoun9272]

Imagine being such a huge star as Theda Bara was at this time. And then not only fell out of favor and then to to have your entire work get destroyed? Thankfully, a few of her movies are still surving.

[@rudyfan1926]

thank you so much for scanning and preserving this super important piece of cinema history. And moreso , thank you so much for sharing it here on KZbin with the world. What a fantastic clip, tantalizing! I only wish there were more. I know I'm greedy. But the condition on this footage is amazing, and it looks like such an opulent production, here's hoping that someday more will be found and we'll all get to see it. This made my day!

[@clownfromclowntown]

This is amazing!! It's people like you that give me hope that Cleopatra and so many other lost movies can be discovered someday. Thank you for uploading this!

[@abagelmuppetstuff]

Interesting this was included with a toy film projector! Makes you wonder more about the print's origin.

[@bluegoose7832]

Cleopatra 1917 represents the hope that all film preservationists have... that somewhere out there, in someone's storage, there is a chance that history can be rediscovered and experienced today. This is a huge find. We've only ever had a few seconds of footage for the last several decades. This is proof that there is so much more that is still out there waiting to be rediscovered... other fragments of this film could be anywhere, and I believe that we'll find more eventually... we'll probably never see the full film, but the brief glimpses we can see is fascinating enough. From this footage, this movie looked to be a very large production at the time. Very impressive

[@midnightvoyage105]

Incredible find! Gives us a lot of hope in uncovering more footage in the future.

[@nobodysperfect06]

Yeah I want to keep hope alive, another way to put it is that I want to remain open to a miracle in which the rest of the lost footage of this film survive which would ultimately result in a complete print, even though the odds are highly stacked against that

[@michaelspilman5220]

anybody who wants to find lost films could do a hell of a lot worse than go to Prague . a lot of lost films seem to turn up there . From Michael from Yorkshire and proud of it .

[@LiamC328]

Bro, as time passes lost media only becomes more lost

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

​@@AzathothTheGreat I'm fascinated by the fact that we have Metropolis like 98 % found, especially since preservating it was apparently only thought of in the 70s, 50 years after the movie came out. And some of that came from a guy who had a working almost complete copy like 90 years after the movie's release.

[@ruthiehenshallfan99]

I saw this yesterday and I was absolutely in awe of it all! The production looks incredible, which only makes me wish the whole movie was still around! Thank you for uploading this incredible find!

[@DannyBoy111285]

The Theda Bara Fan Page channel lead me here to your channel and I've become a subscriber. Congratulations on this discovery and many thanks to you for the scanning, cleaning & general preservation of this footage and for uploading it here to KZbin for any & everyone to see. It's greatly appreciated. Not only is this footage interesting, but the quality is really superb too and I totally agree that there is indeed a lot packed into this brief fragment of footage. What a magnificent find! Now if only a complete print of Cleopatra (1917) in good condition was discovered, that would be absolutely amazing. Of course I know it's highly unlikely, but one can certainly hope.

[@mistersurrealist]

What a magnificent snippet, so crisp and clear. It's a nitrate print after all. Someday someone will find a perfectly preserved complete nitrate print. Mark my words.

[@kordru]

this is UNBELIEVABLE!!! i'm so blown away... this looks so beautiful even after years.

[@Stojko322]

That looked absolutely pristine and beautiful. You are doing great work!!

[@michael_pdf]

Can't stop watching this. I read up on lost silent films all the time and it was hard to imagine the scope of this movie on 17 seconds of Theda Bara's grace alone. But these set pieces, the drama, in a great restoration.. man. I feel confident more seconds of this movie will pop its head some day. Thanks for all of the work on this!

[@HaydenofEverything]

The thing that surprises me is the quality of the footage, with it still being in very good shape after all of these years. Not to mention the fact that it really shows just how much of a feat this film was at the time. What really stood out to me as well was the fact that the film seems to have used an integrated cast, which is insane for the 1910s.

[@mr.r8939]

Production value was wild!

[@exoticzave1173]

Wow, Amazing find man, It's so cool that this lost media that has been kinda forgotten is given a new spotlight with more footage found, Hope that more will be discovered :D

[@renanalves6524]

This made me want to watch the full movie so much. I didn’t have an idea how impressive this movie was. It’s a shame how a gigantic movie like ‘Cleopatra’ has been lost. It’s a piece of art + history. I hope it gets found soon. I can’t die without watch the full thing.

[@sjdrifter72]

Yep, just like I can't die without hearing the full version of 'Everyone Knows That' or watching 1974's 'HIM", the lost gay Jesus film.

[@Exnem]

According to Deutsche Kinemathek 80-90% of silent films are gone; the film archive's own list contains over 3,500 lost films. This is the cradle of an artform, most of it will never be seen again.

[@fernandarangelgoncalves1817]

Yes! That's it! We got around 60/80 seconds counting with the 20/40 seconds that can be found here on KZbin (even though I believe one of the scenes is just a screen costume test).

[@johnlargan6045]

Congratulations on this amazing find! It's truly a wonderful thing to see even this smaller amount of footage of Theda as Cleopatra! These particular shots give a good indication of the scope and drama of the production, as well as the artistry of the camerawork. Thank you!!

[@wiremuwifebash]

Thank you for going out of your way not only to digitise this footage, but to do so in 4K, too. You've truly preserved what could be the only glimpse we'll get of this lost epic.

[@simonboyce2235]

I am glad old lost Films are being found

[@THEnicholasvancosky]

After looking at this for the first time, it's honestly a shame that this and that 10 second clip will probably be the only bits of Cleopatra that we'll ever see.

[@MerriwynMoon]

Never say die, lost media turns up in some of the strangest places! I mean we got almost a minute of new film!! Who knows what's out there!!

[@davidalp6079]

Oh my gosh its the first time I've EVER seen Theda Bara's face MOVING in a film, as oppose to just seeing Stills of her. THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this. And wow its 43 seconds of footage, so nearly an entire minute! Usually the Toy Projector footage are shorter than that, so this is a milestone in finding Cleopatra. Isn't this MIND BLOWING that it was found on Ebay...

[@dedion-boutonondemand]

You’re doing God’s work here. Thank you

[@Mae-nr7wr]

worst part is that somewhere out there, there could still be a full copy living its last few years before getting destroyed forever in a way finding a lost tape like this is like finding the tombs in egypt

[@auroramacula]

I'm sure you understand how legendary you are. This is a shocking discovery and i only hope more enthusiasts such as you will cave in for more relics!!

[@kamilla1960]

Thank you for the beautiful restoration of this fragment. It gives the impression of a film of epic sweep and elegance. Theda Bara was more than just a 'vamp;' it is a shame so little of her work has been preserved.

[@AustinStephan]

Theda Bara was one of the most uniquely styled actresses of her time. Her role in this film definitely influenced goth and emo looks of the 21st century...at least imo

[@weirddd469]

Crazy how it took one eBay purchase to obtain seconds of a lost 100 year old silent film

[@VTMCompany]

Totally amazing. Fox always produced superior pictures. It was such a loss their nitrates were destroyed in the fire. I would have loved seeing "Fox Movietone Follies of 1929."

[@bostonrailfan2427]

looks like four or five sets, a major amount of movement involving extras, elaborate costumes, heavy makeup beyond the normal black and white makeup, and spliced together seemlessly…this was why the Oscars were created: to honor achievements like this!

[@josephharvat6202]

Fabulous find and great work on the restoration!

[@mrrockinboppin707]

first JBVO DBZ, then the Super Why pilot, then Hate Hurts You, then Blue Prints, and now this... 2023 so far has been another amazing year for lost media, incredible discovery as always.

[@themanguy189]

I can’t imagine the legitimate pain and frustration of finding out that the movie you spent a lot of time on, and that you put a lot of work into was lost and forgotten forever. That must truly have an effect on the people involved…

[@tavoh3200]

Thank you man, you did a great thing uploading this for free in the name of preservation. Sucks though that it seems from these short segments the tales are true and this film if fully preserved could've been remembered as one of the greatest films ever made

[@Cymbourine]

This is such an amazing find, I would have never thought I’d be able to see more of this film than the 15 seconds that survived. The restoration is insanely clear as well!

[@oldmisterhoward1913]

Thank You so much for putting together those beautiful flickering Gems of Silent Cinema History and sharing them with us!

[@imafgt4916]

Thanks for the footage. Gorgeous and never thought I'd see this much of the film ❤

[@Gert-c2b]

On top of how amazing this is: this is astonishingly well kept!

[@Dyotar0]

It is an honour to be one of the first witnesses

[@barbarafernandes6557]

This is amaziiiiiiing!!! It really gives hope that the complete movie might be somewhere out there

[@cellytron]

I’ll be damned! I didn’t think we’d ever see so much as another frame of this movie. Well done!

[@DysprosiumJudas]

Unbelievable. Thank you so much for discovering, preserving, and sharing. Gives me hope that there might yet be a chance that more of the film can be saved.

[@supersmallchibiwolf872]

It's amazing that people are finding, restoring and publishing these classic films. To have people restore these classic films is great so we can appreciate the hard work of those back then and so the love and passion of these preformers don't go away forever. Cool video. ^_^

[@sIacker]

This is incredible, and beautifully restored

[@ThomasTCB]

Its truly astonishing how these films are being found 106 years later! Never stop uploading your the beat channel on youtube when it comes to Silent Films Lost Media

[@TheNathanNS]

The restoration quality is insane.

[@southparkguy]

YES! YES!! You're a beast, a cinematic champion. This is a great day for lost media, thanks for going through the trouble of getting this scanned and up on KZbin. It looks astonishing.

[@kd6gs]

Man I'm glad we have the footage of Cleopatra.

[@en6853]

Man I wish we had the whole thing. Fantastic upload op. Thanks

[@theface6584]

Thank you for making your fragment available to the public! It’s alway good to hear of lost media being rediscovered.

[@2devious724]

Honestly insane how a fire could destroy an actor’s entire filmography back in the day. I’m really glad this footage was found.

[@jeepmega629]

This is genuinely incredible, thank you for sharing this!

[@NewWorldCinema100]

Breathtaking - and the print is in such great condition! It does raise hope that more will be found. Marvellous - congratulations!

[@christamarie1983]

It has been a pleasure. Thank you so very much for your hard work!

[@randomdudewholikesmusic1640]

The amount of money spent on the outfits, locations, jewelry, calvery, retakes/reshoots of said calvery and races, would make it more expensive than any film of the era. Fascinating, yet sad how something so high profile could vanish so quickly.

[@ladyagnes7781]

It looks imcredible! What an amazing find. I am so happy that you shared it with all of us.

[@Nameless0061]

20 seconds of this is better than the whole Netflix show.

[@Omnibushido-]

Wow, this is so cool! I’m at a loss for words. I’m by no means a film buff, but even I can see the value in this amazing find. Keep up the awesome work, my friend!

[@yugom488mmmauser2]

Some solid proof there is more of this movie out there... somewhere... Here's hoping I get to see this in full.

[@saraannackerman152]

Wow! You did a wonderful job cleaning this film up. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing!

[@johnl1685]

Wow. It's almost like discovering a scroll from the Alexandrian library.

[@NirvanaFan24]

I feel gratitude to finally see a short segment of this wonderfully made film that once was. I felt as though i was waiting anxiously for something like this to come on the internet for so long. Like a kid at a candy shop. I do hope we will find a full length of this wonderful film. Time goes so fast, it flashes like blinding lights. Once the light fades we will go out with it, such as life. and another generation will seek to find what once was. I wish that when i am older that the lost Silent films will be found and rightfully looked after. I am but a 17 year old girl though i feel that i am much matured thwn my peers who are not interested in such art. Maybe there are people who are like me and wish to discuss such interests.

[@IAmJimRetzer]

Astonishingly good condition for having been lost and neglected for the past hundred years. It's in far better shape than the previously released footage.

[@edwinmayer7682]

Wow i've never expected something like this will got discovered after a long years, this is so cool

[@srbarkerchan]

You're doing the Lord's work, my friend.

[@CJBerry-ph6cx]

Thank you for uploading this. It's hard to be a Theda Bara fan, with what little remains of her films.

[@initiatorhater0688]

i want to keep hope alive that a complete surviving print, copy, of this film still survives out there, as extremely doubtful as it is, seems or feels, i want to remain open to a miracle. Same thing in regards to London After Midnight from 1927, as much as the odds are highly against that. I also hope lost films of Clara Bow or Colleen Moore still exist, or are found as well. Same thing with Hats Off of Laurel and Hardy.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

Amazing .Any scene from this movie (as well as Theda's Salome) should not exist anymore but in 2023 we can see it.

[@kimichangas4439]

I’m glad this was recommended to me, not sure why as I don’t have any history of researching or watching old films etc but very fascinating to see this and hear briefly of how it came to be lost. I can’t imagine how excited you must have been receiving this and realising what you had ! So cool!