All posts tagged: silent films

Rate the dress: Fritz Lieber Sr as Ceasar

Last week most of you loved our heavily accessorised Regency beauty.  You rated her an 8.4 out of 10.  While I loved the overall painting, I have to agree with Stella: the accessories made the ensemble, and without them the dress would have been lucky to get a 2 out of 10. I wanted to do something really different and exciting for Rate the Dress today, and I though “ooooh….ancient costume!  Greek or Roman or something”.  And then I remembered the whole “there aren’t any extent ancient costumes” issue.  Blast. Blah.  Icky ick. So I present the next best thing: 20th century costume designers do ancient costume.  Or, more specifically, Fritz Leiber Sr as Ceasar from the now lost 1917 Cleopatra, opposite Theda Bara. I was going to show you Theda’s costume, but that seemed too easy.  We’ve seen variants of 1910’s and 20s sexy exotic before.  So manly warrior-emperor it is. Lieber’s Ceasar has it all: Greek wave patterned boots, an elaborate tunic, wristbands, a Babylonian gryphon across his chest, swooping cloak, and a …