Theda Bara

Theda Bara, the American silent film actress was one of the most popular screen actresses of her era, and was one of cinema's earliest sex symbols.  Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname "The Vamp" (short for vampire) which soon became a popular slang term for a sexually predatory woman. 

Theda Bara made more than 40 feature films between 1914 and 1926. Only six of these films still exist in their entirety.