The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-15
Milton Relatiue of 7heda Bara
Tells Descent of Famous Vamp

why do you come to ask me about
Theda Bara?" questioned Mrs. Earl
Vigran, Of Milton, Ind, who is a second
cousin Of the popular film vampire
IF you want to know the history of
my famous relative Sou can find it in
many papers and magazines and in
much better form than I can give it
to you" she answered to the various
queries that were made to her.
Mrs. Visran, who is a very charm
Ing woman. with a pleasant smile,
though she was little reticent about
her knowledge of her Thespian rela-
tive, finally consented to say that her
mother and Theda Bara's father were
first cousins. The two families were
originally from Cincinnati
Lived In Cincinnati.
At the beginning of the interview it
was learned that Mrs. Vigran, who re-
fused to divulge her maiden name. and
Theda Bara-or Theodosia Goodman,
as she was then known-lived in Gin
cinnati until the latter was about IA
years old, when her family moved to
New York. The two branches of the
family seemingly drifted apart for sew
eral years.
II was very much surprised a few
years ago when saw Theda in one of
her first films" Mrs. Vigran stated
1T had been several years since | saw
her, but the features were the same
and l was able to recognize her."
After Miss Bara went on the legiti-
mate stage. playing in "The Blue
Flame" Mrs. Vigran went to Cincin-
natl to see her play. This was the
first time the two had met for several
years and a happy reunion took place
The two do not carry on regular
correspondence but the successes
of her famous relative are watched
with deep interest by the Milton wom-
an.
Changes Name.
The name of Theodosia Goodman is
no longer used by the Queen of the
Vampire World the name Theda
Bara having been legalized by the
courts and adopted by her family She
was called after Aaron Burr's daugh-
ter, Theodosia, and it was her girlhood
friends who first shortened it to
"Theda": She was born in Cincinnati,
and her father was of Russian and
Italian blood. "Bara' was family
patronymic in the Italian branch.
According to Mrs. Vigran, the fam
lily is not particularly devoted to the
stage, although she limited at the fact
that there was one other Very famous
actor closely related to the French
branch. She stated that this actor
had never played in this country, al
though he was very well known
abroad
In Early TWenties.
Miss Bara is now in her early twen-
ties and during the four and one-half
years of her stage career she has
made metioric rise as the heroine of
moving picture vampire plays" Aft
er appearing in SO picture plays, in
Guiding cleopatra and "Salome" she
is now on the stage in "The Blue
Flame spoken drama. 1t is per-
sistently rumored however that she
will either leave the legitimate stage
or return to moving pictures.
1t is said of the noted actress that
she is devoted to home and mother,
reads "solid' literature. works as hard
as day laborer, and likes to analyze
human nature.
In an article relating an interview
with Miss Bara it is stated that "one
moment, she is perfectly frank; the
next she makes mystery of some ut
terly commonplace thing. She would