THE REINCARNATION OF KARMA (1912)
Article 2330 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-12-2007
Posting Date: 12-29-2007
Directed by Van Dyke Brooke
Featuring Rosemary Theby, Courtenay Foote, Lillian Walker

In ancient times, a priest in India finds himself tempted by a woman named Qunitreea. He has her transformed into a snake as a punishment. In modern times, a man and a woman engaged to be married visit the ruins of the temple of the priest, and find a snake which returns to her original form every 100 years. The man sees the transformation, and…

If you’ve read the title of the movie, you should know what one of the final revelations will be. And since the title cards reveal that vengeance is part of the story, you won’t be surprised by how it turns out. All in all, it’s a middlingly entertaining early silent. Rosemary Theby is probably the most memorable character as the temptress; she dances with a certain snaky charm. Nowadays, she’s most remembered for playing W.C. Fields’ wife in his classic short, THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER; she also played a cave woman in ONE MILLION B.C .