The Soul of Buddha


The Soul of Buddha is a 1918 American silent romance film directed by J. Gordon Edwards and starring Theda Bara, who also wrote the film's story. The film was produced by Fox Film Corporation and shot at the Fox Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Plot

As described in a film magazine, fascinated by the lure of white robes and dancing, Bava enters the Temple of Buddha. She is soon disillusioned and, yielding to the entreaties of Major John Dare of the British army, she flees with him and becomes his wife, incurring the enmity of Ysora, high priest from the temple. A child is born to the two but is later found dead with the Buddhist death mark on its forehead. This withers the soul of Bava, who leads her husband around the globe in search of happiness. Hardened by sorrow, she turns against Dare and bids him gone. At a Paris resort she meets a theatrical manager who is fascinated by her dancing. She accepts an offer to appear at his theater. At the night of her premiere her husband attempts a reconciliation, but is unsuccessful and kills himself in her dressing room. At the end of her dance Bava meets her death at the hands of Ysora.

Cast

Like many American films of the time, The Soul of Buddha was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut, in Reel 3, of the attack on the servant woman, all views of woman's leg exposed above the knee, in the Apache dance eliminate all views of Apache framing blonde woman's face with hands and wiggling her in close embrace, man kissing woman's arm and love scene following, and, Reel 5, stabbing of dancer.

Preservation status

The Soul of Buddha was considered to be a lost film, until November 3, 2025 when a clip from the film running 23 seconds was found in the documentary Theda Bara et William Fox.