Annette Kellerman Movies
Before there was Esther Williams, there was the "Diving Venus," Australia-born actress Annette Kellerman. An extraordinary beauty, Kellerman was a champion marathon swimmer and diver, who, as a youth, had a birth defect in her leg. To help correct it, she began to swim and took ballet lessons. Later she moved to England with her father. Kellerman gained most of her media attention when she successfully swam 30 miles down the Thames. Eventually, she went to the U.S. where she gained notoriety in 1907 for wearing a shocking one-piece bathing suit that revealed her arms and legs. She was in Boston at the time and was wearing the daring get up when the police arrested her for indecent exposure. Later the charges were dropped and she went on to have a stage career. Eventually she began working for Universal studios, starring in a number of aquatic films such as Neptune's Daughter (1909), A Daughter of the Gods (1916) and Venus of the South Seas (1924). In 1952, Esther Williams played Kellerman in the fictionalized biopic Million Dollar Mermaid. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2003
Although she may remain virtually unheard of today, Australian swimmer, diver, vaudeville entertainer, and silent film star Annette Kellerman was one of the most famous women of the early 20th century. Initially taking up swimming in an effort to overcome a childhood bout with rickets, Kellerman eventually learned to utilize her aquatic skills to entertain and inspire. Later moving into vaudeville and film after conquering the Yarra, the Thames, the Seine, and the English Channel, Kellerman's remarkable life was eventually adapted into the 1952 biopic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams. Utilizing interviews and restored archival footage of Kellerman, filmmaker Michael Cordell brings the legend of one of the entertainment industry's most enduring figures into the next century, reminding viewers of her legacy and inspiring those who have yet to hear her story. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annette Kellerman, Esther Williams, (more)
- 1924
Shonda (Annette Kellerman) and her father are marooned on an uncharted island in the South Seas. She relates her story to a group of native children. Some spectacular outdoor scenes give Kellerman ample opportunity to perform swimming and diving exhibitions. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annette Kellerman
- 1916
It is nothing short of tragic that none of the elaborate Annette Kellerman vehicles directed by Herbert Brenon exists today. In addition to her legendary swimming skills, Kellerman was a charming and captivating actress, and as a bonus she looked sensational in the revealing costumes chosen for her by the box-office savvy Brenon. Like Kellerman's previous Neptune's Daughter, the "million dollar" Fox production Daughter of the Gods was a lavish fairy tale, set long long ago in a land far far away. The setting was an Atlantis-like kingdom, where the heroine was forced to contend sword-and-sorcery style with various and sundry ghoulies, ghosties and goblins -- as well as a few human villains -- before achieving true happiness with her Prince Charming. Stills exist of Daughter of the Gods showing the shapely Kellerman clad in little more than her long, flowing hair; for this reason alone, moviegoers should mourn the loss of this undoubtedly fascinating film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1914
The first of the spectacular, Herbert Brenon-directed Annette Kellerman vehicles, Neptune's Daughter cost a fortune for pinchpenny Universal pictures, but fortunately made back its cost many times over. Exploiting Kellerman's fame as an aquatic star, the film casts her as the daughter of King Neptune himself (hence the title!). Her principal antagonist is the Witch of the Sea, who has the power to grant and take away immortality. She must also contend with the scheming Leah Baird, who hopes to steal Kellerman's sweetheart William E. Shay away from her. Technically a mermaid, Kellerman occasionally forays onto dry land, where she wears medieval costuming (her "outfit" as Neptune's Daughter consists of nothing but a body stocking and a flowing wig, giving the impression of total nudity!) By film's end, she is back under the sea, where the minions of the Sea Witch do battle against the forces of Neptune. Not only did director Brenon oversee some of the most elaborate sets ever constructed, but he also reportedly had the seacoast of Bermuda (where the film was shot) re-designed to suit his purposes! Alas, Neptune's Daughter, like all of the Brenon-Kellerman collaborations, is now considered a lost film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
