Sennett Bathing Beauties was a bevy of women performing in bathing costumes assembled by film producer

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in th ...

during the silent film era.

Description

The Sennett Bathing Beauties appeared in Mack Sennett comedy short subjects, in promotional material, and in promotional events such as

Venice Beach Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed b ...

beauty contests from 1915 to 1928. Beginning in 1915, the original trio assembled by Sennett consisted of Evelyn Lynn, Cecile Evans, and Marie Prevost. Hundreds more would follow; many remained nameless. Not individually featured or named, many of these young women ascended to significant careers of their own, including Juanita Hansen, Claire Anderson, Marie Prevost, Phyllis Haver,

Myrtle Lind Margaret Victoria Anderson (September 2, 1898 – October 12, 1993) known professionally as Myrtle Lind was an American film actress. She was one of Mack Sennett's Sennett's Bathing Beauties, Bathing Beauties and appeared in several comedy ...

and Carole Lombard. Other notable Bathing Beauties include: Marion Aye, Alice Day, Polly Moran, Madeline Hurlock,

Vera Reynolds Vera Reynolds (born Vera Nancy Reynolds; November 25, 1899 – April 22, 1962) was an American film actress. Early life and career Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1899, Reynolds first worked in films at age 12. She began as a dancer, worked ...

, Mary Thurman, Thelma Hill, Thelma Parr, Marvel Rea, Harriet Hammond, Evelyn Francisco, Vera Steadman, Josephine Cogdell, Elinor Field, and Ora Carew. Billy Bevan (1)

Two of those often named as Bathing Beauties later distanced themselves from the appellation: Mabel Normand and

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

. Normand was a featured player, and her 1912 8-minute film '' The Water Nymph'' may have been the direct inspiration for the Bathing Beauties. Although Gloria Swanson worked for Sennett in 1916 and was photographed in a bathing suit, she was also a star and "vehemently denied" being one of the bathing beauties. Sennett explained his inspiration for the Bathing Beauties: In the 1920s, Sennett's Bathing Beauties remained popular enough to provoke imitators such as the Christie Studios' Bathing Beauties (counting Raquel Torres and Laura La Plante as alumnae) and

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

's "Sunshine Girls" (counting Janet Gaynor as an alumna).King, Rob (2009). ''The Fun Factory: the Keystone Film Company and the Emergence of Mass Culture'', p. 211. University of California Press. The Sennett Bathing Beauties continued to appear through 1928. There was a brief revival in 1949, in connection with publicity for the Sennett comedy compilation film ''Down Memory Lane''.

References

{{Reflist Mack Sennett Comedies short films