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 the ...

during the

silent film era A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or 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 by ...

beauty contests from 1915 to 1928. Beginning in 1915, the original trio assembled by Sennett consisted of Evelyn Lynn, Cecile Evans, and

Marie Prevost Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a Canadian-born film actress. During her 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films. Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was d ...

. 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 Juanita Hansen (born Juanita Cecilia Hanson; March 3, 1895 – September 26, 1961) was an American actress who performed in silent films. She became one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties and appeared in a variety of serials through the late 19 ...

, Claire Anderson, Marie Prevost,

Phyllis Haver Phyllis Maude Haver (January 6, 1899 – November 19, 1960) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early life Haver was born in Douglass, Kansas to James Hiram Haver (1872–1936) and Minnie Shanks Malone (1879–1949). When sh ...

, Myrtle Lind and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

. Other notable Bathing Beauties include:

Marion Aye Marion Aye (April 5, 1903 – July 21, 1951) was an American actress of screen and stage who starred in several films during the 1920s, mostly comedies. She was sometimes credited as Maryon Aye. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughte ...

Alice Day Jacqueline Alice Irene Newlin (November 7, 1906 – May 25, 1995), professionally known as Alice Day, was an American film actress who began her career as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties. Early years Day was born in Colorado Springs, Co ...

Polly Moran Pauline Theresa Moran (June 28, 1883 – January 25, 1952) billed as Polly Moran, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage and screen and comedian. Career Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started in vaudeville, and widely toured North A ...

Madeline Hurlock Madeline Hurlock (December 12, 1897 – April 4, 1989) was a silent film actress. Biography Madeline Hurlock was born on December 12, 1897 (some sources say 1899 or 1900), the daughter of John W. Hurlock, an engineer, and Sallie Hurlock. S ...

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, worke ...

Mary Thurman Mary Thurman (née Christiansen; April 27, 1895 – December 22, 1925) was an American actress of the silent film era. Early life Mary Christiansen was born in Richfield, Utah on April 27, 1895, one of seven children raised in the Church of ...

Thelma Hill Thelma Hill (born Thelma Hillerman; December 12, 1906 – May 11, 1938) was an American silent screen comedian and one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties. Early life Hill was born Thelma Hillerman on December 12, 1906, in Emporia, Kansas. ...

Thelma Parr Thelma Parr (born Thelma Sill, October 19, 1906 – February 13, 2000) was an American actress. She is best remembered for her roles in Mack Sennett comedies as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties, appearing in numerous films for Mack Sennet ...

Marvel Rea Marvel Rea (November 9, 1901 – June 17, 1937) was an American silent film actress best known for her work beside Ford Sterling. She was one of Mack Sennett's "Bathing Beauties". Early life Marvel Luciel Rea was the third of four children ...

Harriet Hammond Harriet Hammond (October 20, 1899 – September 23, 1991) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1918 and 1930. Hammond, who was appearing in prominent roles in the Mack Sennett comedy feature ...

Evelyn Francisco Evelyn Francisco (born Evelyn Barton; August 13, 1904 – January 27, 1963) was a silent era film actress who began as a bathing beauty. Her sisters Betty''News Of The Cafes'', Los Angeles Times, August 19, 1925, p. A6. and Margaret Franci ...

Vera Steadman Vera Steadman (June 23, 1900 – December 14, 1966) was an American film actress of the silent era. Steadman was born on June 23, 1900, in Monterey, California. Before she began working in films, Steadman was experienced as a swimmer, high ...

, Josephine Cogdell,

Elinor Field Elinor Field (born Eleanor Field; January 4, 1902 – February 24, 1998) was an American film actress who was one of Mack Sennett's Sennett Bathing Beauties. She also starred in the 15-episode serial ''The Jungle Goddess'' (1922). Biography E ...

, and

Ora Carew Ora Carew (born Ora Whytock; April 19, 1891 – October 26, 1955), was an American silent film actress. She starred in several films between 1915 and 1925. She was known as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties. Early life Ora Whytock was born i ...

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

Mabel Normand Amabel Ethelreid Normand (November 9, 1893 – February 23, 1930), better known as Mabel Normand, was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She was a popular star and collaborator of Mack Sennett in their K ...

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 ''The Water Nymph'' (also known as ''The Beach Flirt'') is a 1912 American silent comedy "split reel" short film starring Mabel Normand and directed by Mack Sennett. Normand performed her own diving stunts for the film, which was the first Key ...

'' 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 Christie Film Company was an American pioneer motion picture company founded in Hollywood, California by Al Christie and Charles Christie, two brothers from London, Ontario, Canada. It made comedies. While Charles served almost exclusively in ...

' Bathing Beauties (counting

Raquel Torres Raquel Torres (born Paula Marie Osterman or Wilhelmina von Osterman; November 11, 1908 – August 10, 1987) was a Mexican-born American film actress. Her sister was actress Renee Torres. Early life Torres was born in Hermosillo to a German e ...

and

Laura La Plante Laura La Plante (born Laura Laplante; November 1, 1904 – October 14, 1996) was an American film actress, whose more notable performances were in the silent era. Early life La Plante was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 1, 1904, the dau ...

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 ...

's "Sunshine Girls" (counting

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later ...

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