''The Water Nymph'' (also known as ''The Beach Flirt'') is a 1912 American silent comedy "split reel" short film starring

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 directed by

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 ...

. Normand performed her own diving stunts for the film, which was the first

Keystone Studios Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...

comedy. The film precedes, and may have been the direct inspiration for, the

Sennett Bathing Beauties Sennett Bathing Beauties was a bevy of women performing in bathing costumes assembled by film producer Mack Sennett during the silent film era. Description The Sennett Bathing Beauties appeared in Mack Sennett comedy short subjects, in promotion ...

performers first featured in 1915.

Cast

as Diving Venus *

as Mack *

Ford Sterling Ford Sterling (born George Ford Stich Jr.; November 3, 1883 – October 13, 1939) was an American comedian and actor best known for his work with Keystone Studios. One of the 'Big 4', he was the original chief of the Keystone Cops. Biography ...

as Mack's Father *

Gus Pixley Gus Pixley (1864 – June 2, 1923) was an American actor-singer and comic on the theatre stage, and an actor of the silent era. He appeared in burlesque, vaudeville, and minstrelsy with "America's greatest female impersonator," Burton Stanl ...

Fred Mace Fred Mace (August 22, 1878 – February 21, 1917) was a comedic actor during the silent era in the United States. He appeared in more than 150 films between 1909 and 1916. Mace worked for Mack Sennett at Keystone Studios. Shortly after he left, ...

* Edward Dillon * Mary Maxwell as Nymph *

Mae Busch Mae Busch (born Annie May Busch; 18 June 1891 – 20 April 1946) was an Australian-born actress who worked in both silent and sound films in early Hollywood. In the latter part of her career she appeared in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, freque ...

(unconfirmed)

Production notes

''The Water Nymph'' was shot on location in

Venice, Los Angeles 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 ...

References

External links

*
The Water Nymph (1912) at archive.org
1912 films 1912 comedy films Silent American comedy films American silent short films American black-and-white films Films directed by Mack Sennett Films shot in Los Angeles Keystone Studios films 1912 short films Articles containing video clips American comedy short films 1910s American films {{1910s-short-comedy-film-stub