Neptune's Daughter | |
---|---|
Directed by | Herbert Brenon |
Written by | Leslie T. Peacocke |
Starring | Annette Kellerman |
Cinematography | André Barlatier (French Wikipedia) |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7 reels |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Budget | approximately $50,000 |
Box office | $1 million |
Neptune's Daughter is a 1914 American silent fantasy film featuring the first collaboration between actress Annette Kellerman and director Herbert Brenon. [1] It was based on Kellerman's idea of "a water fantasy movie with beautiful mermaids in King Neptune's garden together with a good love story." It was filmed by Universal in Bermuda [2] during January and February, [3] cost approximately $50,000, [2] and grossed one million dollars at the box office. [2]
The daughter of the king of the water, King Neptune, takes on human form to avenge the death of her young sister, who was caught in a fishing net. However, she falls in love with the king of the land, King William, the man she holds responsible. [4]
George Blaisdell, writing for The Moving Picture World after seeing a pre-release screening, gave the film a positive review, noting that "There is a wealth of incident in 'Neptune's Daughter.' The story of intrigue at court is convincing and well portrayed. The transition of Annette from the dominions of Father Neptune to the world of mortals and vice versa is so skillfully treated that it seems the perfectly natural course of events". [4]
The film received renewed interest after 1916 when the popular A Daughter of the Gods was released, which also starred Kellerman and included a brief nudity scene. [5]
One reel of Neptune's Daughter footage is currently held in two archives, the National Film and Sound Archive and Gosfilmofond of Russia. This can be found on the Venus of the South Seas Region 1 DVD release as an extra feature. [6] [7] [8]
The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.
Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville star, film actress, and writer, usually known as Annette Kellerman.
Herbert Brenon was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through 1940.
Paul William "Tom" Santschi was an American leading man and character actor of the silent film era.
A Daughter of the Gods is a 1916 American silent fantasy drama film written and directed by Herbert Brenon. The film was controversial because of the sequences of what was regarded as superfluous nudity by the character Anitia, played by Australian swimming star Annette Kellermann. The scene is regarded as the first complete nude scene by a major star, which occurred during a waterfall sequence, though most of Kellerman's body is covered by her long hair. It was filmed by Fox Film Corporation in Kingston, Jamaica, where huge sets were constructed.
Clara Whipple(néeClara or Clarissa or Clarise Brimmer Whipple; November 7, 1887 – November 6, 1932) was an American actress who flourished in theatre from 1913 to 1915 and in silent film from 1915 to 1919. She was also a silent film scenario writer.
The Fall of the Romanoffs is a 1917 silent American historical drama film directed by Herbert Brenon. It was released only seven months after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in February 1917. This film is notable for starring Rasputin's rival, the monk Iliodor, as himself. Costars Nance O'Neil and Alfred Hickman were married from 1916 to Hickman's death in 1931. The film was shot in North Bergen, New Jersey, nearby Fort Lee, New Jersey, where many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based at the beginning of the 20th century.
Ivanhoe is a 1913 American silent adventure/drama film starring King Baggot, Leah Baird, Herbert Brenon, Evelyn Hope, and Walter Craven.
The Scarlet Letter (1911) is a silent drama motion picture short starring King Baggot, Lucille Young, and William Robert Daly.
A Kiss for Cinderella is a 1925 American silent fantasy film taken from the 1916 stage play by James M. Barrie. The film stars Betty Bronson and Tom Moore and was made at Paramount's Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens. The play had starred stage actress Maude Adams in the Bronson role. The film was seen by Walt Disney, and inspired him to create his company's 1950 animated adaptation.
Venus of the South Seas, also known as Venus of the Southern Seas, is a 1924 silent drama film directed by James R. Sullivan starring swimmer Annette Kellerman. It was one of the last films with footage in the Prizma Color process.
Traffic in Souls is a 1913 American silent crime drama film focusing on forced prostitution in the United States. Directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Jane Gail, Ethel Grandin, William H. Turner, and Matt Moore, Traffic in Souls is an early example of the narrative style in American films. The film consists of six reels, which was longer than most American films of the era.
The Song and Dance Man is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and released through Paramount Pictures. It is based on a play by George M. Cohan and was directed by Herbert Brenon. A copy of the film is housed in the Library of Congress collection. Of its original seven reels, only the final five survive.
A Sister of Six is a 1916 American silent Western film produced by the Fine Arts Film Company and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. The film was directed by brothers Chester M. and Sidney Franklin. This was Bessie Love's first starring role.
War Brides is a lost 1916 American silent war drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring Alla Nazimova. The film marked Nazimova's debut in motion pictures.
The Telephone Girl is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Herbert Brenon, produced by Famous Players–Lasky, released by Paramount Pictures, and based on the play The Woman (1911) by William C. deMille. This film starred Madge Bellamy, Holbrook Blinn, and Warner Baxter.
Anton the Terrible is a 1916 American drama silent film directed by William C. deMille and written by Marion Fairfax, Jules Eckert Goodman and Charles Sarver. The film stars Theodore Roberts, Anita King, Horace B. Carpenter, Harrison Ford, Edythe Chapman and Hugo B. Koch. The film was released on September 28, 1916, by Paramount Pictures.
King Lear is a 1916 silent film based on the 1606 play, directed by Ernest C. Warde and starring his father, the noted stage actor Frederick Warde. The film is one of a spate of Shakespearean films produced at the time to coincide with the 300th anniversary celebrations of William Shakespeare's death.
Queen of the Sea is a 1918 American silent fantasy film released by Fox Film Corporation that was directed by John G. Adolfi and starred Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman. This film is presumed to be lost.
William E. Shay(September 16, 1866 - ?) was an American actor of stage and silent films. He had leading roles including in The Clemenceau Case (1915), and A Daughter of the Gods (1916).