User Reviews

Swimming heiress Annette Kellerman (as Shona Royal) is the "most skillful diver in the South Seas. As "swift and sure as any creature of the water," Ms. Kellerman is the captain of her father's pearling fleet. She lives with daddy Roland Purdie (as John Royal) and numerous native servants, on their island paradise "Manea". The Royals deal with snaky supply ship captain Norman French (as John Drake), who encourages their natives to steal, by buying their booty. Later, Mr. French will cause trouble on ship. Before all that, Kellerman falls in love with passing pleasure cruiser Robert Ramsey (as Robert Quane Jr.). Mr. Ramsey is so smitten with Kellerman, he may give up his playboy lifestyle!

Kellerman's best film was the lost epic "A Daughter of the Gods", a spectacular hit upon release and reissued into the 1920s; but, unfortunately, no copy has surfaced for present inspection. Kellerman still looks incredibly fit, but "Venus of the South Seas" is not really a good representation. She was, likely, not an "actress" as much as a celebrity, causing a sensation by appearing in a shocking (at the time) "one piece" bathing suit; and, later, appearing nude on film. No nudity in "Venus", which is mildly notable for some colorful underwater footage.

**** Venus of the South Seas (2/24) James R. Sullivan ~ Annette Kellerman, Robert Ramsey, Norman French

Australian swimming sensation Annette Kellerman is remembered today thanks to the biopic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams. Once thought a lost film, Venus of the South Seas was recently restored by the Library of Congress. This film has historical significance for the use of primza color in some underwater scenes and generous use of tinting and toning throughout and the new print was stunning. However, the melodramatic plot was tedious, the direction (by Kellerman's husband James R. Sullivan) was clunky and as an actress, Kellerman was a great swimmer. I was glad to see it, but once was enough. Viewed at Cinesation in Massillon Ohio in October 2004.

Despite its interesting use of color tints, the charm of its real locations and some reasonable acting in the support cast, the last of Miss Kellerman's feature-length movies (and the only one that is available in complete form in 2008) proves something of a disappointment. The first problem lies in Miss Kellerman herself. She is, to put it kindly, a ham of the first water. Her only rival in the scenery-chewing department would be John Barrymore at his worst.

Okay, so we're not watching the film to see fine acting, but simply to view the legendary Annette Kellerman in her prime. Well, this aspect is none too bright either. Miss Kellerman has aged a little since she frolicked around as a mermaid in "Neptune's Daughter" (1914), and although she is still a top-hole diver and swimmer, her figure is a little chunky, or at least a little too muscular by 2008 standards of feminine beauty.

Never mind that! What about the swimming and the underwater ballet fantasy? Well, that's a bit of a letdown too. I guess I was expecting something akin to the Esther Williams' re-enactments in "Million Dollar Mermaid" (1952). This sequence here is brightly colored, but long and repetitious.

Oddly, the best thing about the movie is not Miss Kellerman, not the swimming and underwater sequences, not the location scenery, but the old-hat plot! True, Robert Ramsey makes a dull hero (his career lasted only two films), but Australian actor Norman French puts a bit of life into his villain, and director Sullivan himself (Miss Kellerman's real-life husband) is very personable and charismatic as the first mate.

Miss Kellerman was a huge draw in the 1910s, her films were sold on her aquatic adventures, wearing very little over a flesh toned body stocking. I don't know if there's much of her films of that time, I haven't seen any, but now, in the mid 1920s, she was no longer new and exciting, or able to pull in big crowds.

So she's in what can only be described, charitably, as a "B" picture, made by the insignificant "Lee-Bradford" company.

Her looks are no help; she has an odd face, her body is far from a "Venus", when seen in a tight, one piece bathing costume, she looks more lumpy than curvaceous.

The plot includes a phantasy segment where she tells a group of children a submerged fairy story in which She plays parts in. If I'm not mistaken, this is a call back to some of the Earlier Fox Studios' Kellerman features. But this one is confusing and ineptly filmed, leaving one more bewildered than charmed.

The casting is bad, too, everyone seems too young, that is, except for Annette, who's apparently trying to portray a teenager. The bad guy, piratical sea captain looks like he'd fall down in a stiff breeze. The make-up on some of the men has to be seen to be believed.

The story has pretty broad believability problems, including a small pouch of pearls being thrown overboard in middle of the ocean, being able to be retrieved by Annette, without any equipment, diving to the bottom of the sea!

This was her last film, I guess it must not have been worth doing more. It's a kid's film, it would seem, but not a good one.