Ok, let's see if we can sort this confusion out.
The silent film The American Venus is a romantic comedy set in the midst of a beauty pageant. Filming was done at the actual Miss America contest held in the Million Dollar Pier Ballroom in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 11, 1925. Additional filming for the Paramount Pictures release was done in Astoria Studios on Long Island, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and supposedly a "swimming hole" in Ocala, Florida. Unfortunately, the film is now lost. More about the film can be found here.
The AllMovie site has these comments:
"The physical attributes of lovely leading lady Esther Ralston are amply displayed in American Venus. This satire of beauty contests gets under way when two competing cosmetic companies seek the endorsement of the winner of the American Venus pageant (Ralston, of course). Complication ensue when it appears that our heroine's contest win was rigged. This plot point mirrored a real-life occurrence in 1925, when it was alleged that the Miss America pageant had been fixed; apparently it hadn't, since Miss America herself, Fay Lanphier, makes a cameo appearance in American Venus. Of more interest historically is the presence in the supporting cast of cult favorite Louise Brooks, not to mention the Technicolor bathing-beauty scenes."
The 87 minute film, released on January 31, 1926, is notable for several reasons. The winner of the 1925 Miss America contest, Fay Lanphier [1905-1959] appears as--wait for it--Miss Alabama. A surviving trailer viewable on YouTube announces "an eye feast of beautiful women" and "75 Atlantic City bathing beauties" and "a galaxy of glorious girls". The American Venus was a success, playing around the country for two years. All that pulchritude did bother the usual suspects, who tut-tutted about too much visible skin.
Lanphier never made another movie; her contract with Paramount was cancelled. However, this one aided the careers of two other actresses. Esther Ralston moved into leading lady roles. Louise Brooks appeared in the first credited role of her brief but spectacular career.
The 1925 Miss America has a couple of firsts to be noted. Lanphier was the first Miss California to win the crown and also the first Miss America to star in a feature film. More on Lanphier can be found here. She married her high school sweetheart, had two daughters, and died in 1959 aged 53.
So why did the real Miss California and Miss America play Miss Alabama in the film?
Who knows? The real Miss Alabama in 1925 was Nellie Kincaid, who competed in Atlantic City as Miss Birmingham. In those days many contestants held local and not statewide titles. I have been unable for certain to find information on Miss Kincaid. A quick search at Ancestry.com did turn up in the 1930 U.S. Census a Nellie M. Kincaid. She was living with her parents Elijah and Margaret and younger brother Edward at 144 57th Street South. Her occupation? Actress. She was 21 years old, which would have put her at 16 for the Miss America pageant if she was indeed that Kincaid.
Lanphier can be seen in the first three photographs below; Kincaid is visible in the final one.
[The American Venus trailer is the second item, after a fragment of Cleopatra]
Contestants in the 1925 Miss America pageant. Nellie Kincaid, Miss Birmingham, is the sixth from the right in the upper row. If you follow the link below, you can see a much larger version of this photo. You can also see her in the portion below.
No comments:
Post a Comment