The Original Million Dollar Mermaid: The Annette Kellerman Story

by Emily Gibson, Barbara Firth

For the first time in print, this extraordinary and beautiful story tells the tale of Annette Kellerman—the woman who became one of the highest paid and most adored Hollywood and vaudeville stars of her day. Kellerman won audiences the world over with her trademark performances, gained fame for her dangerous swims in the English Channel, participated in a vaudeville act in which she dove into a giant glass tank, and performed underwater ballet. After starring in Hollywood's first-ever million-dollar film, she soon became a household name who drew long lines to see her on the screen in her famous, provocative costumes. This biography beautifully captures how Kellerman stole the hearts of a generation and challenged standards regarding how women should look, act, and think.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Womens

230 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting woman, this was well worth the read.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and interesting biography of Annette Kellerman. I loved the story of this amazing woman, who was so forthright. A woman way ahead of her time!

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annette Kellerman is someone who isn't remembered nearly well enough nowadays. She was a powerful swimmer who was a proponent of exercise and adventure, and essentially invented water ballet. In this even-handed biography, we get to hear about her humble beginnings and her amazing career.

Annette swam her way to health as a child, when learning to swim helped her conquer disability. Her talents then helped the family stay afloat during very hard times. She was determined, media-conscious, and smart as a whip. She also had what seems to have been a good support network with her family and then her beloved husband, Jimmie.

There's a lot to get through in the 222 pages that make up Annette's life. What a busy bee she was. The writers keep it brisk and pacey, all the while making it feel thorough. Rather a neat trick to pull off, if you can.

My only real quibble is with the editing/proofreading in the volume. There are some pretty clanging typos in there, and they were jarring to stumble on when I was happily immersed in Annette's story. That was a shame.

[Lola Montgomery Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing life story about the Australian woman who was a swimmer, vaudeville performer, and the most famous film star of her day. Her most extravagant film, Daughter Of The Gods, is no longer in existence, but surely someone must have a print hidden somewhere?

[Velvetink]

pdf bookfinder