A Daughter of the Gods (1916)

Director:

Herbert Brenon

Writers:

Herbert Brenon (screenplay), Herbert Brenon (story)

Stars:

Annette Kellerman, William E. Shay, Hal De Forest

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Annette Kellerman	...	Anitia (daughter of the gods)
William E. Shay	...	Prince Omar (as William Shay)
Hal De Forest	...	The Sultan
Marcelle Hontabat	...	Cleone
Violet Horner	...	Zarrah
Jane Lee	...	Little Prince Omar
Stuart Holmes	...	Moorish Merchant
Katherine Lee	...	Nydia
Ricca Allen	...	Witch of Badness
Millie Liston	...	Zarrah's Mother (as Milly Liston)
Henrietta Gilbert	...	Fairy of Goodness
Walter James	...	Chief Eunuch
Walter McCollough	...	Chief of the Sultan's Guard
Mark Price	...	Slave Dealer
Louise Rial	...	His Wife

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

nudity | controversial | lost film | epic

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

17 October 1916 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gudernes Datter - Del 1: Haremskvinden

Filming Locations:

Kingston, Jamaica

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie cost about $1 million to produce, including "great sums spent to make sanitary a mosquito-cursed section of Jamaica," according to a contemporary report. The sets consumed 2,500 barrels of plaster and 500 of cement, 2 million feet of lumber, and 10 tons of paper. Director Herbert Brenon employed 20,000 people and shot 44 miles of film during 8 months of production.

---

Connections

Referenced in The One Piece Bathing Suit (1952)

User Reviews

The Million Dollar Mermaid

A detailed synopsis of Herbert Brenon's lost spectacular can be easily found (presently) by searching "A Daughter of the Gods" and "Library of Congress". Before that, the film's program expressed its fantastical content, "The Prologue: The plaything of a little child escapes its earthly prison. And thereby hangs a tale of many years ago. Act One: The land of a Mighty Sultan, and a record of many strange happenings there. A Fairy Prince and Princess Meet. Act Two: Wherein we all become children again and fight for a beautiful Princess. The land of the Great Beyond. The Fairy Prince and Princess meet again, never to be parted."

"A Daughter of the Gods" was shot in Jamaica, and cost over a million dollars to make. It was the second successful collaboration for acclaimed director Herbert Brenon and aquatic superstar Annette Kellerman (herein, playing Princess Anitia). Although several reviewers reported it to be "stodgy" and too long (Brenon called it "three enchanting hours"), over several years (and reissues), it must have eventually recouped its cost. "Tasteful" nude scenes, exposing the conveniently long-haired Ms. Kellerman's naked form, must have helped cause the sensational box office.

****** A Daughter of the Gods (10/17/16) Herbert Brenon ~ Annette Kellerman, William E. Shay, Violet Horner