Million Dollar Mermaid Page #5

No.

Then keep your seat

or I shall have to eject you.

Miss Kellerman,

it's not the intention

of this court to take side in

what is essentially

feminine thing.

You're charged

with indecent exposure

to which you pleaded...

Not guilty, sir.

Your honor, her appearance

at the beach was witnessed

by hundreds of people,

including a police officer.

I am aware of that.

Have you anything further to add,

Miss Kellerman?

Yes, your honor, I have.

You see, I have been in

swimming competition all my life,

and the only way I've been

able to compete successfully

is by wearing a man's

one-piece racing suit.

After all, sir, you can't deny me

my right to swim, can you?

Certainly not.

Well then, how is it possible

to swim a race

tied up in a corset

and ten yards away of drapery?

Mr. Kelleman,

let me remind you that

it is not I who was on trial.

I'm sorry, your honor.

May I please ask

the court one more question?

Proceed.

Well, do the authority object

to the one piece bathing suit

or that the fact the limps

are not entirely covered?

I see no reason

to base any decision

on the number of piece

on article of clothings.

Well, perhaps

I could suggest a compromise.

Proceed.

Thank you.

This is the original racing suit,

except that I have sewn

some stockings at the bottom

and jersey on the top.

As you can see,

this will cover

the entire body except

the forearms and the head.

I consider that shocking,

your honor.

I consider it very ingenious.

Is it my understanding

that any further

swimming appearances will be made

in a bathing suit of that nature?

Yes, your honor.

Case dismiss.

Hurry... Step right up.

The show is next five minutes.

Alright, folks, step right up.

See Annette Kellerman

in a one-piece swimming suit.

Annette show in five minutes.

Step right up, friend. How many?

Thank you, sir.

Annette show in five minutes.

Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

See Annette Kellerman

in a one-piece swimming suit.

Hurry. Hurry...

Ladies and gentlemen,

introducing Australia's mermaid

Annette Kellerman,

voted by Harvard University

as the World's

most perfect woman.

World's champion swimmer,

holder of records

from one hundredyards

to twenty-six miles.

Miss Annette Kellerman.

Miss Kellerman

will now demonstrate

the various swimming strokes.

The breast stroke.

The over arm stroke.

For the first time in America,

the Trojan stroke.

This stroke was made

by Miss Kellerman

when she attempt

the sensational swim

at Tempe River

in London, England.

And now

for the first time in America,

Miss Kellerman introduces

her famous Australian crawl.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

for the first time in the U.S.A.,

a woman will give her public

exhibition of fancy high diving.

Miss Kellerman will now

demonstrate the front high dive.

Step right up, folks.

The show is now going on.

The Annette Kellerman

and her one-piece bathing suit.

Step right up.

Atta boy, talk it up.

Six weeks, Doc. Make it seven.

Every show a different color.

Jimmy.

Jimmy, I'm soaking wet.

Good. Maybe that'll

put the fire on.

Go. Go.

Think it over, Sullivan.

I'm leaving for Florida tonight.

I could use a guy like you.

If it's the other way, boy,

I might be interested.

Which way?

Maybe I could use a guy like you.

You know, sometimes

I wish we had Sydney back.

We didn't have that much money,

but I don't have this...

this bookkeeping.

And what's this item here,

personal, two hundred dollars.

It's this personal matter.

No kidding. Did you ask her yet?

Today's the day.

Season's closing real soon...

And you want somebody to keep

your feet warm every night.

Great, but what about me?

Doc, I've got an idea

for something brand new.

A great idea.

A swimmer and a flyer.

A flyer.

That's what we'll do.

The acts will be dynamite.

You know, he can actually

take that contraption

four hundred feet off the ground?

I don't like it.

It's against nature.

You and your grousing.

Can't you see that new poster,

Sullivan's combined shows.

King of the air,

Queen of the sea.

Don't get me wrong now.

That will still be

our number one attraction.

We can dream, can't we?

There she is, dreamer.

Hi, there. Hello, Jimmy.

I'm not late, am I?

Performance starts at two thirty.

Jimmy. This is Mr. Aldrich,

of the Aldrich Selection Bureau.

He was kind enough

to drive me back from lunch.

My pleasure.

How do you do?

I have a special

interest in Miss Kellerman.

I'm trying to persuade her

to go on a tour.

What kind of tour?

He offered me

a great deal of money

and ten weeks guarantee,

just to do a series of lectures.

Yes, indeed. I see Miss Kellerman

in a very dignified presentation

giving a lecture

on the body beautiful.

Perhaps a little ballet

on the subject.

Ballet? Lecture? No.

What's so funny?

Darling. I'm sorry that

one of us must be nutty.

You competing

with William Jennings Brown.

I can see you now

up on the platform

with a picture

of water and ballet

dancing around some grass drapes.

Holy smoke.

I'm happy

to be contributing so much

to your amusement, Mr. Sullivan.

But I assure you my end

is a very dignified

and lucrative business.

Miss Kellerman will not be

swimming around tank like a seal,

performing in a carnival

like a fat lady on one side

and a fire-eater on the other.

You don't like carnivals?

They have their place.

And you don't like swimming

around tanks either.

For a fish, yes.

For a beautiful woman

like Miss kellerman...

Mr. Aldrich,

I think it's about time

that you learn to enjoy water.

Jimmy, stop that.

Jimmy, Let go of him. Let go.

Alright. Run along, sonny,

and take your grass

sticks with you.

Jimmy, how dare you.

Mr. Aldrich, I'm terribly sorry.

Go over there and sit down.

Annette, put over your suit.

The show starts

in twenty minutes.

Yes?

Jimmy.

Annette, I'm sorry.

This big temper of mine.

I guess I'll never

be able to control it.

Darling. We shouldn't

quarrel, not about this.

It's just not important enough.

I don't get you.

We came up here purely

and simply for money.

Anything that offers us

more money is more important.

Still got old Aldrich

on your mind, have you?

Darling,

it's five hundred dollars a week.

Puts me just that much closer

to Kallerman conversatory.

It isn't as though

we're splitting up.

I'll talk to Aldrich.

I'm sure there'll

be important job for you.

Like filling the water pitchers.

Jimmy.

Or picking up the drapes.

Or maybe I can come ahead of you

and give short talk

on high class we are.

Maybe somewhere along the line,

we get our signals crossed.

You got into your head

that you want to work.

Well, get it out fast.

You're a swimmer

doing a tank act

in Sullivan's water carnival,

and not a bad show either.

And how long can it last?

After all, what we're doing

is capitalizing

on a lot of

cheap bathing suit publicity.

What do you think

this Aldrich thing is anyway?

All he's trying to do is cash

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