A Seaside Girl

At the seaside, a young Edwardian lady is pursued by three suitors, but which one will win her hand?

On foot, in a carriage, on a bicycle, even in a bathing machine.... In this knockabout comedy, a young woman gives the gentlemen courting her a run for their money. Filmed at Bognor Regis in 1907, this light-hearted film provides a fascinating glimpse of the Edwardian seafront in between gags. There's a happy ending for the Scottish suitor at least, which makes the most of the now-quaint bathing machine, offering his lady the opportunity for a quick-change into bridalwear.

This film was directed by Lewin Fitzhamon, a prolific filmmaker working for Cecil Hepworth's company. Hepworth was one of Britain's first filmmakers and most successful producer-directors in the country in the early period. Fitzhamon and Hepworth together made one of the industry's most popular early narrative films - another chase movie, called Rescued by Rover (1905).