Flying the Foam and Some Fancy Diving
Encyclopedia
Flying the Foam and Some Fancy Diving is a 1906
British short
silent
comedy film
, directed by James Williamson
, featuring a man diving from Brighton Pier while mounted on a bicycle, in both forward and reverse motion. This trick film, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "adds additional layers of entertainment, firstly by showing the stunt from multiple angles (or rather several stunts, as the surrounding crowds differ from shot to shot) and then by showing it in reverse motion so that Reddish appears to be performing the impossible feat of riding his bicycle vertically out of the sea." It is believed to be an extended version of Professor Reddish Performing his Celebrated Bicycle Dive from Brighton West Pier (1902), supplemented by more conventional footage of pier divers at a later date.
1906 in film
The year 1906 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*26 December - The world's first feature film, The Story of the Kelly Gang, is released.-Films released in 1906:*The Automobile Thieves*The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend...
British short
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, directed by James Williamson
James Williamson (film pioneer)
James Williamson was an early film developer and film director.-Biography:...
, featuring a man diving from Brighton Pier while mounted on a bicycle, in both forward and reverse motion. This trick film, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "adds additional layers of entertainment, firstly by showing the stunt from multiple angles (or rather several stunts, as the surrounding crowds differ from shot to shot) and then by showing it in reverse motion so that Reddish appears to be performing the impossible feat of riding his bicycle vertically out of the sea." It is believed to be an extended version of Professor Reddish Performing his Celebrated Bicycle Dive from Brighton West Pier (1902), supplemented by more conventional footage of pier divers at a later date.