Bathing belles, the beaches and the casino show a lighter side to early tourism than in the more cultural Pathé Baby films. It is clear, however, that holidays such as the ones filmed here were very much deluxe, and enjoyed only by "cosmopolitan society". Filmed in 1917.
A different aspect of early twentieth-century leisure from that in Pathé's Britanny films is covered here: gone are the burly guides and boatmen, and in come cosmopolitan society who even appear to enjoy rowing themselves. The contrast with the picture of a more staid form tourist life in the Morgat, Tarn Canyons and Venice Canals films is very marked. This film is, in fact, less about tourism and more about hedonism. The beach scenes feature bathing beauties, who commence to cavort in a fairly seemly, but nonetheless exhibitionistic, way. Next to the beach in importance is the casino -- though we are not allowed to see inside -- and after that, the luxury hotels. Lip-service is paid to the "picturesque", and the film ends with the obligatory sunset, but the film marks the introduction of seaside fun into moderately high society.
Filmed by Mlle. G. Jousset, a pathfinder as a female director, this copy is in colour from a tinting process in which dyes are applied to the film through a series of hand-made masks.
