The distributors of this movie sent out 36-inch tape measures which had Annette Kellerman's vital statistics marked on it as part of their promotion campaign. Publicity materials declared she had "measurements that almost surpass belief."
Annette Kellerman performed dangerous stunts, including a cliff dive that left her unconscious. At one point, an underwater tank burst, injuring her, but this didn't stop her. She successfully performed a 60-foot dive into a crocodile-infested pool and leapt over 90 feet into the sea.
A year before at age 26, Annette Kellerman was named "the perfect woman," a label she hated and called "the most ghastly thing in the world." The label followed her around for the rest of her career and she was often compared with female figures from western art and cultural canon.