{{Short description|Comedy short films produced in the United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} [[File:Director Jack White and the Mermaid Players in Educational-Mermaid Comedies.jpg|thumb|Promotion from 1922 with photos of Jack White (center) and Don Barclay, Jack Lloyd, Lige Conley, Jimmie Adams and Elinor Lynn]]
'''Mermaid Comedies''' are comedy short films that were produced in the United States. They were distributed by Earle W. Hammons' Educational Pictures and were at the high end of its comedy series brands.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/filmhistory.23.3.313|doi=10.2979/filmhistory.23.3.313|jstor=10.2979/filmhistory.23.3.313|title=""The Spice of the Program"": Educational Pictures, Early Sound Slapstick, and the Small-Town Audience|year=2011|last1=King|journal=Film History|volume=23|issue=3|pages=313–330|s2cid=193213010|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Directors of the films included Al St. John and Arvid E. Gillstrom. They were promoted as the world's funniest 2-reelers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/bathing-beauty-1921-artwork-for-mermaid-comedies-2-reel-silent-comedies-from-educational-pictures-image352748797.html|title=Stock Photo - Bathing Beauty 1921 artwork for MERMAID COMEDIES 2 Reel Silent Comedies from EDUCATIONAL PICTURES|first=Alamy|last=Limited|website=Alamy}}</ref>
==Partial filmography== *Duck Inn (1920) *A Fresh Start (1920)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aug |url=http://archive.org/details/movingpicturewor45aug |title=Moving Picture World (Aug 1920) |last2=Chalmers Publishing Company |date=1920 |publisher=New York, Chalmers Publishing Company |others=New York The Museum of Modern Art Library |pages=772}}</ref> *''The Vagrant'' (1921)<ref name="moma">{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/MoMA-Presents-More-Cruel-and-Unusual-Comedy-10614-20100930|title=MoMA Presents More Cruel and Unusual Comedy 10/6-14|first=Movies News|last=Desk|website=BroadwayWorld.com}}</ref> *''What a Night'' (1924), extant, part of MoMA's collection<ref name=moma/> *''His First Car'' (1924), directed by Al St. John featuring Doris Deane. Extant. *''Never Again'' (1924), directed by Al St. John and featuring Carmencita *''Stupid, But Brave'' (1924), directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, extant *''Rapid Transit'' (1925), directed by Al St. John. Lost. *''Red Pepper'' (1925), directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom and featuring Judy King. Extant in the MOMA's film collection *''Curses!'' (1925) *''Dynamite Doggie'' (1925), extant *''Going Places'' *''Uncle Sam''
==See also== *List of American live-action shorts
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:American comedy short films Category:1920s comedy films Category:Educational Pictures short films Category:1920s American films