Donna in the 1949 Documentary “Down Memory Lane” (?)

Last week, I looked at a letter from my Uncle Russ that included some photos of Donna during her Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty days. I came across another “Xerox copy photo” which I received from my mother. This image was later used as part of the publicity for Down Memory Lane, a nostalgic film compilation hosted by Steve Allen in 1949. The film featured clips from early silent movies, including Mack Sennett’s famous Bathing Beauties.

This particular photo shows nine of the Bathing Beauties from the 1910s.
Photo Source: IMDB.com — “Down Memory Lane” (1949) IMDB link

Both my mother and Uncle Russ believed Donna is the woman front and center. I’ve seen other photos of Donna wearing a swim cap with feathers, similar to the one in this shot. She always liked being in the center, so her placement and demeanor fit — and it looks like her to me as well.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a complete copy of the original 1949 film. I did locate a version on YouTube, but it’s a shortened cut that doesn’t seem to include any scenes with the Bathing Beauties. (It runs about 18 minutes shorter than the original release.) Hopefully, the full version will surface someday and wasn’t lost like so many other films. I’ve added it to my IMDB watchlist and I’ll be notified it becomes available again in the future.