How I Play Tennis - By Mlle. Suzanne Lenglen (1925)

Stencil colour?. Filmed by K. Gordon and F. Bassill. Edited by F. Watts.
Mlle. Suzanne Lenglen poses for the camera - colour.
Title states that Verachrome is colour process used - most of the footage is black and white. Views of the spectators - colour. Women's doubles match in progress. Shot of the crowd moving their heads from side to side watching a match. Mlle Lenglen demonstrates her technique. C/U of her grip. Her service. Slow motion footage of the serve from different angles. Forehand technique in slow motion. Backhand technique. Smash. Volley. etc. Shots of Suzanne playing against Miss Ryan and Miss McKane at Wimbledon. Shots of the audience. Slow motion footage of some of the action. World's Women's Singles Championship against Miss Joan Fry. C/U of Lenglen and Fry after the match.
"The End" title.
N.B. Although described as stencil colour, this has been transferred as black and white from the Neg - MD.
Note: this is not from the same series as the Dorothy Round material but seems too long for an EVE or PIC item. Title in the style of EVE but intertitles very plain. The print has a safety section at end of nitrate
FILM ID:1645.01
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British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpathe.com/

[@stefano9853]

Great video! Many thanks for posting it. It was nearly a century ago...

[@frogexpat]

What a player and also what a character!! Thanks for making this available to tennis fans, or just anybody really

[@zoetdonaire]

so much class, so much style, so much history. Voices from our past. Fascintating to see this, I only knew her name because of the name of a stadium court. Now I want to learn to play tennis...

[@teodoraniculescu6455]

This is the father of modern tennis. This is simply amazing:the technique, the costumes, the players, the legends. Amazing!

[@Widkey]

Great video! Very eye opening history of tennis.. beauty in motion!

[@MyAows]

wonderful history of Tennis

[@jondeere5638]

Suzanne Lenglen hated Big Bill Tilden. He once pretended to be off his game in order to entice her into a match, and humiliate her. She got even though, she worked with the three 'French Musketeers". (one of whom was Lacrosse) to wear him down in their matches. Of course, it did take three of them. In 1930, and at age 37, Tilden became the oldest man to win a Wimbledon's singles title,

[@Tennisisreallyfun]

Wow, what an amazing find!

[@dasglasperlenspiel10]

SO fascinating!

[@brocanova]

9:57 when you still don't know whether you're a professional cancan dancer or tennis player

[@sergiocervantes6471]

Que buen trabajo de pies que tenia. Splits todo el tiempo

[@vivmartica.438]

estaba destacando esoooo!!!

[@carolineh1845]

Balletic!

[@will74lsn]

ALL gone. RIP

[@nleezie895]

C'est tres bien.

[@Davyfb75]

That's very good

[@jahno7154]

She moved around the court with more athletisme than the men ever did in the 1920s and she looked like she had more power than the men ? maybe an elusion ? I don't know

[@RandallvanOosten-ln5wf]

It would be interesting to see how Lenglen would do today with modern training, equipment, diet, and advanced skills. She clearly had athletic ability with superior footwork. She also had a winner's mentality. However, her backhand would be considered remarkably weak in an era of two-handed backhands. Her net game and service were fine in her day but would be totally inadequate against contemporary players. This is not a slam on her. The game has advanced since the 1920s.

[@gatesurfer]

The footwork and the hand eye coordination alone would potentially make her a very good player. Her split step is perfect for by any standard, and she takes the ball well in front of her. Obviously the strokes have flaws, but she hits an open stanced forehand with top,spin and has excellent volleying technique. I love the leg kick on the backhand. Incredible.

[@yann664]

Notice there's no grip on that heavy wooden racket, the balls had less pressure and the covering was shorter so they spun a lot less. Her shoes would also have a lot more grip and support now, her clothes would probably be much less constraining and the grass they seed with is different and much more conducive to sport.

[@TNToncourt]

Wonder if they got tennis elbow with those heavy rackets?

[@alexmay2825]

With a heavier racket and a good technique you are *less* likely to get tennis elbow.

[@antoinev9733]

@@alexmay2825 not exactly, you should better say that with a heavier racket you have to own a better technic if you want to avoid tennis elbow :)

[@alexmay2825]

@@antoinev9733 With a good technique the probability of getting tennis elbow is lower with a heavier racket than with a lighter one. It's obvious, if you think about it.

[@antoinev9733]

@@alexmay2825 am not sure. i don't know my last racket was an asymetric Keenex but i started with a pro Staff, i never had any tennis elbow ^^^^ the technics had to change with the stuff but ... if in any case you are looking for the limite then a risk remain in any case. the main question about tennis elbow is the timing ... and vibrations. with a pro staff, we used to fell any wrong timing allmost all along the arm so ... i doubt about . the less vibrations you generate, the more secure you are. then it could also be a question of string, then about the way you play 23kg or 28or or ... the main idea could be to be able with the most differents technics to adapt a shot to keep a fine timing.

[@alexmay2825]

@@antoinev9733 Of course there is a limit to how heavy a racket can be. If it is far too heavy then you might get a hernia.

[@princessedelu]

Was she sick? She was supposed to be 26 in 1925 but she looked at least twice her age. I don't want to be mean but every fifty year-old woman I know is way more fresh-faced

[@alexmay2825]

She died at 39.

[@MrPernell27]

She was a heavy smoker and drinker.

[@SC-jh9qp]

Many people back then seemed to look older than their age, perhaps due to unhealthy lifestyle habits like poor diet, drinking, smoking and sunbathing.

[@rumpelstiltkinn]

Stop saying bullshit. She died of leukemia.

[@tsb3093]

@@rumpelstiltkinnin fact it was reported at the time that her cause of death was ‘pernicious anaemia’…a deficiency of vitamin B12, which can kill but is now very curable… She may have had leukaemia also but it is not widely thought that that was the cause of death.

[@Davyfb75]

Very balletic in slomo. reminds me of that american dancer of the '20s who died when her scarf caught in the wheels of a Bugatti racind car.

[@Logans3Run]

One of the main things to notice is the technique on her serve, as she hits the ball, when it's still on the rise... The 'balletic' movements look comical, by todays standards.

[@mouvement784]

She would not win a single point against Steffi Graff