Edna’s Leap: Hi-Hatters’ Star 1928

This 1928 silent promotional film showcases Edna Covey, dubbed the “Greatest Dancer in the World,” performing a jaw-dropping stunt. As the star of Fanchon and Marco’s Hi-Hatters, a vaudeville dance troupe, Covey leaps over twelve women lying side by side on a Los Angeles stage, blending grace with daring athleticism. Preserved as Gould can 5127.8 in the Prelinger Archive, this black-and-white reel captures her mid-air triumph, spotlighting 1920s theatrical flair and Fanchon and Marco’s innovative “Ideas” revue style.