Esther Williams Movies
After attending the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Esther Williams set her cap on becoming a world-renowned swimming champion. By the time she was 15, she was well on her way to achieving that goal; within a few years, she had won such events as the Women's Outdoor Nationals and the Pacific Coast Championships, and had set records for the 100- and 220-meter swims. Sorely disappointed when the advent of World War II forced the cancellation of the 1940 Olympics in Finland, Williams cut her losses by going to work for Billy Rose's San Francisco Aquacade. It was here that she was spotted by an MGM talent scout, who cast Williams in a supporting role in Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942). Hoping that their new discovery would surpass the popularity of 20th Century-Fox's skating queen Sonja Henie, MGM began grooming Williams for stardom, completely refashioning her third film, the modest 1944 Red Skelton comedy Mister Bride, into the Technicolor superspectacular Bathing Beauty. Williams immediately clicked with the public, and for the next decade she starred in one musical comedy after another, warbling the Oscar-winning tune "Baby It's Cold Outside" in Neptune's Daughter (1949) and trading steps with Gene Kelly in Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949). As her popularity soared--she was among the top ten box office stars in 1949 and 1950--MGM went out of its way to make her swimming sequences more complex and elaborate with each new picture, freshening up the act with trapezes, hang-gliders and fiery hoops. Her string of successes came to a halt with her last MGM release, the unsuccessful Jupiter's Darling (1955). Now a free-lancer, Williams tried to gain acceptance as a dramatic actress, turning in worthwhile performances in such films as The Unguarded Moment (1956) and Raw Wind in Eden (1958), but the public wasn't buying. She returned to what she did best, starring in annual TV aquacades and acting as spokeswoman for her own swimming-pool company. She closed out her film career in 1961, shunning the spotlight for the next 15 years and devoting her time to her third husband Fernando Lamas, her children (including stepson Lorenzo Lamas) and her many business activities. She made headlines in 1974 when she sued MGM for unauthorized use of her films in the 1974 anthology That's Entertainment (evidently she came to terms with her old studio; in 1994, she was one of the narrators for That's Entertainment Part III). After Fernando Lamas' death in 1982, Williams returned to the limelight, promoting such money-spinning enterprises as a line of "modest" swimwear. Still a strikingly beautiful woman, Esther Williams remains a top attraction on the interview and talk-show circuit, offering candid, self-effacing and unpretentious observations on Hollywood's so-called Golden Age. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2003
Although she may remain virtually unheard of today, Australian swimmer, diver, vaudeville entertainer, and silent film star Annette Kellerman was one of the most famous women of the early 20th century. Initially taking up swimming in an effort to overcome a childhood bout with rickets, Kellerman eventually learned to utilize her aquatic skills to entertain and inspire. Later moving into vaudeville and film after conquering the Yarra, the Thames, the Seine, and the English Channel, Kellerman's remarkable life was eventually adapted into the 1952 biopic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams. Utilizing interviews and restored archival footage of Kellerman, filmmaker Michael Cordell brings the legend of one of the entertainment industry's most enduring figures into the next century, reminding viewers of her legacy and inspiring those who have yet to hear her story. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annette Kellerman, Esther Williams, (more)
- 1998
This documentary captures rhythms in the life and career of famed cinema choreographer Busby Berkeley (1895-1976). In the late '20s, Berkeley's work on Broadway led Eddie Cantor to recommend him to producer Sam Goldwyn for the film version of the 1930 Whoopee! (remade in 1944 as Up in Arms). After 42nd Street (1933), Berkeley's reputation in Hollywood was established. Reading from interviews by Dave Martin and critic Tony Thomas, Larry Robinson provides the voice of Berkeley. The hour-long profile intercuts interviews with Thomas, Esther Williams, director Kenneth Anger, film historian Richard Barrios, critic J. Hoberman, and others. After the December 1997 premiere of this documentary on the BBC, a re-edited version (eliminating rare footage of Florenz Zeigfeld) premiered in the U.S. on January 26, 1998 on Turner Classic Movies. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Robinson, Kenneth Anger, (more)
- 1998
The history of color photography in motion pictures is lovingly detailed with vibrant film clips and first-person interviews in this 60-minute cable TV special. Beginning with such experimental processes as hand-tinting each frame of film (a specialty first of Edison, then perfected by the French Pathe company) and the "Kinemacolor" technique (a cumbersome procedure requiring special high-speed projectors and two separate strips of film), the special then moves on to the swaddling days of Technicolor, with rare vignettes from such silent films as The Toll of the Sea (1922), The Black Pirate (1926), and Ben-Hur. The two-color Technicolor process gives way in 1933 to an improved three-strip format, yielding such splendiferous results as Becky Sharp (1935), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and Gone With the Wind. But because of the dictatorial policies of Technicolor consultant Natalie Kalmus (who gained control of the company in a divorce proceeding), moviemakers were forced to adhere to firmly controlled policies of how the colors could be arranged and toned, with no wiggle room for individual creativity. Fortunately, Kalmus did not wield as much power over British filmmakers like Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger who freed the Technicolor process from the shackles of conformity and corporate thinking in the 1940s, yielding such visual feasts as The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. The special concludes with the final years of the three-strip format in the early '50s, with interviews from such Technicolorful stars as Esther Williams and Arlene Dahl. Drawing heavily from Turner's vast MGM film library, Glorious Technicolor originally aired over the Turner Classic Movies service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In 1974, MGM Studios released its first compilation of musical highlights from 45 years of Hollywood extravaganzas. Entitled That's Entertainment!, it was a big box-office hit and inspired a second compilation two years later. Eighteen years went by before MGM tried again. The third installment of the series contains a total of 62 musical numbers and includes scenes from more than 100 films. The cavalcade of memories is hosted by nine stars from the old musicals: Gene Kelly, Esther Williams, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, and Howard Keel. The film is loaded with outtakes and unfinished numbers that didn't make the cut of the original musicals. At many points, there is a split screen, showing the finished product as filmed as well as behind-the-scenes confusion. It's as much a comic "bloopers" TV show as a tribute to the heyday of the musical. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, (more)
- 1984
Actress Esther Williams, a legend of American swimming, hosts this instructional video that outlines how any child can be taught the important and lifelong skill of swimming. The process is outlined using simple to understand, step-by step visuals. Williams goes over the major points necessary to learn to swim successfully, and answers some of the more common questions parents might have concerning their child and swimming. ~ Michael McGrath, All Movie Guide
It's ironic that MGM, in such dire financial straits in 1974 that it was selling its fabled back lot and auctioning off artifacts from past movie triumphs, enjoyed one of its biggest box-office hits with That's Entertainment, a compilation of musical highlights from the studio's golden days. Onscreen hosts Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, James Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor introduce the various film clips while standing on what was left of the MGM lot (Rooney delivers his comments from the Andy Hardy street). The vignettes, in both color and black-and-white, include generous slices of such classic MGM songfests as The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, and Gigi. The film includes the montage of Mickey Rooney's "Let's put on a show!" speeches, Clark Gable hoofing to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in Idiot's Delight, and James Stewart (!) serenading Eleanor Powell from Easy to Love. Assembled by Jack Haley Jr., That's Entertainment proved such a hit that the 1976 sequel, That's Entertainment II, was a foregone conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, (more)
- 1961
This is a slightly uneven presentation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale about two evil princes, their pure-hearted brother, and a dying king. As the three siblings stand vigil by their father's bedside, they agree that they must go and look for the Magic Fountain, the fountain of life that will restore their father to good health. Their separate quests are filled with adventures involving captivating characters like a sorcerer-dwarf and beautiful maidens and most of all, a charming princess who lives in the castle that harbors the Magic Fountain. The good-hearted brother is betrayed as being villainous by his nasty siblings but even their treachery cannot overcome the forces of good and in the end, all is resolved to the benefit of everyone concerned, even the king. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Nestler, Helmo Kinderman, (more)
- 1961
Greedy family members engage in bitter infighting over the ownership of a circus. It all begins as a ruthless, corrupt father gets in trouble with the law leaving all but his youngest sons to begin a vicious battle over the business. This is the third variation of Jerome Weidman' novel I'll Never Go There Any More. The other two are Broken Lance, a western version, and House of Strangers, set in the big city. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Cliff Robertson, (more)
- 1958
In her second film for Universal-International, Esther Williams stars as Laura, a high-priced fashion model. While working in Rome, Laura succumbs to the charms of international playboy Wally (Carlos Thompson), agreeing to join him on a chartered plane flight across the Mediterranean. When the plane crashes, Laura and Wally are rescued by mysterious loner Moore (Jeff Chandler). Chafing at the thought of remaining on Moore's sparsely populated island, Wally finds the wreckage of a yacht. While he repairs the vessel in hopes of returning to the mainland, Laura and Moore draw ever closer, leading to a potentially explosive situation. Is it just imagination, or does Carlos Thompson sound as though his voice has been dubbed by Paul Frees? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1957
Moviedom's favorite aquatic star Esther Williams made her TV dramatic debut--as a villainess--in this 1957 episode of the NBC anthology Lux Video Theatre. Williams plays Vicki, an apparently schizophrenic young woman who goes from sweet to sinister and back again at a moment's notice. No one can quite figure Vicki out, least of all her erstwhile boyfriend, a nightclub owner. As Vicki continues to play the Enigma game, such unattractive tangibles as infidelity, blackmail and finally murder enter the picture. Knowing what Williams's fans would expect, writers Richard McDonagh and William Stuart) contrive to include a swimming party scene, allowing her to don a form-fitting suit and show off her underwater talents (the scene was originally written as a dance party, but there's not a whole lot of water-sport potential there). The Armed Venus was originally telecast live. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Steve Forrest, (more)
- 1956
Esther Williams essays her first dramatic, nonswimming role in The Unguarded Moment. Written by actress Rosalind Russell, the film is a remarkably prescient tale of sexual harassment at the workplace. Williams plays high-school music-teacher Lois Conway, who inadvertently arouses the libido of problem student Leonard Bennett (John Saxon). Conditioned by his misogynistic father (Edward Andrews) to hate and distrust all women, the seriously disturbed teenager experiences mixed emotions when Lois takes an interest in his well-being. Before long, the teacher is being stalked by Leonard day and night. Ultimately, the boy forces himself upon Lois -- whereupon the all-male school board, holding Lois responsible for Leonard's behavior, promptly suspends her. With the help of understanding police lieutenant Harry Graham (George Nader), Lois does her best to fend off future attacks, to seek professional help for the maladjusted Leonard, and to keep from suffering a nervous breakdown herself! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, George Nader, (more)
- 1955
Esther Williams' long association with MGM came to an abrupt end with Jupiter's Darling, which even she will admit was her silliest film. Based on Robert Sherwood's satirical play The Road to Rome, the film cast as Williams as Amytis, fiancee of vacillating Roman statesman Fabius Maximus (George Sanders). When it appears as though the forces of Hannibal (Howard Keel) will conquer Rome, Amytis takes it upon herself to halt the invasion. In the process, she and Hannibal embark upon a tempestuous romance, much to the consternation of the barbarian general's aide-de-camp Mago (William Demarest) and the bemusement of Hannibal's official chronicler Horatio (Richard Haydn). A subplot concerns the romance between Varius (Gower Champion), who tends Hannibal's fabled elephants, and spunky slave girl Meta (Marge Champion). Somewhere along the line Williams performs a water ballet with "living statues", and Varius and Meta come up with a herd of pink elephants. The Burton Lane-Harold Adamson songs are as forgettable as the film itself. Curiously, Jupiter's Darling opened to good reviews, but the film was killed by word of mouth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Howard Keel, (more)
- 1953
Esther Williams stars in this button-cute musical about a health-conscious family of swimmers who fall in with con man Windy Weebe (Jack Carson). The Higgins family decides to swim the English Channel in order to raise money to purchase a prize bull for their Arkansas farm. As she practices for the English Channel swim, Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) gets lost in the fog and is rescued by wealthy wine merchant Andre Lanet (Fernando Lamas), and she falls for him hard. The film is distinguished by a climactic English Channel swim and an animated underwater cartoon sequence with Williams and animated MGM contract players Tom and Jerry reprising the Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer tune "In My Wildest Dreams." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Fernando Lamas, (more)
- 1953
The Cole Porter title tune is but one of the musical highlights in the (literally) splashy Esther Williams musical Easy to Love. Reshuffling plot devices utilized in previous Williams vehicles, the film casts Williams as Julie Hallerton, the star of Ray Lloyd's (Van Johnson) aquacade. She loves Lloyd, but he hardly knows she exists. Only when she inaugurates romances with swimming instructor Hank (John Bromfield) and singer Barry (Tony Martin) does Lloyd wake up and smell the chlorine. The plot's finale is top-heavy with "good sport" behavior involving the three male leads. However, if you've come to an Esther Williams movie for the plot, maybe you'd better try another theatre. Easy to Love is the film that includes Busby Berkeley's legendary "motorboat/hang-glider" production number, performed at Florida's Cypress Gardens--though, incredibly, this aquatic tour de force is not the end of the picture! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Van Johnson, (more)
- 1952
Who else but Esther Williams could star in a romantic drama (with musical numbers) bearing a title like this? In Million Dollar Mermaid, Williams plays Annette Kellerman, a real-life Australian swimming star who took up the sport as a child to strengthen her legs, which were severely weakened by a birth defect. The treatment proves effective, and as she grows to adulthood, Annette shows that she has the talent to be a champion swimmer, though she prefers to follow her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. When Annette's father Frederick (Walter Pidgeon) accepts a position in London teaching music, Annette opts to go with him, and along the way she meets James Sullivan (Victor Mature) and Doc Cronnol (Jesse White), the joint-owners of a boxing kangaroo they intend to exhibit in London. James is already aware of Annette's abilities as a competitive swimmer, and he offers to be her manager and help her earn a living from her aquatic skills. At first Annette isn't interested, but when Frederick's job falls through and she can't find work as a dancer, Annette reluctantly agrees to work with James. He arranges a publicity stunt in which Annette swims 30 miles down the Thames River, which attracts the avid attention of the British press and wins her some work as a dancer. Convinced that the big money is in America, James persuades Annette to travel with him to the U.S., where she creates a scandal in Boston by staging another long swim in a one-piece bathing suit, considered shockingly-revealing at the turn of the Century. The stunt nearly lands Annette in jail, but she escapes the long arm of the law and becomes the star of a water ballet revue. Annette had fallen in love with James, but after an argument, he resigns as her manager and Annette takes up with Alfred Harper (David Brian), the male lead in her show. Annette and Alfred agree to marry while working on a movie together, but James returns on the last day of shooting, determined to win back the heart of the woman he loves. Legendary choreographer Busby Berkeley staged the film's elaborate water-ballet sequences. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Victor Mature, (more)
- 1952
Esther Williams generously shares screen time with Joan Evans and Vivian Blaine in Skirts Ahoy! The three leading ladies play WAVE officers who experience a daunting series of romantic misadventures. Whitney Young (Williams) had joined the WAVES after leaving her fiancé at the altar. Conversely Mary Kate Yarbrough (Evans) was jilted on her wedding day by her intended, while Una Yancy (Blaine) has donned a uniform in hopes of finding a husband. Much of the humor is of the gender-switch variety, with the three lady sailors ogling and whistling at every eligible male who crosses their path. Inevitably, Williams sheds her navy duds in favor of a swimsuit, while Blaine performs a comic torch song in the manner of her "Miss Adelaide" characterization in Guys and Dolls. Poor Joan Evans isn't given a musical number, but she does get her man (Keefe Brasselle) at the end. Guest performers include the singing DeMarco Sisters and youthful aquatic champs Russell and Kathy Tongay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Joan Evans, (more)
- 1951
MGM's new musical screen team of Esther Williams and Howard Keel were given plenty to do in the pleasant if unambitious songfest Texas Carnival. Williams plays Debbie Telford, one-half of a carnival performing team. The other half is Corny Quinnell (Red Skelton), who breaks up the act when he is mistaken for Texas millionaire Dan Sabinas (Keenan Wynn). Living high on the hog in Sabinas' absence, Corny manages to smooth the romantic path for Debbie and ranch foreman Slim Shelby (Keel), while he dallies with the luscious Sunshine Jackson (Ann Miller). Red Skelton is given more opportunity to shine than usual, especially during a riotous poker game (this scene was a particular favorite of screenwriter Dorothy Kingsley, who felt it could have been even funnier had director Charles Walters "punched it up" cinematically). Esther Williams' particular highlight is a swimming sequence in a waterless hotel room, a bit of special-effects wizardry that only the MGM tech staff could have dreamed up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Red Skelton, (more)
- 1950
This formula Esther Williams musical casts the star as Midwestern carnival swimmer Christine Duncan, in love with bandleader Dick Layn (Van Johnson). Attempting to smooth the course of romance for her friend Ellen Hallet (Paula Raymond), Christine makes a play for Ellen's wealthy boss Douglas J. Morrissen, Jr. (John Lund). Ellen wants to protect Douglas from fortune hunters, so Christine pretends to be a fortune hunter, so that he'll appreciate anew how much Ellen cares for him. Confused? So is Dick, who can't fathom Christine's bizarre behavior. If for nothing else, Duchess of Idaho is memorable as the "comeback" picture for dancing star Eleanor Powell, who has just as little to do as her fellow guest stars Lena Horne and (unbilled) Red Skelton. Watch for Amanda Gunsmoke Blake and Dick Sergeant Preston Simmons in supporting roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Van Johnson, (more)
- 1950
Pagan Love Song derives its title from a 1929 tune written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. The plot is cut from the same cloth as MGM's previous Esther Williams musicals. Sporting a black wig and deep tan, Williams plays American lass Mimi Bennett, who while on vacation in the South Seas is mistaken for a native girl by visiting schoolteacher Hazard Endicott (Howard Keel). Instantly falling in love with Mimi, Hazard attempts to court her according to Tahitian traditions. And that's about it for the plot; the rest of the film consists of Esther Williams swimming and Howard Keel singing. Based on the novel Tahiti Landfall by William S. Stone, Pagan Love Song was to have been directed by Stanley Donen, but Williams vetoed Donen in favor of Robert Alton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Howard Keel, (more)
- 1949
Esther Williams and Red Skelton share equal screen time for once in the MGM Technicolor musical Neptune's Daughter. The title character is, of course, Williams, here cast as Eve Barrett, a bathing-suit manufacturer (and sometimes model). Skelton plays Jack Spratt, the masseur at a fancy polo club, who falls for Eve's sister (Betty Garrett). To prove worthy of her love, Jack poses as dashing Latin polo star Jose O'Rourke (Ricardo Montalban), resulting in a wealth of comic complications. The slapstick setpieces include a hilarious horse-mounting routine and a climactic set-to between Skelton and petty crook Mike Mazurki; there's also a few inspired moments from Mel Blanc, cast as a slow-talking Mexican. While Xavier Cugat is on hand as "himself," the film's musical high point is the Oscar-winning Baby It's Cold Outside, performed first by Williams and Montalban and then by Skelton and Garrett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Red Skelton, (more)
So baseball pictures never make money, eh? Try telling that to MGM, which raked in a box office gross of $4 million on their 1949 baseball musical Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Set in 1906, the film concerns the adventures and misadventures of The Wolves, a champion ball club. The team's success is contingent upon the double-play combination of "O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg." But while Goldberg (Jules Munshin) lives to play baseball, O'Brien (Gene Kelly) and Ryan (Frank Sinatra) would rather pursue their off-season vaudeville career. Both erstwhile song-and-dance men decide to stick around on the baseball diamond when they mutually fall in love with the Wolves' new owner, the lovely K.C. Higgins (Esther Williams). Though O'Brien wins K.C. for himself, Ryan is compensated with the aggressively affectionate Shirley Delwyn (Betty Garrett). Gambler Joe Lorgan (Edward Arnold), who has bet heavily against the Wolves in an upcoming Big Game, woos O'Brien away from the team with promises of a big role in an upcoming musical comedy. Having let down K.C. and the rest of the team, O'Brien vows to redeem himself by playing in the crucial game. Lorgan gets wind of this, and orders his henchmen to do away with O'Brien. Hoping to shield his buddy from harm, Ryan beans O'Brien with a pitched ball, thereby incapacitating the prodigal player. The crooks are vanquished, and K.C. forgives O'Brien. But upon learning that Ryan had knocked him out, O'Brien charges onto the diamond, thirsting for revenge. Believe it or not, this action results in no fewer than two winning home runs! We offer you this detailed synopsis because it's likely that you'll be too entertained by the film's musical numbers to pay any attention to the story. Outside of the title number and Gene Kelly's solo "The Hat My Father Wore on St. Patrick's Day," the picture's best songs are contributed by Betty Comden, Adolf Green and Roger Edens. Take Me Out to the Ball Game is so delightful as it stands that one can only wonder what the film would have looked like had MGM's first choice Kathryn Grayson--or the studio's second choice, Judy Garland--played the Esther Williams role (In a similar vein, the Frank Sinatra character was originally to have been played by real-life Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, (more)
- 1948
The title of this MGM musical alone should tip you to the fact that Esther Williams is the star. In this one, she plays a movie star (what an innovation!), Rosalind Reynolds, who is on location in Hawaii to shoot a picture. Peter Lawford plays the film's naval technical advisor, Lt. Lawrence Y. Kingslee, who naturally falls deeply in love with Rosalind. As a means of expressing his ardor, Kingslee genteelly kidnaps Rosalind by "accidentally" marooning her on a desert island. To the dismay of feminists everywhere, Rosalind comes to enjoy being Kingslee's prisoner, and all ends happily. Jimmy Durante breaks up da joint in the role of an assistant director, while music is provided by MGM's all-purpose bandleader Xavier Cugat. The Technicolor process is shown to supreme advantage whenever it concentrates on Esther Williams' form-fitting gold-colored swimsuit. On an Island with You was one of MGM's premiere moneymakers of 1948. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, (more)
- 1947
In this aqueous musical comedy, an opera singer brings his son to Michigan's Mackinac Island where the son falls in love with the star of the "aquacaper." It is difficult to woo her as she is constantly surrounded by her piano-playing bodyguard and her ever-present grandmother. It's musical and comedic chaos as the son attempts to overcome these and other obstacles while trying to win her heart. Highlights include Jimmy Durante singing his trademark tune "Inka Dinka Do." Other songs include: "M'Appari" from "Martha," "La Donna E Mobile" from "Rigoletto," Cole Porter's "You Are So Easy to Love," "A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That," "Chiquita Banana," and "When It's Lilac Time on Mackinac Island." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Lauritz Melchior, (more)
- 1947
Esther Williams moves from the swimming pool to the bull ring in this musical drama. Antonio Morales (Fortunio Bonanova) was once a champion bullfighter; now in retirement, Antonio and his wife (Mary Astor) have high hopes that their son Mario (Ricardo Montalban) will follow in his father's footsteps as a matador. However, Mario's great passion is music, and he longs to pursue a career as a composer. But there is a budding toreador in the family: Mario's sister Maria (Esther Williams), who has learned the basics of bullfighting from her sibling. Not wanting to be thought a coward, but with no desire to enter the ring, Mario allows Maria to disguise herself as him and take his place in the bullring, allowing her to compete in a traditionally male sport while Mario devotes his time to his music. Fiesta gave Ricardo Montalban his first English-speaking role, with Cyd Charisse appearing as Conchita, his love interest and dancing partner. Classical music buffs might notice that Mario's composition "Fantasia Mexican" is actually Aaron Copland's "El Salon Mexico." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Akim Tamiroff, (more)
- 1946
William Powell plays a cynical con man who graduates from penny-ante operations to a big-time charity racket. The scam involves collecting money on behalf of St. Dismas, bringing Powell in close contact with several men of the cloth. As the racket rolls on, Powell is touched by the sincerity of the religious men and the plights of the charity's rightful recipients. He has a change of heart, confessing his original criminal intentions but seeing to it that the money goes to the right people. Hoodlum Saint was typical of the facile religiosity often found in MGM pictures of the period. The film is best remembered as the first non-aquatic performance of MGM swimming star Esther Williams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Powell, Esther Williams, (more)
