Esther Williams proves she's a true... Bathing Beauty (1944)

For the eight weeks that I was away, I was so determined to keep my posts in synch with where I was at. I thought it would be cute... until I couldn't find any suitable films for Prague or Spain. I faced two restrictions: I didn't have anything in my DVD collection that worked, and whatever I did find, I didn't love it enough to write about it. So, while I'm off gallivanting around Europe, you'll see that many of my posts are focused on films set in France while one or two are set in vague European countries. That being said, when I heard about the Athletes in Film Blogathon, I didn't hesitate for a second with my choice: the all-American Bathing Beauty. This blogathon was built for my adoration of Esther Williams, built for it I say!

Williams owed MGM's interest in her to Sonja Henie, an Olympic ice-skating champion that became a sensation at 20th Century Fox. Seeing the success that Fox had with Henie, MGM reasoned "Let's just melt the ice and put a pretty girl in there!" They found their pretty girl swimming in Billy Rose's Aquacade, a traveling show boasting Johnny Weissmuller, another champion turned movie star (pictured in both photos on the left).

Esther Williams had been an Olympic hopeful herself, but the cancellation of the 1940 games squashed that dream. She wound up auditioning for showman Billy Rose, who asked her to learn how to swim "pretty"

instead of going fast like competitions required of her. MGM approached Williams after seeing her in the Aquacade, giving her that age-old promise of stardom. Esther wasn't interested, though -- she already saw what that lifestyle would be like during her time with Rose and she wasn't impressed. "I said, 'No, I don't want to be a star. Stars are in soggy dressing rooms with leading men that are grabbing them all the time. I know what stars are.'"

She continued to refuse them for a year, but the more she said "no," the more they wanted her. Talent agent Johnny Hyde kept calling and insisted she have one meeting with Louis B. Mayer. Esther's co-workers at the department store I. Magnin told her to go so she could tell them all about it. When she insisted she had nothing to wear, they put her in a chic Chanel suit and told her to be back before 6 pm when the store closed. (Esther can be seen modeling for the store on the left.)

Obviously, Esther finally gave in, signing a contract in 1941. Part of that contract, however, insisted that she have nine months to work on her acting, diction, singing, and dancing. As she later wrote, "If it took nine months for a baby to be born, I figured my 'birth' from Esther Williams the swimmer to Esther Williams the movie actress would not be much different."

Her first film would be Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942), no surprise since MGM frequently tested starlets opposite Mickey Rooney in this film series. That's Williams and Rooney above on the set with director George B. Seitz, and you can see the trailer here. After that was a small role in A Guy Named Joe (1943), and then came the game-changer: Bathing Beauty.

Always in disbelief of her career, Esther thought that it "was funny that they wanted me to be in the movies because I hadn't been to drama school, and I hadn't ever wanted to sing and dance, and I never asked anybody for an autograph. ... I would have understood perfectly if they said 'We're sorry, you didn't have any training, you never even wanted to be an actress. We should've seen that. Go back home and be a lifeguard or something.' And it would've been fine with me because they'd be right."

Bathing Beauty stopped that from happening, though, becoming a box-office smash and earning the studio a $2 million profit. This film set the formula for Esther's future "aqua musicals," with a template comprised of wonderful songs, extravagant water sequences, and a love story at the center. Her films would be bright, lightweight, and definitely entertaining, and they would be in stunning Technicolor, a choice that always made Esther look radiant.

Originally, Bathing Beauty was supposed to be a Red Skelton vehicle, and for the most part, it still came out that way. Skelton has more screen time and he got to do a lot of comedy routines, but MGM knew to favor Esther in the publicity. They changed the film's name from Mr. Co-Ed to reflect their new star, and all advertisements had a bathing suit-clad Esther smiling on it. At the film's premiere at the Astor Theater in New York, the studio set up a six story-tall billboard of Esther diving into Times Square with the tagline "Come on in, the show's fine!" MGM must have felt quite confident about Esther since they were willing to sink so much money into this film. The biggest chunk of change?

$250,000 for a specially built pool that took up Soundstage 30, which is now officially the Esther Williams Stage. (For reference, $250k in 1943 is over $3.4 mil in 2015 money.) The pool was 25 feet deep and was sized at 90 x 90 feet, and came equipped with fireworks, fountains, and a hydraulic lift. For every aqua musical, Esther's pool was transformed to fit the setting.

Bathing Beauty was wholly different from the average musical, thanks to Esther's swimming. While her films stuck to the conventions of a musical, the addition of water made things quite interesting. Talking to Robert Osborne, Williams said "What happened is we invented a movie form of dancing in the water that hadn't been done before. They needed a swimming champion to do that because it was very hard to do because nobody knew what they were doing, and there was a kind of 'I don't know, what is she going to do? Do what you do, Esther!'"

It was all pretty experimental -- MGM didn't know what the swimming entailed and many times Esther herself had to improvise and learn as she went along. For BB, she recruited John Murray Anderson from Billy Rose's Aquacade to come and choreograph the big finale, while her more simple swimming scene at the beginning was mainly her ad-libbing. Although Sonja Henie's athletic pursuits did well with audiences, there was still an uncertainty regarding the aqua musical, Esther recalling that "after Bathing Beauty, I thought that would be the only picture I would do and that would be the end of it. It seemed to be it was all kind of a wonderful circus time." How fortunate we are that it wasn't her last film -- let's get to it!

On a bright, sunny day at a hotel, Xavier Cugat's band plays a lively tune by the pool. Applauding them at the end of their song is Steve Elliott (Skelton), an adorable songwriter. He asks Carlos Ramirez, a real-life singer playing himself, to perform a new song he just wrote for a Ms. Brooks. Carlos begins "Magic in the Moonlight" and soon our Ms. Brooks (Williams) appears, wearing a pretty Spanish-style cape over a simply lovely pink swimsuit, with short heels and a bow in her hair to match.

Ms. Brooks, or rather Caroline, is embarrassed by Carlos's serenade, her attempts at fleeing him

unsuccessful due to the crowded space. She makes her way to the diving pool, sheds her cape, and executes a perfect dive. You can tell this routine was in the very early stages of Esther's career -- the water is somewhat murky and the pool's walls are scratched. The studio let the crew go to the Lakeside Country Club in San Fernando Valley to film this opening sequence, so the crystal clear waters and spotless environment of Esther's studio pool aren't seen here.

Caroline finishes her brief swim and strikes a pose next to Carlos. When she sees Steve, though, she crosses the pool and pops up in front of him to give him a kiss.

Their banter is sweet as they tell each other that they quit their jobs, Caroline's being a swim teacher at an all-girls school and Steve's being the songwriter for a water pageant produced by George Adams (Basil Rathbone).

"Darling," Caroline coos, "I've a surprise for you." "What?" asks Steve. "I can cook," she replies. "Sweetheart, I have a surprise for you. I can't eat." Steve leans in for another kiss, but Caroline goes underwater and he finds his head submerged in water. They're cute.

Arriving just then is George Adams, and he is not pleased. He sent Steve to this resort to relax and write songs, yet he hasn't heard from the guy in weeks. He's greeted by Cugat and asks the bandleader where Steve is. "The pool, of course. Where else?" "The pool? But he hates water!" "But wait 'til you see what's in it." George is appalled to learn that Steve plans on leaving show business and settling down. His conversation with Cugat is interrupted by one of Cugat's chorus girls, Maria (Jacqueline Dalya), a woman who is upset with George because he promised her fame years ago and never delivered. (I always wonder, is this an allusion to the casting couch? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.) They overhear Steve and Caroline talking about their future, with Steve excited that he can finally focus on writing serious music now that he has Caroline as his muse. Someone didn't tell Basil Rathbone that he was in a light comedy, though, because he ominously declares "I'll get those songs if I have to stop that marriage!" Maybe he has a job for Maria after all...

The next day, Steve and Caroline say "I do," but their dreamy-eyed looks become confused when Maria marches in claiming to be Steve's wife. George, playing the best friend, demands to know what her proof is, prompting three little boys wearing sombreros to walk in. Underneath their sombreros are heads full of red hair. It's really silly and flimsy, but it gets the plot moving very quickly and there's no rule that the movies have to be entirely stuck in reality. The children are enough to cast doubt in Caroline's mind and she storms out of the church and heads back to her old job.

George's nefarious plan only halfway works -- Caroline thinks her new husband is a jerk, but they're still married and Steve doesn't just let her go. Instead, he follows her to Victoria College, where he is denied entrance because Caroline left word at the gate that no redheaded men were allowed to come in. He hasn't been able to find Maria to prove the truth to his bride either, so he drowns his sorrows that night at a nearby nightclub, which just so happens to be headlined by Harry James and his Music Makers. This film is packed with songs and popular performers of the day, so sometimes it can feel a little overstuffed.

That being said, the numbers are relatively short and they're always shot interestingly thanks to director George Sidney. I find it endlessly fascinating that bandleaders in the 1940's were given parts in movies. They definitely weren't the best actors, often coming off as stiff or cheesy, but they ground these films in their time period, making them wholly unique. Anyway, at the bar, Steve meets a drunk lawyer (Donald Meek) who has been hired by Victoria College to change its charter since it doesn't explicitly state that the school is only for women.

Seeing an opportunity, Steve applies to the college,

causing an uproar with the staff. They can't exactly deny him, however their students come from ritzy backgrounds and the publicity could be quite humiliating. Dean Clinton (Nana Bryant) suggests that during his two-week probationary period, something all new students go through, the teachers should find ways to give him 100 demerits, resulting in his expulsion before Parents Day. Caroline keeps quiet about her connection to Steve, smugly informing him that his application was accepted. He offers to forget enrolling if she drops the annulment proceedings, but it doesn't work. Come on, Caroline!

Because he will be the sole male student, and because the faculty wants to make him uncomfortable, Steve gets special living quarters: a dusty shack cluttered with junk. Caroline tries to be all-business as she gives Steve his schedule and explains school rules to him, but in between her sentences, he manages to say things like "I dream about you every night" and "You're even lovelier than I remembered." Before she can give in, Professor Evans (Bill Goodwin) and his barking dog arrive, ruining the mood. You can watch the sequence here.

Totally unrelated to the plot, a group of students excitedly barge in on their music teacher and ask her to perform for them. The fact that their teacher is famous organist Ethel Smith is very implausible, yet oh so marketable. The girls call Smith "Smitty" and beg her to play, which sounds weird but she was known for putting some pizzazz into the organ. As I said in my review of Easy to Wed, another Williams flick that Smith pops up in, I don't understand the appeal of Smith. The organ just isn't my thing, apparently. I'm definitely a fan of her shoes, though -- check those out! If you're so inclined, you can see Smith and the girls perform "Tico, Tico" here.

Back to our sliver of a plot. Steve mopes around his room, barely cleaning it. When he wipes the windows down, he's surprised to find a bunch of female students smiling at him. News travels fast! Anyway, he finally organizes his room and tries to study French when he gets the idea to call up Caroline and recite some for her. She acts like she isn't amused, but her little smile tells us the ice is beginning to crack. The next day, Steve is woken up in music class by the girls. Taking advantage of their teacher being late, Steve does his routine of what women have to go through in the morning to look beautiful. I don't wear makeup, but my niece does, and Skelton's portrayal is very accurate in my opinion.

I'm also surprised he was able to mime putting on a brassiere and attaching a stocking to a garter. Seems a little risque for 1944, or perhaps that's just my prudish sensibilities. Class starts and the dull Prof. Hendricks lectures about "Loch Lamond," a song that will forever be linked to Fred Astaire in my mind. It's a traditional Scottish ballad that makes Steve shake his head as the rest of the class is forced to sing it. Prof. Hendricks wants to know why he thinks he's too high and mighty to sing along, causing one of the students to say that Steve's music is a big improvement from this stale old tune. Annoyed, the professor challenges Steve to write a better arrangement and bring it to class.

Steve stays up all night working on the song, and his presentation of it doesn't disappoint. It's easily my favorite number from the film. Student Jean (Jean Porter) duets with Steve in the ear-worm "I'll Take the High Note," which starts with organ by Ethel Smith before kicking into a big band arrangement. After some cute lyrics and playing around, Steve and Jean are joined by his mega-talented friends, Carlos Ramirez, a few other Latin singers, and Harry James and his orchestra. Also included is a student named Janis, played by Janis Paige in her film debut. (That's her between Skelton and Ramirez in the photo on the right.) Fun story: for the longest time, I thought Jean

was played by Helen Forrest, Harry James's lead singer at the time who actually does appear in this movie but not until much later. While researching for this post, I found out my mistake, but then made another one -- I believed Janis Paige played Jean! I was like "Man, that doesn't really look like Paige, but this source seems to be saying that..." It's all been very confusing. But back to the movie. Prof. Hendricks isn't too happy with Steve's song, but everyone else is thrilled by it, minus a still bitter Caroline who does enjoy it but conceals it whenever Steve looks her way. The professor gives Steve an A, albeit begrudgingly. You can watch the fun right here. Do it before I'm forced to give you an F.

Alone in her apartment, Caroline fondly thinks about Steve when he knocks on her door. She reverts to being huffy and asks what he wants. "Rule 113: students are invited at all times to bring to the members of the faculty problems of a personal nature. Now, I have a problem and it's very personal," he says. He complains that his bed is too cold and too small, and then reminisces about the bed they were going to buy for their new home. Caroline's eyes become soft, but once again, Prof. Evans and his dog are at the door.

Seeing a chance to mess with Steve, she tells her husband that she's practically engaged to Evans. She then asks him to leave by the window, but when she notices he actually sneaked into the closet to spy on her and Evans, she cozies up to the professor, who surprises her with a kiss. The dog goes crazy when it finds Steve, Caroline dismissing it as the dog smelling a rat, and the two go to the movies, leaving good ol' Duke behind to keep an eye on that rat. The problem besides the menacing dog? Students have to be in their dorms by 9:00 and it's already 8:55, giving Steve just five minutes to get home.

His solution is to try and trick the dog by dressing as a woman, which doesn't really work. There's a lot of running back and forth between the front door and the window before Steve is able to get free and make it home in time. During shooting of this scene, Skelton found himself stuck on a decent ending. Like his character, he had no idea how to get out of this predicament. Buster Keaton took one look at the scenario and figured it out immediately. His much-maligned years at MGM often consisted of him helping out Skelton, among others, including Lucille Ball.

Steve finds George in his room, and it sounds like Steve had purposely not told the producer where he would be. George bullies him into completing those songs he needs by threatening to tell the press about Steve's presence at the school, thus dragging Caroline and the school through the dirt. Steve agrees to finish the songs, but he's under a lot of pressure here, what with every teacher hoping to expel him, Caroline ignoring him, and lots of homework. No worries -- George will do his homework! He used to go to Oxford, after all.

With George gone, Steve calls the club Cugat is performing at and gets the stage manager instead. He says Cugat's on right now, but hey, would you like to hear his number through the phone? It's a clumsy way to shuffle in yet another number, but I find it funny and acceptable. You can watch the routine here. Once that's over with, Cugat gets on the phone and straight up lies to Steve, telling him he hasn't seen Maria since the wedding. Et tu, Cugie?

At a staff meeting, everyone is bummed to hear that Steve is doing well in his classes and he's only gotten 55 demerits out of the 100 needed. Their last hope is Mme. Zarka (Ann Codee), the ballet teacher. Her methods are pretty cruel -- Steve is forced to wear the same outfit as the girls and she slaps him around to get his body in the right form. There'd be a lawsuit if that was done today. Steve takes it in stride, though, and after some pratfalls that precede I Love Lucy's infamous ballet episode, he dances with the rest of the class and does a decent job.

When Mme. Zarka catches Jean with chocolates, she announces that the next person found with a chocolate or even a wrapper will be given 25 demerits. Naturally, Steve gets a wrapper stuck on his foot, leading him to transfer it to Jean who sticks it on someone else until the wrapper makes its way back to Steve. He finally gets rid of it -- unfortunately, he did so by accidentally hitting Caroline in the face when she walked into the room. Yikes.

Chatting over roasted marshmallows (so random), Dean Clinton and Caroline lament that Steve is still around with Parents Day just around the corner. The dean has one more trick up her sleeve, though, and it's rather devious: she asks Caroline to keep Steve off-campus past his curfew. They'll have Prof. Evans stand by the gate and catch them, giving them the ammunition to expel Steve. Caroline agrees to it, and it just about breaks my heart to see sweet little Steve so excited about this date. They go to George's nightclub and listen to a number by Harry James. It doesn't take long for Caroline to realize what a darling Steve is and how silly she's been.

Her face says it all as she watches him draw their future house and talk about where they'll put everything -- he even uses a salt shaker to represent her and paprika to represent him. It's pretty charming. Steve wants to leave Victoria College right away so they can start their married life, but Caroline stalls him by asking him to dance. Guess what? It's time for another song! This time, we get Helen Forrest, the real one. (Watching the film for this review, I just noticed that they freaking announce Forrest before she sings. How did I miss this?!)

I really love Forrest's voice and her work with Harry James is stellar. Here, she sings "I Cried for You," one of my absolute favorites. (Again: how did I miss this?!) You can watch her scene here. It's a shame that this is the only showcase in the film for Forrest. She was very popular, having worked with Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman before James. She had actually left James for a solo career in 1943, finding great success with Dick Haymes as a partner, but she briefly returned to accompany James for this film and Two Girls and a Sailor, released the same year.

While Forrest is performing, Maria returns to talk to George. He locks her in his office so Steve doesn't see her, which does not go over well. She starts to trash his office when she comes across Steve's contact info. She sneaks out through the window and happens upon Carlos, who directs her to Victoria, only to realize who she is once she's gone.

Snuggling on the way back to the college, married life looks peachy for our couple. They discuss moving to California and more importantly, Caroline says she trusts Steve. That mystery woman didn't even have a marriage license, and like Steve says, those kids' hair color doesn't make Steve their parent. (Duh.) Then Caroline remembers Evans is waiting to expel Steve. To her credit, she admits to her husband what she did. He's a little disappointed, but he got his wife back so he doesn't really dwell on it. What he doesn't take well is Caroline's insistence that they wait to be together -- she can't quit right now and leave Dean Clinton high and dry! Caroline also doesn't want Steve to come back to

the college. She explains that "tomorrow's Parents Day and--" "Tonight is definitely not Husband's Night," Steve responds. Yowza.

However, he agrees to pack up his things and leave if Caroline comes and helps him after telling Evans he already left. In his room, Steve is ambushed by a group from a sorority who attempt to start an initiation process. Hearing a knock at the door, he thinks it's Caroline and the girls hide. It's not Caroline, though -- it's Maria. Before she can say anything, Caroline knocks and Steve shoves Maria in a closet. Things get a little steamy between our stars, but Carlos comes in

through the window to warn Steve about Maria. Wanting to be alone with her groom, Caroline pushes Carlos into the closet where the sorority girls are, thinking it's a backdoor.

Things really pick up when Jean rushes in; her parents are here with the dean and they want to see for themselves that Steve has left. As they find hiding spots, George comes in and finds himself put in the same closet as Maria. Jean's parents look around and leave satisfied, allowing Caroline and Steve to come out. They hear Jean's mother say she left something in the room, though, so Caroline runs into George and

Maria's closet.

Seeing Maria, she screams and furiously runs away. So much for that trust she has of Steve. Anyway, the parents are scandalized, the dean is shocked, everyone is yelling and freaking out, and in the midst of all that, Carlos and the sorority girls come out of the closet on a four-seat bicycle while he plays guitar and sings. It's truly random and very, very funny. I wonder if Buster Keaton came up with that, too? Whoever did, I tip my hat off to you.

In the next scene, Steve talks to George about the mess he's in: "I've embarrassed the dean, disgraced Victoria College, and caused Caroline to lose her job. ... I'd jump in the river, but the water reminds me of Caroline." George, being the stand-up guy he is, doesn't tell Steve what part he played in the catastrophe -- he's still too damn interested in getting those songs out of Steve. He'll finish the score, but only if George casts Caroline as the star of his water ballet. Seeing no other choice, he does, grumbling that Caroline isn't an established star. "Wait," he says as Steve is leaving, "how does she look in a bathing suit?" "How does she look in a bathing suit?!" Steve looks to the camera, "Is he kidding?"

Some time later, it's the night of the show. George brings Steve to Caroline's dressing room and she runs into his arms. One of these loonies finally listened to Maria and the whole thing is cleared up. George slips away, but when Steve hears what his buddy has been up to, he goes right after him. We'll get to them later -- right now it's time for a show!

I don't even know if words can do justice to what all happens here. There are dozens of chorus girls who were trained to swim; both Harry James and Xavier Cugat; fountains; fire; giant seahorse sculptures; big columns; and at the center of it all, Esther. I'll let my pictures do the talking...

You can see most of the finale here. And if you're wondering why Esther's swimsuit looks especially sparkly, the wardrobe department sewed panels of small mirrors into the suit so that the camera would catch all the light and sparkle it created. Although the water ballet looks glamorous, in real life Esther was dealing with pneumonia and a 102 degree temperature. With everyone involved, though, the studio couldn't postpone the shoot, forcing Esther to work with it. As the audience is applauding Caroline, George jumps into the pool to escape Steve, who goes in after him only to remember he can't swim. Caroline arrives to help him and provide him with a kiss, which makes him sink... and he playfully pulls her down with him!

Skelton and Williams would be in two more films together after this, but never again would they play a couple, which is a bit of shame since they're so lovely here. In Neptune's Daughter (1949), they don't even know one another and in Texas Carnival (1951), they're partners in a carnival act. Skelton would also make a cameo as himself in Esther's Duchess of Idaho (1950) -- as he presents Esther and Van Johnson with an award, he goes "You both look awfully familiar to me" but he can't place them. Bathing Beauty would be the first and last time Skelton had billing over Esther; after all, this film made her a huge star!

One part of this film that I've consistently enjoyed is Jean Porter, who plays Jean. I'm glad I finally got this whole Helen Forrest thing figured out, because looking up Ms. Porter gave me some interesting information. Like Esther, she was put into an Andy Hardy flick, hers being Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble, released the same year as Bathing Beauty. After seeing the push the studio tried to give her in 1944, you'd think she would have done well, but instead the next year she was given a two-minute part as a gushing newlywed in another Esther Williams film, Thrill of a Romance. Apparently she was also in Easy to Wed, but I don't remember her at all. Porter would appear mostly in television as the years went on, including The Red Skelton Show. She was married to director Edward Dymtryk from 1948 until his death in 1999, so she was with him through his infamous time with the Red Scare in Hollywood. Porter is still alive today at the age of 93.

When asked by Robert Osborne what her favorite film is, Esther said she didn't really have one, commenting that "Bathing Beauty would be if I hadn't been such a lousy actress. I can't watch that one anymore, the rolling of the eyes and everything." It's true she wasn't totally refined as an actress yet, but it's still an admirable, star-making turn that I love each and every time. For fourteen years, Esther produced hit after hit for MGM, making a total of 21 films, not including her cameos in Till the Clouds Roll By and Callaway Went Thataway.

After she left the studio in 1955, she would make just five more pictures in addition to other ventures like her swimming pool business and designing bathing suits. In 1984, Esther helped inaugurate synchronized swimming as an Olympic sport, acting as a commentator that year. She took a few stops along the way, but Esther finally made it to the Olympics.

I don't quite know what it is that makes Esther's films so immensely enjoyable. Certainly she was incredibly natural and talented, but the swimming just adds an undefinable ingredient. Esther herself tried to explain it: "I think the charm of those pictures -- there's something very beautiful about the water and somebody's that skillful in it makes you feel good." I agree. But aside from the swimming, I just adore Esther as an actress and as a human being. She really was something special.

Williams wore this dress to a charity event, where she met her second husband, Ben Gage. Their first date was the film's preview at Pomona.

This photo has my favorite hidden gem in a film -- if you look past Steve trying to hide Maria, on the chalkboard behind them is a drawing of Caroline in her red and blue outfit! We never get a close-up of it, but I imagine the little hearts have her and Steve's initials.

With love,

Michaela

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This is my contribution to the Athletes in Film Blogathon. You can check out the roster here.