My Favourite Esther Williams Movies

Happy Birthday to Esther Williams!

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On what would have been her 99th birthday, today I'm looking back at my top five favourite Esther Williams movies. Let's dive in (heh)!

Bathing Beauty (1944)

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This was Esther's first major film, and she totally walks away with it. I love the premises of her films, they're usually so fun and frothy. In this one, she plays a swim instructor/gym teacher trying to rid herself of her husband, who signed up to be a student at her previously all-girls school. Red Skelton also shines as the bumbling, aw-shucks good guy who gamely attends all the classes in an effort to win her back. 

Also, Bathing Beauty also features probably my favourite movie cosutme that wasn't worn by Audrey Hepburn: 

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That dress looks so fun!

Thrill of a Romance (1945)

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I wrote about this film for the Esther Williams blogathon, you can read the post in full here. 

Listen, there's something about this little love story, where Esther marries a rich, distant businessman then spends her honeymoon alone at a friendly hotel in the mountains and befriends soldier Van Johnson that just works. Even the side characters (except Esther Williams' husband) are fun! If you need to escape reality for an hour-and-forty-five minutes, you can't go wrong with Thrill of a Romance. 

Neptune's Daughter (1949)

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Esther Williams plays an aquatic ballet dancer who wants to design bathing suits in Neptune's Daughter and then gets caught up in a case of mistaken identity with her sister and a South American polo team. As always, frothy fun that'll leave you feeling good. 

And for a hint of Christmas fun, this is the film in which 'Baby It's Cold Outside' debuted (and won the Oscar for Best Original Song). 

Duchess of Idaho (1950)

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So many of the movie titles to Esther Williams are just plain fun. Like, if you could judge a movie by its title, much like you judge a book by its cover (which I almost always do in terms of books because why wouldn't you focus on the cover to get your attention?), I'd always want to watch an Esther Williams movie. 

Duchess of Idaho. Bathing Beauty. Thrill of a Romance. Neptune's Daughter. Jupiter's Darling. On An Island With You. Million Dollar Mermaid. They're all so fun! 

Another thing you can't go wrong with? Esther Williams and Van Johnson. 

Easy to Wed (1946)

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A remake of Libeled Lady with Esther in the role originated by Myrna Loy; and with great co-stars like Van Johnson (in the role originated by William Powell), Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn.  

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What are your favourite Esther Williams movies?