weezeralfalfa
Esther Williams, as the numero uno bathing beauty of the times, in her first, of many, Technicolor 'swimusicals', has much supporting talent in this extravaganza, which was a smash hit for wartime audiences. Originally conceived as featuring most prominently Red Skelton, in a film titled 'Mr. Co-ed", it was decided to make Esther the headliner name of a retitled "Bathing Beauty". There are two swimming sections, the early one not of much interest, while the finale one is a very elaborate spectacle, featuring many participants in colorful outfits, in and out of the water, with Esther sometimes the focus of attention. Intervening these visual and musical spectaculars is a zany screenplay, with romantic and professional complications, and often featuring Red in various embarrassing situations.In 1936,Fox had initiated a series of films featuring ice-skating shows, usually including musical and romantic comedy features, as well, headed by ice skating sensation Sonja Henie. But, the last notable film of this series was released the year before the present film. Audiences had become bored with ice skating shows and Ms. Henie. MGM decided to imitate this general format, substituting water shows for ice skating shows, with Esther, a champion swimmer, the perennial female star. It worked surprisingly well, given Esther's comparatively bland screen persona.As many superior musicals have done, this one starts out with a musical highlight, to dazzle audiences. Xavier Cugat's Latin-themed band, initially featuring the singing and samba wiggling of Lina Romay, and later, the singing of Columbian Carlos Ramirez, as he seemingly pursues a disinterested Esther around the pool. Not long afterward, Harry James and his band is featured, although they can't equal Cugat's show for interest. Later, Helen Forest sings, Unfortunately, she never came across as an exciting singer. Both bands had already been featured in the B&W musical "Two Girls and a Sailor", released earlier that year. In contrast to most of his roles for MGM as a one song man, Ramirez has several singing assignments here, and plays a small role in the screenplay. However, perhaps his most memorable film moment was when he sang "Begin the Beguine", in the Cole Porter biopic: "Night and Day".While it's often thought that films featuring water ballets were introduced in this film, in fact the first film to do so was "Footlight Parade", back in 1933, with Busby Berkeley as the innovative choreographer. Although Berkeley did choreograph the water ballet in a few of Esther's films, he was not present here. Nonetheless, much of the water ballet featured typical Berkeley-inspired features.Poor Steve Elliot(Red), an important song writer, is fraudulently accused of being a bigamist, just after his wedding to Caroline(Esther). Seems producer George(Basil Rathbone) overheard that Steve planned to retire from songwriting upon his marriage, and is afraid that his future shows won't sell without Steve's song writing. Thus, he arranged for a woman(Jacqueline Dalya, as Maria) to claim she already had 3 sons fathered by Steve, all presented just after the wedding ceremony. Caroline believes this fraud, and leaves Steve to return to her job as swimming instructor at an all girl college. Steve tries to worm his way back into her life, finding a loophole in the college charter, allowing him to register as a student. This, of course, sets the stage for a series of comedic episodes through most of the remainder of the film.Although today, Red mostly comes across as a corny sort of slapstick clown, the episode where he is forced to take a ballet class is still truly hilarious. Another highlight is the vaudeville-like song and dance, to "I'll Take the high Note", mostly featuring the tall Red and petite , vivacious, Jean Porter, looking a bit like Lisa Minnelli. The upbeat organ music of Ethel Smith, often jazzy or Latin-themed, is also featured several times, she also playing the music teacher at this college. Ethel's organ playing would again be featured in the Esther film "Easy to Wed", in which Ramirez would also return for a song. Basil Rathbone, of fame in playing Sherlock Holmes, and fighting losing rapier duels with Errol Flynn, is surprisingly present, as the play and water ballet producer George.Playing a song writer, Red actually did compose many songs and even symphonies, although few are remembered today. In "Three Little Words"('50), he would play the historic song lyricist Harry Ruby".5 years later, in "Neptune's Daughter", MGM would reteam Esther with Red, and with Cugat's band again providing most of the musical numbers, hoping to recapture the magic of the present film. Although it too was a major box office success, in some ways, I see it as an inferior total experience. Red would be included in several other Esther films, as well, the last being the '51 "Texas Carnival". In contrast to the present film, Esther was not paired romantically with Red's character in these other films, being provided with a conventionally handsome leading man.
MartinHafer
"Bathing Beauty" is a silly and rather inconsequential film when you see it today. It's not bad---just not the sort of thing that is anything more than a time-passer. Yet, oddly, the film was for a time the third highest grossing film for MGM!! I just don't see it, but in its time, this was a HUGE hit. My theory is that despite the squeaky-clean image, folks in the 40s must have used a lot of drugs--that seems like the only logical explanation of the film's success!!The film begins with a songwriter, Steve (Red Skelton) and his fiancée, Caroline (Esther Williams) getting married. However, as the man is pronouncing them man and wife, another woman bursts in and insists she's already married to him and presents what she claims are his three kids! Now logic would dictate that everyone would sit down and look at the woman's proof to determine if she is correct AND if not, what is her motivation. However, and this is a HUGE weakness of the film, Caroline runs away--and cloisters herself away in an all-girls school where she is on the faculty. She returns no phone calls and won't have any contact with Steve--even though she loved him enough to marry him in the first place!!! Logical, this is not!While Steve is moping, he meets a lawyer and they discuss loopholes to get him to see Caroline. They discover that although it's TRADITIONALLY a girls college, the charter does NOT indicate this and the school can't stop Steve from matriculating. Much of the remainder of the film consists of the lone male student trying to fit into the school and making a mess of things. Some of this is rather funny--though, of course, amazingly contrived.Eventually, what happens with Steve and Caroline is exactly what you know will happen--but it takes them forever to get to this point. This means the finale is a foregone conclusion with no surprises other than the water ballet which has no relationship with the rest of the film and was obviously tacked on for the obligatory Williams swimming scene.The star of the film is clearly Skelton. He's funny and likable. As for Williams, her character seems shallow and rather nasty--and you wonder why anyone would bother trying to win back such a lady! It's clearly a weak vehicle for her. Another HUGE problem (aside from the plot) is the singing and dancing. This is not the forte of WIlliams or Skelton--yet they film is jam-packed with songs. Too many and too many contrived musical numbers (particularly on the college campus) tend to distract from the plot and Skelton's antics. As a result, the film is very uneven and a film that defies a rational explanation! Not bad--just one that isn't particularly exceptional overall.
