Mermaids in the Movies
Esther Williams Films
Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942)
Esther Williams' first movie. Black and white.
- Directedy by George B. Seitz
- Cast: Esther Williams, Mickey Rooney
Bathing Beauty (1944)
College girl loves a songwriter.
- Directed by George Sidney
- Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone
Dangerous When Wet (1953)
Wholesome girl swims the English Channel.
- Directed by Charles Walters
- Cast: Esther Williams, Fernando Lamas
Duchess of Idaho (1950)
Romantic comedy, love triangles.
- Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
- Cast: Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Lena Horne
Easy to Love (1953)
Two men compete for the love of a mermaid. Includes water-ski scenes.
- Directed by Charles Walters
- Cast: Esther Williams, Van Johnson
Fiesta (1947)
A bullfighter's sister replaces him in the ring so he can compose music.
- Directed by Richard Thorpe
- Cast: Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse, Mary Astor
Jupiter's Darling (1955)
Spoof of Hannibal's siege of Rome.
- Directed by George Sidney
- Cast: Esther Williams, Howard Keel
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952, USA)
Romance based on swimming star Annette Kellerman.
- Also titled: The One Piece Bathing Suit (1952)
- Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
- Cast: Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon
Neptune's Daughter (1949)
Swimsuit designer finds love and danger on her South American vacation.
- Directed by Edward Buzzell
- Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Keenan Wynn, Ricardo Montalban, Mel Blanc, Xavier Cugat
On an Island With You (1948)
Navy pilot pursues an actress in the South Seas.
- Directed by Richard Thorpe
- Cast: Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban, Jimmy Durante, Cyd Charisse
Pagan Love Song (1950)
Schoolteacher falls in love with native girl.
- Directed by Robert Alton
- Cast: Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Rita Moreno
Skirts Ahoy! (1952)
Three women join the Waves.
- Directed by Sidney Lanfield
- Cast: Esther Williams, Joan Evans, Vivian Blaine
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
Regular musical.
- Directed by Busby Berkeley
- Cast: Esther Williams, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra
Texas Carnival (1951)
Carnival workers are mistaken for millionaires.
- Directed by Charles Walters
- Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn
This Time for Keeps (1947)
Swimming musical romantic comedy.
- Directed by Richard Thorpe
- Cast: Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante, Xavier Cugat
Thrill of a Romance (1946)
Groom deserts his bride on the wedding night for a business deal.
- Directed by Richard Thorpe
- Cast: Esther Williams, Van Johnson
Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
MGM's version of a Ziegfeld stage show
- Directed by Vincent Minnelli
- Cast: Esther Williams, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, William Powell, Judy Garland, Fanny Brice, Lena Horne, Red Skelton, Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly