Esther Williams

Esther Williams

American swimmer, actress and singer (1921–2013)

Esther Jane Williams was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, she joined Billy Rose's Aquacade, where she took on the role vacated by Eleanor Holm after the show's move from New York City to San Francisco. While in the city, she spent five months swimming alongside Olympic gold medal-winner and Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller. Williams caught the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, then with Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and with future five-time co-star Van Johnson in A Guy Named Joe, Williams made a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as "aquamusicals", which featured elaborate performances with synchronised swimming and diving.

Filmography in the catalog

Credited on 30 films (1944–1961) — matched by name in the Creator or Credits field. Also mentioned in 10 other records (descriptions, transcriptions, copyright notes).

Year ▼ Title CreatorLengthFormatColorSound
1961 The Big Show James B. Clark 90 min
1958 Raw Wind In Eden. Universal Pictures Co. Inc. 93 min. 35mm Color sound
1956 The Unguarded Moment. Universal Pictures Co. Inc. 95 min. 35mm Color sound
1955 Jupiter’s Darling. Loew’s Incorporated 96 min. 35mm Color sound
1954 Deep In My Heart. Loew’s Incorporated 132 min 35mm Color sound
1953 Dangerous When Wet. Loew’s Incorporated 95 min. 35mm Color sound
1953 EASY TO LOVE. Loew’s Incorporated 96 min. 35mm Color sound
1952 Million Dollar Mermaid. Loew's Inc. 115 min 35mm Color sound
1952 Skirts Ahoy. Loew’s Incorporated 109 min 35mm Color sound
1951 Texas Carnival. Loew's Inc. 76 min. 35mm Color sound
1950 Duchess of Idaho Robert Z. Leonard 99 min Color
1950 Duchess Of Idaho. Loew's Inc. 98 min. 35mm Color sound
1950 Pagan Love Song. Loew's Inc. 76 min. 35mm Color sound
1950 Screen Actors ▶ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 8:42 16mm B&W sound
1950 Take me out to the ball game Busby Berkeley 93 min Color
1949 Neptune's Daughter. Edward Buzzell 93 min. 35mm Color sound
1949 Take Me Out to the Ball Game Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp 1:33:00 16mm Color sound
1949 Take Me Out To The Ball Game. Busby Berkeley 93 min. 35mm Color sound
1948 On An Island With You. Richard Thorpe 107 min 35mm Color sound
1947 Fiesta. Richard Thorpe 104 min 35mm Color sound
1947 This Time For Keeps. Richard Thorpe 105 min 35mm Color sound
1946 Easy To Wed. Edward Buzzell 13 reels 16mm sound
1946 The Hoodlum Saint. Norman Taurog 9 reels B&W sound
1946 Till The Clouds Roll By Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 120 min 16mm Color sound
1946 Till the clouds roll by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1946) (USA) (theatrical): Distributor | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated): Publisher | National Cinema Service: Publisher 2:17:00 16mm Color
1946 Ziegfeld follies. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 110 min 16mm Color silent
1946 Ziegfeld Follies. Merrill Pye, Charles Walters, Robert Lewis, George Sidney, Roy Del Ruth, Vincente Minnelli, Norman Taurog 13 reels Color sound
1945 Thrill Of A Romance. Richard Thorpe 11 reels. Color & B&W sound
1944 Bathing beauty George Sidney 101 min Color
1944 Bathing Beauty. George Sidney 11 reels. Color sound