TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams

[Jeff]

TCM SPOTLIGHT: ESTHER WILLIAMS

The ravishing bathing beauty who pioneered a new genre of moviemaking -- "Aqua Musicals" -- will be seen in some of her splashiest roles when Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies showcase TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams on July 17

The films will be available only as a collection in a collectible digi-pak gift and will sell for $49.92 SRP.

Bathing Beauty (1944)
Rambunctious funnyman Red Skelton joins Esther Williams in this buoyant (literally) comedy about a lovesick songwriter who enrolls in a women's college to woo his estranged swimming-teacher wife. Highlights include music from both Harry James and his Music Makers and Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra, Skelton in a pink tutu doing unforgivable things to Tchaikovsky and a spectacular, trendsetting 'chlorine-and-chorine' finale.

Special Features:
· Robert Osborne hosts TCM's Private Screenings with Esther Williams
· Oscar-nominated Short Main Street Today
· Academy Award-winning Cartoon Mouse Trouble
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English (feature film only)

On an Island with You (1948)
Moonlight swims, swaying palms, Technicolor® sunsets and.cannibals?! Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse get the swimming, swaying and sunsets and Jimmy Durante gets the cannibals in this tune-filled paradise for fans of musical comedy. The frothy plot follows a swimming movie star (Williams, who else?) pursued by two handsome suitors on the set of her latest film, but the main point is mostly the songs, romance and Esther in a sizzling series of swimsuits and sarongs.

Special Features:
· Vintage Romance of Celluloid series short Personalities
· Classic cartoon The Bear and the Hare
· Theatrical trailer
· Subtitles: English (feature film only)

Easy To Wed (1946)
In this fast-paced, romantic comedy - a remake of the screwball 1930's classic Libeled Lady - the comic bits are legion, with two standouts: Van Johnson afloat with a baleful spaniel who knows a lot more about duck hunting than he does, and a laugh-out-loud drunk scene that uncorks the incomparable lunacy of Lucille Ball. When the local paper runs an untrue story claiming an heiress (Esther Williams) is a husband stealer, she prepares to sue for libel. So a newspaper honcho (Keenan Wynn) devises a counter scheme to compromise her image: He'll arrange a sham wedding between his fiancée (Lucille Ball) and a newsroom Romeo (Van Johnson), send the Romeo to woo the heiress, and make the phony story come true!

Special Features:
· Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty comedy short Sure Cures
· Classic cartoon The Unwelcome Guest
· Theatrical trailers of This Movie and Libeled Lady
· Subtitles: English (feature film only)

Neptune's Daughter (1949)
Longing for a Latin lover, boy-crazy Betty Barrett (Betty Garrett) mistakes girl-shy Jack Spratt (Red Skelton) for the South American polo team captain José O'Rourke (Ricardo Montalban). Meanwhile, the real O'Rourke pursues Betty's elegant sister Eve (Esther Williams). Soon mistaken identities and romantic complications spin into a dizzy mix of slapstick and flirtatious fun. All is set to terrific Frank Loesser songs, including Baby, It's Cold Outside, winner of the 1949 Best Song Oscar®. The film ends not only happily-ever-after but with (would a Williams fan expect anything less?) a stupendous water ballet.

Special Features:
· Outtake musical number I Want My Money Back
· Esther Williams cameo sequence from 1951's Callaway Went Thataway
· Oscar-Nominated Pete Smith Specialty comedy short Water Trix
· Oscar-nominated cartoon Hatch Up Your Troubles
· Theatrical trailers of this movie and Take Me Out to the Ball Game
· Subtitles: English (feature film only)

Dangerous When Wet (1953)
The "just add water" formula works again in this lighthearted mix of romance, music and comedy directed by Charles Walters (Easter Parade). Williams plays Katy, a farm girl who finds romance (with Williams' future real-life husband Fernando Lamas) while training for a swim across the English Channel. In the film's key sequence, Williams swims, swirls and swoops with cartoon stars Tom and Jerry in a concoction "brimful of attractive people and attractive performances" (Clive Hirschhorn, The Hollywood Musical).

Special Features:
· Outtake musical number C'est La Guerre
· Pete Smith Specialty comedy short This Is a Living?
· Classic cartoon Name to Come
· Esther Williams musicals trailer gallery
· Subtitles: English (feature film only)

[Lino]

Finally! But only 5 movies? I was expecting a mammoth splashy set with at least 10 movies but I'm not complaining too much.

Interesting choices of titles too.

...

Umm, digipacks?! WTF?!

[shearerchic]

Finally! But only 5 movies? I was expecting a mammoth splashy set with at least 10 movies but I'm not complaining too much.

Interesting choices of titles too.

...

Umm, digipacks?! WTF?!

me too. i'm kinda miffed about the digipack, cause i wanted the original cover art for the dvd covers. when WB said "splashy" i was expecting 7 films at the minimum. hope the "bombshell" of a Harlow set doesn't just contain 5 films.

[Ashirg]

[Lino]

Very tacky. I love it! I wonder if that pale blue picture behind Williams is holographic. That would make it just about perfect!

[Damfino]

I'm just happy to finally get a box set- and hopefully it'll sell well enough for a volume 2. I'm reading her autobiography now "The Million Dollar Mermaid", and it makes me want it that much more. Would it kill then to include a commentary or two, though?

[Lino]

Beaver

[Lino]

Back cover

[Ashirg]

From the HTF chat - A 2nd volume of Esther Williams coming this summer.

[shearerchic]

That's good news cause I loved the first set very much. I hope it includes:

-Million Dollar Mermaid
-Pagan Love Song
-Jupiter's Darling
-Easy to Love
-This Time For Keeps
-Thrill of A Romance

[domino harvey]

Warner has announced an October 6th release date for their Esther Williams Collection, Vol. 2. Titles in the highly-anticipated set include: Thrill of a Romance (1945), This Time For Keeps (1947), Fiesta (1947), Pagan Love Song (1950), Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) and Easy to Love (1953). It will also be packed with bonus features (below).

Various co-stars include Van Johnson, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, Howard Keel, Ricardo Montalban and many more.

The six-disc set will retail for $59.92, but is available at Classicflix.com for only $44.99. As with TCM all TCM Spotlight releases, it will be in a digipak so titles will not be sold separately.

SYNOPSIS:
The ravishing bathing beauty who pioneered a new genre of moviemaking -- “Aqua Musicals” -- will splash once more in Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies’ TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams Volume 2 on October 6. This highly anticipated follow-up to the 2007 TCM Collection includes the DVD debuts of six Technicolor films from classic Hollywood’s swimming superstar – Million Dollar Mermaid, Thrill of a Romance, Easy to Love, This Time for Keeps, Fiesta and Pagan Love Song. Each of these MGM musical favorites have been newly remastered especially for this DVD release.

Also included are a boat-load of special features, including rarely-seen deleted musical outtakes, vintage shorts and classic cartoons.

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
Glamorous, amphibious Esther Williams portrays real-life Australian swimming champ Annette Kellerman, in a splashy biopic co-starring Victor Mature. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy and Oscar nominated for Best Color Cinematography, the movie is loaded with stunning spectacle, including a must-see Busby Berkeley choreographed water ballet extravaganza. Is this lovely Esther’s signature film? Well, she called her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid.

BONUS FEATURES:

* AUDIO ONLY: Lux Radio Theater Presentation of Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams and Walter Pidgeon
* Classic M-G-M Tom & Jerry Cartoon The Little Wise-Quacker (1952)
* Classic M-G-M Short Subject Reducing (1952)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

Thrill of a Romance (1945)
Van Johnson and Esther Williams headline this frothy musical, just the ticket for a World War II-weary nation yearning for laughs, romance and glamour. And that’s exactly what they got, plus swinging Technicolor tunes from Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra and operatic grandeur from famed Wagnerian tenor Lauritz Melchior in his film debut.

Newlywed swimming teacher Cynthia Delbar (Williams) has everything a girl could want for her honeymoon: a posh mountain lodge, glorious weather and a drop-dead trousseau. The only thing missing is her tycoon groom, who chose closing a deal in DC over cuddling with his brand-new missus. A pretty sorrowful situation – until a good-looking war hero staying at the hotel decides he needs swimming lessons.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Outtake Musical Numbers:
o Gypsy Mattinata (Lauritz Melchior)
o I Should Care (Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra)
o Please Don’t Say No (The King Sisters)
* Classic M-G-M Short Subject The Great American Mug (1945)
* Classic M-G-M Tex Avery Cartoon Wild and Woolfy (1945)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

Easy to Love (1953)
With the Cole Porter classic as the title tune, it’s ‘easy to love’ this romantic comedy starring Esther Williams and Van Johnson in their fifth film together. Julie Hallerton (Esther Williams) knows how to win the affection of indifferent Ray Lloyd (Van Johnson): Be his office secretary; be the star of his Florida aquacade and the heart’s desire of a Manhattan crooner to make Ray jealous. The ploy works, as does everything else in this aquamusical. Tony Martin lends his smooth vocal styling; Razzle-dazzler Busby Berkeley guides Esther’s aquatic routines, including a legendary sequence involving Florida’s Cypress Gardens, dozens of water skiers, ramps, pyramid formations, gushing geysers, a helicopter, a trapeze and Esther in the air. Also fun to note is film’s young Carroll Baker’s (Baby Doll) screen debut.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Classic M-G-M Short Romantic Riviera (1953)
* Classic M-G-M Barney Bear Cartoon Cobs and Robbers (1953)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

This Time For Keeps (1947)
Whether soaring from the high board or redefining grace in a lavishly choreographed water ballet, Esther Williams is at her radiant, swim-suited best in this lighthearted aquatic musical centered on her romance with an ex-GI (Johnnie Johnston). Settings include Michigan’s picture-perfect Mackinac Island, with notable supporting stars providing specialty numbers. Famed tenor Lauritz Melchior brings his artistry to La Donna E Mobile, Xavier Cugat (with signature tea-cup Chihuahua at hand) adds big-band elan to the proceedings and Jimmy Durante delightfully dismantles his piano.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Outtake Musical Number: Little Big Shot (Jimmy Durante)
* Classic M-G-M Short Subject Now You See It (1947)
* Classic M-G-M Tom & Jerry Cartoon Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse (1947)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

Fiesta (1947)
Glamorous Williams forsakes her trademark swimsuit for a matador’s red cape and black montera in the colorful film Fiesta. Williams portrays Maria, disguising herself as her twin brother Mario (Ricardo Montalban in his first credited U.S. film) and enters the ring in his place after he abandons bullfighting for classical music studies. An Oscar-nominated score* (including a restyling of Aaron Copland’s “El Salon Mexico”) spices up this gender-bender tale. Lovely Cyd Charisse plays Mario’s partner in dance and romance.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Classic M-G-M Short Goodbye, Miss Turlock (1947)
* Classic M-G-M Tex Avery Cartoon Hound Hunters (1947)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

Pagan Love Song (1950)
Esther Williams and Howard Keel share the bliss of this eye-filling musical excursion which includes the rhapsodic title tune and a charming Rita Moreno (in her third movie role as a spunky islander). Pristine Hawaiian locations fill in for the story’s Tahitian setting. Of course, where there’s an island, there’s water, and Esther swimming in it. But in one fanciful sequence she also swims among the clouds, sending viewers’ spirits aloft with her.

Half-Tahitian beauty Mimi Bennett (Williams) is eager to leave the easygoing life of Tahiti for the excitement and bustle of the United States. But when Ohioan Hazard “Hap” Endicott arrives to manage his late uncle’s coconut plantation, the sparks flying between them may turn Mimi’s travel plans into wedding plans.

BONUS FEATURES:

* Seven Deleted Musical Outtakes:
o Why Is Love So Crazy
o Sea of the Moon
o Tahiti Version One
o Tahiti Version Two
o Music on the Water Version One
o Music on the Water Version Two
o The House of the Singing Bamboo
* Classic M-G-M Cartoon The Chump Champ (1950)
* Classic M-G-M Short Subject Curious Contests (1950)
* Original Theatrical Trailer

[souvenir]

Ginger Rogers can't get her own set but Esther Williams gets two.

[Ashirg]

If they are releasing the second set instead of going Archives shortcut - the first set must have sold pretty well...

[starmanof51]

This is probably a good time to ask-

I've never seen any of these, from either set. Sure, the many aqua-scenes excerpted in various That's Entertainment compendiums, but that's about it. Any recommendations on which one to start with (notice, I didn't say "dip a toe in the water")? I have this feeling what I may find is that, a couple of land-locked titles aside, they're sort of interchangeable.

[domino harvey]

As a rule, I try to limit my lifetime intake of Red Skeleton, so that might be a good starting point

[HerrSchreck]

As a rule, I try to limit my lifetime intake of Red Skeleton, so that might be a good starting point

I dunno, I kinda liked his performance in tex Avery's Who Killed Who?

[zedz]

Schreck 1, Domino 0

[domino harvey]

On Tex Avery references, it's surely closer to Schreck: 10000000000, Domino: 0