Classic Films in Focus: BATHING BEAUTY (1944)

Although she makes appearances in two earlier feature films, Bathing Beauty (1944) marks the debut of Esther Williams as a fully realized Hollywood star, with plenty of opportunities to show off her attractive figure and her signature swimming skills. This light, frothy comedy from director George Sidney is typical of the wartime Technicolor musicals released to buoy public morale and entertain the troops overseas; it doesn't take itself very seriously, and its thin plot is as much an excuse for a series of musical set pieces as anything else. In spite of that, Bathing Beauty provides plenty of entertainment for those who enjoy its particular kind of musical comedy, with Williams looking lovely and quite game for her romantic high jinks with costar Red Skelton. Musical performances from Xavier Cugat, Harry James, and Ethel Smith also make this a fun film for fans of the era's big band sound.

Williams stars as Caroline Brooks, a swimming teacher at a women's college who falls in love with song writer Steve Elliot (Red Skelton) during a trip to California. When Steve's friend and employer, George (Basil Rathbone), breaks up the couple's wedding with a phony bigamy claim, Caroline goes back to her job at the school, and Steve enrolls there as a student in order to convince her of his innocence. The faculty conspire to get Steve expelled, while his musician friends and new college classmates work equally hard to help him out.

As slight as its plot is, there are moments when Bathing Beauty falters, mostly in the bizarre waste of Basil Rathbone as the cause of Steve's marital woes. Williams occasionally shows her inexperience, as well, but she has a natural charm that quickly wins the audience over. She's an all-American beauty, tall, athletic, but utterly feminine, and she's especially flirtatious in her underwater scenes. The movie originally belonged to Red Skelton, with the title Mr. Co-Ed, but Williams usurped him and caused the focus of the picture to be altered. In spite of being knocked to second place, Skelton still has all of the movie's funniest scenes, and his character remains the most interesting and developed figure in the story. His ballet sequence, complete with pink tutu, is a scream, but he's also a lot of fun in his musical number, "I'll Take the High Note," performed with the adorably spunky Jean Porter. Skelton, whose mentor at MGM was Buster Keaton, excels at an expressive, physical comedy that recalls the silent era; he has the sweetness of a classic clown rather than the brash bravado of a Pre-Code comedian or more verbal comedic leads like Jack Carson. There's something sincere and vulnerable about Skelton's character that causes us to root for him even in the most ridiculous circumstances, like the scene when his romantic rival's huge dog keeps him trapped in Caroline's house, and he resorts to wearing her clothes in order to fool the beast.

Musical sequences fill as much of the film's running time as the narrative itself, offering audiences across the country a chance to enjoy the performances of the era's biggest acts. Although they play themselves, the musical stars also contribute to the story line by interacting with the protagonists and trying to help Steve, but they're really there to show off their stuff. Band leader Xavier Cugat and his orchestra open the picture with a poolside performance, assisted by Carlos Ramirez singing "Magic is the Moonlight." Harry James and his orchestra also perform, with James tearing it up on the trumpet. More unusual is the appearance of organist Ethel Smith as one of the college's music teachers; her numbers, which emphasize her footwork and sense of fun, are especially entertaining. Disney fans might recognize Smith from her "Blame It on the Samba" segment in Melody Time (1948), and she turns up again in the 1946 Williams picture, Easy to Wed.

Be sure to note familiar character actor Donald Meek in a brief but significant role; he gives Steve the idea to enroll at Victoria College. For more from George Sidney, see Anchors Aweigh (1945), The Harvey Girls (1946), and Kiss Me Kate (1953); Sidney directs Williams again in Jupiter's Darling (1955). Esther Williams and Red Skelton both appear in Ziegfeld Follies (1945), Neptune's Daughter (1949), and Texas Carnival (1951). See Williams with different leading men in Easy to Wed (1946), Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949), and Dangerous When Wet (1953). Skelton had a long television career, for which he is best remembered today, but you can see his earlier work in films like Ship Ahoy (1942), Panama Hattie (1942), and Du Barry Was a Lady (1943).

Classic Films in Focus: JUPITER'S DARLING (1955)

Even the novice viewer probably knows to expect some swimming scenes in an Esther Williams picture, but Jupiter's Darling (1955) is less aquatic than the screen star's most memorable outings, and it suffers from other problems, as well. Directed by George Sidney, who certainly was capable of better work, Jupiter's Darling isn't utterly terrible but still belongs squarely in the league of second raters, thanks to a thin plot, an appallingly sexist attitude, and the misuse of Williams' best attributes. For the dedicated classic movie fan, the consolations are plenty of color, some fun dance sequences from Marge and Gower Champion, and the presence of favorites like Howard Keel, George Sanders, and William Demarest.

Williams stars as Amytis, the betrothed of the Dictator of Rome (George Sanders) during a perilous time. Hannibal (Howard Keel) and his army sit at the outskirts of the great city, ready to sack Rome and burn it to the ground. With her personal slave, Meta (Marge Champion), in tow, Amytis sneaks out for a look at the manly conqueror, but she ends up being taken prisoner. Amytis and Hannibal then engage in a frequently violent battle of the sexes, with the fate of Rome hanging in the balance.

The ancient setting provides eye-popping costumes and backgrounds, including a Roman bath where Williams indulges in watery antics, and it even justifies the presence of numerous elephants as part of Hannibal's military equipment. The pachyderms, though not very warlike, make for really unusual dance partners for Marge and Gower Champion in one of the silliest but most amusing musical scenes. Howard Keel also delivers one of his songs from atop an elephant, but that's just the kind of over-the-top moment one expects from him. Nothing about the location is meant to be realistic; this story is more mythology than history. Unfortunately, it also relies on some grossly outdated sexual politics that it wants us to wink at rather than protest. It's hard to see Keel's Hannibal as a desirable mate when he repeatedly attempts to have Amytis executed, and even when they get along their romance has a bestial, brutal quality to it. Really, between him and George Sanders' stuffy Fabius, the Vestal Virgins start to look like a good alternative.

Keel has plenty to do, though Sanders and William Demarest are sadly underused, and Williams ought to spend more time swimming and less singing (dubbed, of course). All of the best scenes really belong to the Champions, who are in their element doing energetic dance numbers that are more interesting than the songs themselves. The tired tropes of Jupiter's Darling signal the end of Williams' heyday; she starred in a drama, The Unguarded Moment (1956), a year later, but her best pictures were all behind her. The type of musical that had sustained Williams, Keel, and the Champions was on its way out, too. Even Keel, the biggest star of the bunch, moved into Westerns and TV appearances as the 1960s dawned.

Look for Richard Haydn, Norma Varden, and Douglass Dumbrille in minor supporting roles. For a proper introduction to Esther Williams, go with Neptune's Daughter (1949) or Dangerous When Wet (1953), in which William Demarest has a much better role as the heroine's dad. Howard Keel, the poster boy for musical battles of the sexes, stars in Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Kiss Me Kate (1953), and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954); the first two movies are also the work of director George Sidney. Keel and Sidney team with the Champions for the 1951 version of Show Boat, but you can also find the Champions in Give a Girl a Break (1953) and Three for the Show (1955).

Jupiter's Darling is currently available for streaming on Warner Archive Instant.