Esther Williams

MGM's resident aquatic ingénue Esther Williams is represented in this five-disc boxed set collecting a quintet of her most, er, buoyant starring vehicles from the 1940s and ‘50s. Bathing Beauty (1944), possibly the best of the bunch, stars Williams as a girls-school swimming teacher whose estranged husband (Red Skelton) enrolls as part of his campaign to win her back (Skelton appears in a pink tutu!). Easy to Wed (1946), a screwball comedy costarring Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, and Keenan Wynn, finds the swimming star out of her natural element and very much upstaged by Lucy's scene-stealing antics. On an Island with You (1948) features Esther in a colorful array of swimsuits and sarongs, but is otherwise a lackluster film. Neptune's Daughter (1949), which sports some of the best production numbers in any Williams opus, reunites the star with Skelton and includes the Oscar-winning song, “Baby, It's Cold Outside.” In Dangerous When Wet (1953), the formula is beginning to strain at the seams, and the film is most notable for pairing the star with her future husband, Fernando Lamas. While not classics, the Esther Williams movies are lighthearted, frothy efforts that boast the trademark MGM lavish production values and showcase the swimming songstress in stories that tax her superbly toned muscles more than her limited acting ability. DVD extras spread across the discs include vintage shorts and cartoons, an interview with Williams, two musical number outtakes, and a Williams cameo from 1951's Callaway Went Thataway. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)