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Esther Williams

Esther Jane Williams (born August 8, 1921, although some sources cite 1922) is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star. Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, Williams 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. There, she spent five months swimming alongside Olympic swimmer and Tarzan star, Johnny Weissmuller. It was at the Aquacade that Williams caught the attention of MGM scouts. After appearing in several small roles, alongside Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and 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 synchronized swimming and diving. From 1945 to 1949, Williams had at least one film listed among the 20 highest grossing films of the year. In 1952, Williams appeared in her only biographical role, as Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman in Million Dollar Mermaid, which would go on to become her nickname while at MGM. Williams left MGM in 1956 and appeared in a handful of unsuccessful feature films, followed by several extremely popular water-themed television specials, including one from Cypress Gardens, Florida. Since her retirement from film in the 1960s, Williams has become a businesswoman, lending her name to a line of swimming pools and retro swimwear, instructional swimming videos for children, and serving as a commentator for synchronized swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As of 2011 Williams lives with her fourth husband, Edward Bell, in Beverly Hills. Description above from the Wikipedia article Esther Williams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Aug 8, 1921 In Inglewood, California, U.S.
Movie/TV Credits:
44
First Appeared:
In the movie Inflation 1942-01-01
Latest Project:
Movie Hollywood Legenden 2004-01-01
Known For
Filmography
Movie Hollywood Legenden Self 2004-01-01
Movie Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer Self (archive footage) 2002-09-24
Movie Hollywood Musicals of the 40's Self (archive footage) 2000-09-01
Movie Glorious Technicolor Self 1998-12-07
Movie That's Entertainment! III Self - Co-Host / Narrator 1994-07-01
Series MGM: When the Lion Roars 1992-03-22
Movie Tom & Jerry's 50th Birthday Bash Self 1990-11-30
Movie That's Dancing! From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage) 1985-01-18
Movie Night of 100 Stars II Self 1985-03-10
Movie That's Entertainment, Part II (archive footage) 1976-05-16
Movie That's Entertainment! (archive footage) 1974-06-21
Movie Hollywood: The Dream Factory Self (archive footage) 1972-01-10
Movie Magic Fountain Hyacinth Tower 1963-02-04
Movie The Big Show Hillary Allen 1961-05-10
Series The Big Party 1959-10-08
Movie Raw Wind in Eden Laura 1958-09-19
Movie Andy Hardy Comes Home Sheila Brooks (archive footage) (uncredited) 1958-12-22
Movie The Unguarded Moment Lois Conway 1956-12-27
Movie Jupiter's Darling Amytis 1955-02-18
Movie Easy to Love Julie Hallerton 1953-11-26
Movie Dangerous When Wet Katie Higgins 1953-06-18
Movie Skirts Ahoy! Whitney Young 1952-05-28
Movie Million Dollar Mermaid Annette Kellerman 1952-12-04
Movie Callaway Went Thataway Esther Williams (uncredited) 1951-11-15
Movie Texas Carnival Debbie Telford 1951-10-05
Movie Screen Actors Self (uncredited) 1950-05-13
Movie The Costume Designer Self (archive footage) 1950-07-13
Movie Duchess of Idaho Christine Riverton Duncan 1950-07-14
Movie Pagan Love Song Mimi Bennett 1950-12-26
Movie Take Me Out to the Ball Game K.C. Higgins 1949-03-09
Movie Neptune's Daughter Eve Barrett 1949-06-10
Movie On an Island with You Rosalind Rennolds 1948-05-03
Movie Fiesta Maria Morales 1947-06-12
Movie This Time for Keeps Nora Cambaretti 1947-10-17
Movie The Hoodlum Saint Kay Lorrison 1946-04-04
Movie Till the Clouds Roll By Esther Williams - Signing Autographs (uncredited) 1946-12-05
Movie Easy to Wed Connie Allenbury 1946-07-25
Movie Thrill of a Romance Cynthia Glenn 1945-05-23
Movie Ziegfeld Follies Esther Williams (segment A Water Ballet) 1945-08-26
Movie Twenty Years After (archive footage) 1944-01-01
Movie Bathing Beauty Caroline Marie Brooks 1944-06-27
Movie A Guy Named Joe Ellen Bright 1943-12-24
Movie Inflation Mrs. Smith 1942-01-01
Movie Andy Hardy's Double Life Sheila Brooks 1942-12-01