@hollywood.redisco: In 1940, MGM bigwig Louis B. Mayer set out to beat 20th Century Fox at their own game. They had found success with a series of “ice musicals” based around Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie. Mayer wanted his own water-related movies. “Melt the ice,” he said. “Find a swimmer. Make it pretty.” And that’s where Esther Williams came in. At the age of 17, she’d already earned her place as the fastest female swimmer in the United States! She’d even earned a spot on the 1940 Olympic team, until the games were postponed because of WWII.☹️ Mayer discovered Williams when she performed in a water show in San Francisco in 1940. Williams became one of MGM’s regular actresses, and got to star alongside Mickey Rooney in Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942). Williams had a unique skill at performing while swimming. “I wasn’t thrashing or gasping for air like most people do underwater,” she said. “It looked like I would never have to come up. It was as if I were home. And, of course, I was.” Every year between 1945 and 1949, at least one of the 20 highest-grossing films starred Esther Williams! #estherwilliams #classichollywood

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Monday 25 August 2025 21:05:00 GMT