User reviews

The lack of plot is part of what is fun.

Released during the middle of WWII, it is a rather obvious excuse to show beautiful women in bathing suits and have lots of really good musical numbers.

There are several wonderful location shots, even though most of it was filmed on a sound stage. One of the locations look likes it was filmed in Palm Springs.

Red Skelton is adorable if a bit typecast. Ester Williams is stunningly beautiful and graceful.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable, if silly, movie. A great movie for family viewing especially with younger children.

The swimming routines of Esther Williams and the comedy of Red Skelton are timeless which is why Esther's debut as a star can be seen hundreds of years from now and not lose any entertainment value. Of course an appreciation of swing music and Latin music does help.

Bathing Beauty which is certainly an appropriate title for Esther's first starring role has Red and Esther as newly minted newlyweds when some woman objects to the wedding saying she's already Red's wife.

Red's a writer of swing music and his publisher Basil Rathbone deliberately arranged that incident to break up the marriage so Red can deliver some special material. However the minister beat out the objection with his 'I now pronounce you man and wife' so they are married, but Esther will get that annulled. But not if Red can help it.

She goes back to her old job teaching at an all girl's college which Red enrolls at as a student to be near her to plead his case. At this point the rather thin plot is just a frame for the various routines and numbers done by the stars and with guest performers like Harry James and his Orchestra, Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra and the famous Tico Tico girl Ethel Smith doing, what else Tico Tico on the organ. Also orchestra vocalists Helen Forrest with James and Lina Romay with Cugat have some good numbers.

Basil Rathbone taking time off from playing Sherlock Holmes hams it up to beat both those featured bands in his role as the comic villain of the piece. Red does his usual clowning and is an adept musical performer in a swing version of Loch Lomond.

But this film is strictly Esther and her final water ballet sequence was the first of many making use of that special tank MGM built for this very special star.

You could remake this film today, but where would you ever come up with another Esther Williams or Red Skelton?

When I check with US movie database, I find it is not a very important movie in Hollywood history. But Bathing Beauty is more famous in China than in US. Actually Bathing beauty is one of few Hollywood movies which officially released in 40's China before communist government took power. Every Chinese over 60 years old remember this movie and Gone With Wind as two outstanding classic Hollywood picture. My father told me his uncle took him to see this movie when he was a child, he remember the advertisement all over the streets at the time and call it a Splendid Colorful Movie. It is true. The color is strong and the final scene is spectacular. Talented actor Red Skelton has great pantomime show in this movie which he mimes ladies' dress up in the morning and his swan lake ballet is memorable.

Although 'Bathing Beauty' was intended as a Red Skelton vehicle it's known more for the introduction of Esther Williams, who became a star overnight.

No wonder too. Williams is a sheer delight, in and out of the water. Her aquatic dancing is dazzling, and she has an immensely charming presence that handles comedy and romance very well. This is not knocking Skelton though, because while he could easily have mugged he is suitably subdued here and is very funny, his ballet dancing scenes are some of the best things he ever did on film and still come over as riotous.

Basil Rathbone is underused and has been better, but is still amusing and suave. Other standout supporting turns are from a dynamite Harry James, Ethel Smith and Helen Forrest.

Visually, 'Bathing Beauty' is a beautiful-looking film, with opulent use of colour, handsome cinematography and elegant costumes and sets. The songs and music, while not exactly memorable or timeless, are still very pleasant to listen to and performed with zest, sensitivity and assurance.

Scripting-wise, it is amusing and fun enough while resisting mawkishness in the more romantic elements. George Sidney directs assuredly, and the film maintains interest and rarely loses it. A definite highlight element is the water ballet sequences, the final one being the very meaning of "aqua-spectacular".

However, the story is paper-thin flimsy, contrived and pure nonsense. While a few supporting cast members acquit themselves well, most of them are wasted (Bill Goodwin, Donald Meek) or forgettable, though Carlos Ramirez does stick out as somebody on vocally glorious but entirely charisma-free form.

Overall, Technicolor and aquatic beauty and worth seeing for Skelton and Williams. 7/10 Bethany Cox

BATHING BEAUTY was never meant to be a classic. It's primarily an excuse to feature Red Skelton in some of his "routiens", like being in drag and doing lots of pantomime. Also a vehicle for showcasing Esther Williams who was just starting out in films. She does well for her first co-starring role. Red is the star in this one unlike NEPTUNES DAUGHTER where he co-stars. The film is likable enough and fun to watch for the by-gone days of the flimsy MGM musical that it is. The plot is almost non-existent and again, just an excuse for Reds antics. Look for a young Janis Paige in the best number in the film. BATHING BEAUTY is one of six titles on DVD in the Williams collection. Now if Warner's would just put out another collection which should include some her better material i.e. EASY TO LOVE; DUCHESS OF IDAHO; SKIRTS AHOY; MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID and THRILL OF A ROMANCE.

Bathing Beauty is one of those films that one can see over and over again. Lavishly produced and with a wonderful and exciting music, it is a picture that must be included in every DVD collection. My first contact with this movie was one late night when I taped it from our local TV station. Then, several years later, my daughter Paloma was only 10 when she saw it for the first time. She was fascinated!! Now she is 18 and knows the music and most of the script by heart. Esther Williams is beautiful, very warm and excellent swimmer. Skelton funny as always. Although the plot is silly, it serves as a frame for a wonderful presentation of long past artists such as our Colombian Carlos Julio Ramírez who was considered one of our best baritones. Also, Xavier Cugat "Cugie", Harry James and Ethel Smith. Today we have no artists like them. So if you enjoy MGM musicals, you will enjoy this one quite a lot!!

"Bathing Beauty" is a silly and rather inconsequential film when you see it today. It's not bad---just not the sort of thing that is anything more than a time-passer. Yet, oddly, the film was for a time the third highest grossing film for MGM!! I just don't see it, but in its time, this was a HUGE hit. My theory is that despite the squeaky-clean image, folks in the 40s must have used a lot of drugs--that seems like the only logical explanation of the film's success!!

The film begins with a songwriter, Steve (Red Skelton) and his fiancée, Caroline (Esther Williams) getting married. However, as the man is pronouncing them man and wife, another woman bursts in and insists she's already married to him and presents what she claims are his three kids! Now logic would dictate that everyone would sit down and look at the woman's proof to determine if she is correct AND if not, what is her motivation. However, and this is a HUGE weakness of the film, Caroline runs away--and cloisters herself away in an all-girls school where she is on the faculty. She returns no phone calls and won't have any contact with Steve--even though she loved him enough to marry him in the first place!!! Logical, this is not!

While Steve is moping, he meets a lawyer and they discuss loopholes to get him to see Caroline. They discover that although it's TRADITIONALLY a girls college, the charter does NOT indicate this and the school can't stop Steve from matriculating. Much of the remainder of the film consists of the lone male student trying to fit into the school and making a mess of things. Some of this is rather funny--though, of course, amazingly contrived.

Eventually, what happens with Steve and Caroline is exactly what you know will happen--but it takes them forever to get to this point. This means the finale is a foregone conclusion with no surprises other than the water ballet which has no relationship with the rest of the film and was obviously tacked on for the obligatory Williams swimming scene.

The star of the film is clearly Skelton. He's funny and likable. As for Williams, her character seems shallow and rather nasty--and you wonder why anyone would bother trying to win back such a lady! It's clearly a weak vehicle for her. Another HUGE problem (aside from the plot) is the singing and dancing. This is not the forte of WIlliams or Skelton--yet they film is jam-packed with songs. Too many and too many contrived musical numbers (particularly on the college campus) tend to distract from the plot and Skelton's antics. As a result, the film is very uneven and a film that defies a rational explanation! Not bad--just one that isn't particularly exceptional overall.

Red Skelton doesn't have to pander exhaustedly to an audience's collective funny bone for big laughs: his smudgy, rubbery face and double takes are amusing even when taken out of the screwball format. Here, director George Sidney has Skelton doing a ballet number complete with tutu, outwitting a Great Dane while dressed in drag, and mugging outrageously in a pantomime bit poking fun at a lady's morning ritual. All this while a reedy-thin plot--about a lovestruck man following his would-be wife to an all-girl college--plays out absentmindedly, with much of the emphasis on live bands, Latin American rhythms, singing and dancing, and organ music. There's also Esther Williams in and out of the swimming pool; her first major movie role as Skelton's true love was probably meant to show off her girlish pluck, yet she treats Red so poorly, he seems better off without her. Skelton, whose tight smile and worried little grimaces remind one of Robin Williams in his youth, is such an ingratiating presence that one can almost overlook the nastiness behind the narrative--that the entire faculty is against having him at the school and is conspiring to throw him out. The music helps plug up the holes, and the color production shimmers with that unmistakable 1940s glamor, but there are very few laughs here. *1/2 from ****

One MGM musical of the time launched a career that flourished for the balance of the decade… A champion swimmer and a tall, strikingly pretty woman, Esther Williams had played small roles in two MGM films when she was starred in "Bathing Beauty." She played a swimming teacher at a girls' school whose husband (Red Skelton) enrolls at the school to be near her...

The plot was merely an excuse for knockabout antics by Skelton and especially for Williams' aquacades… The pattern was fixed for the rest of the series of popular light musicals she starred in: Williams as a smiling mermaid moving balletically underwater to the strains of a pleasing melody…

Bathing Beauty's finale is a lavish water spectacle with the star as the focal point of intricate underwater formations

Esther Williams' first starring role is a silly but fun musical comedy from MGM filmed in beautiful Technicolor. Despite the title the movie centers more on Red Skelton's character, a songwriter who marries then loses Esther because of the machinations of Basil Rathbone. So Red forces his way into enrollment at the all-girls college where Esther is a teacher, hoping to win her back. It's all fluff but enjoyable. Musical numbers by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Harry James and His Music Makers, Lina Romay, Helen Forrest, and more. The music's fine and Red's funny but Esther's the reason most of us are likely to watch this. She's gorgeous, of course, and has a nice swimming scene at the beginning and a classic aquatic ballet number at the end. Just amazing to watch. She's very likable and holds her own with Skelton. It's easy to see how this movie made her a star. The cast also includes Carlos Ramirez, Nana Bryant, Donald Meek, Jean Porter, Jacqueline Dalya, and Janis Paige (in her film debut). Basil Rathbone seems to be having fun with a different kind of part than he usually got to play. Yeah he's sort of the villain but it's a soft villainy not someone evil. He gets to do a little comedy, too, which he seemed to enjoy. It goes on a little longer than it needed to but it's all light and fun. The sort of movie that's a good pick-me-up when you're feeling down.

For a MGM musical, this is largely a disappointment. Comedian Red Skelton is wasted because of a silly script and the musical interludes is mostly unrelated to the plot. The score and the musical artists are unknown today. Esther Williams is sweet and lovely and her scenes in the water are spectacular as always.

Of course,the story was not very interesting - or,in other words,forgettable. Also,many of the gags weren't really funny. But all that doesn't count for it is Esther Williams' first starring feature - and she is so lovely and wonderful in the aquatic scenes,where she shows all her talents! The aquatic scenes are also well choreographed,the music for them is well chosen,the side-scene as colorful and kitschy as fabulous and the show furious and excellent! I also liked the appearances of the music stars... all in all,a typical Hollywood musical classic!

You know this is a comedy that lives in the slapstick category of humor when a bicycle built for four, ridden by three coeds and a guitarist, comes out of a closet. Before that, you might guess that the humor borders on the absurd when you realize the steamy romantic relationship the film revolves around is between Esther Williams and Red Skelton.

Once you have dispensed with any notion that the plot of Bathing Beauty bears a resemblance to reality, it is easy to sit back and accept the film as an amorphic assemblage of skits. Like many films of its era, it tries to jam as much entertainment into two hours as possible, utilizing the talent at hand. Bathing Beauty combines singing, dancing, comedy routines, pantomime, an aqua-routine reminiscent of Busby Berkeley including flaming water fountains, trumpet and organ solos, Stoogesque physical comedy, and Skelton's comedic touches that were the staple of his TV show for year to come.

Esther Williams is, of course, beautiful. In fact, she is stunning. And some of the wardrobe she wears is amazing. Skelton is clever and his brand of physical comedy is sometimes silly, sometimes nearly poetic.

The rest of the cast feels like a ensemble. They even put Harry James in a kick line. Jean Porter, a diminutive coed with spunk, plays a part usually given a name like "Jinx". She gives the film a shot of energy and vitality.

Bathing Beauty does display a vibrant color palette. It's an attractive wartime distraction that Americans flocked to, and it's still a pleasant diversion today. It also features the debut of Janis Paige, the creation of Esther Williams' aquastar personna, plenty of wonderful music, and a performance of "I'll Take the High Note" that is the highlight of the film.

Songwriter Steve Elliot (Red Skelton) falls in love with swimming beauty Caroline Brooks (Esther Williams). He decides to marry the girl and retire. The only one unhappy is his producer George Adams (Basil Rathbone). George executes a scheme which breaks up the married couple. She runs back to her alma meter, an all-girls college in New Jersey. He tracks her down but can't get on campus. He comes up with an unusual solution.

This has Esther Williams doing her swimming. It has its musical. Once the premise gets going, Red Skelton is unleashed in his comedy. He's funny as long as he's making fun of himself. He does a whole routine pretending to be a girl getting up in the morning, but that feels like he's making fun of the girls. He needs to be the butt of the joke. In that vain, I think I have a funnier premise. The school is really strict as an all-female institution and he pretends to be a female student. That would be fun cross-dressing screwball mayhem. The ballet class should be funnier but the teacher is way too intentional in her violence. Slapstick cannot be real violence. The big comedy comes from a cross-dressing Red. He really should do that for the whole film.

Steve (Red Skelton) pursues Caroline (Esther Williams) to a New Jersey all-girl college where he signs on as a student to be near her and win back her heart.

The film is basically a showcase for Red Skelton to put on some mimes and routines. Mixed in with this are some crappy musical numbers. The only musician to come away with any credibility is Harry James and his trumpet playing. The worst offender is Carlos Ramirez - a tenor who sings terrible songs and has no presence at all. Then there is crazy Ethel Smith and her weird organ-playing. Very odd. Unfortunately, Esther Williams isn't given enough to do as she plays second fiddle to Skelton. It's a shame coz she has good stage presence. Pity it's wasted on ridiculously lame water routines. It's a stupid story that is quite boring.

Red Skelton as the pink-tutu ballerina is always hilarious and heartwarming. Esther Williams looks stunning, as always. The dog is a riot, and I love the part where Red calls him 'Lassie', lol. Basil Rathbone as a funny guy is so different from that droll type of part he usually plays. The "I'll Take the High Note" scene was brilliant. Red Skelton as more of the straight man, romantic type, is different and refreshing. That he could dance as well as sing was surprising, and he looked so professional, showing up that music professor. The lady playing the organ was fantastic, and those beautifully-designed shoes she wore were so excellent to look at. Good to see the famous Harry James and Xavier Cugat in this movie.

I was fourteen-years-old when this film was released and naturally eager to see the fabulous Esther Williams. However, I was totally mesmerized by Harry James, premier trumpeter of his day. His playing was absolutely dynamite. I had never heard anything like it. I made up my mind then and there that I wanted to do that. I went on to a successful trumpet-playing career largely due to the initial influence of the great James. In those days (Mid 1940's) everyone wanted to be a trumpet player (unlike the deluge of guitars today)mainly due to the influence of Harry James. I am impressed to this day whenever the film is shown on TV. For those of you unfamiliar with the film or of Harry James, I strongly recommend it, especially for young budding trumpet players.

Then, the 1944 MGM musical comedy-romance "Bathing Beauty" is for you. This is a great example of the type of musical films made for some two decades – the 30s into the early 50s, that were prized entertainment packages for the public. Some people seem to think this film needed more of a plot. Don't worry – if you know history and/or just plain enjoy great musical entertainment, with some top drawer comedy and all-around talent, you'll love this film. Just enjoy it for how it was intended and for what it remains today – wonderful entertainment.

Sure, there is a plot. It's a thin one with a simple romance and a silly premise. Voila! That was the Hollywood formula for most successful films of this genre. And here it's the basis for stringing together a marvelous run of top notch musical and dance numbers, aquatic scenes, and comedic skits. That's all these great showcases of entertainment had to have – or even should have had – in their day. And today, as well, for those of us who enjoy seeing such showcases of brilliant musical and film entertainment of the past. They aren't drama. They aren't mysteries. They aren't Westerns. They aren't war stories. They're musical comedies and that's the entertainment they delivered.

The end of WW II was more than a year away when this movie came out. The DVD includes the theatrical notice about the movie going to the warfronts for troops to view it behind the lines. For our troops, as well as the people at home, this movie was a chance to see these great musical performers whom the vast majority had only heard on the radio or juke boxes before. I was born just before the U.S. entered the war, and through the 1940s and early 1950s, radios and jukes still played mostly the great swing bands. Rock and Roll came on the scene in the mid-1950s.

"Bathing Beauty" is a classic film with some wonderful entertainers. All did fine with their light scripts. But it's in the "show" elements that this film excels. This is one of the finest films for showcasing a couple of top bands of the time. Harry James really wows us with his trumpet playing and some great swing numbers, and Xavier Cugat's orchestra shows why people so loved Latin music in the 20th century. Helen Forrest and others have very good song and dance numbers. And Red Skelton's comedy skits and scenes are classics unto themselves. Esther Williams seems so natural in her first starring role – even before and in between the swimming scenes.

MGM gave us this first swimming musical. And was it a lavish spectacle! It remains so today. The brilliant Technicolor production really adds to the spectacular swimming, dance and musical combination. And its choreographed swimming numbers and spectacular finale are reminiscent of the great musical productions of Busby Berkeley from the 1930s heyday of grand scale musicals. "Bathing Beauty" is a fun and highly entertaining film for the whole family – especially those who love great music.