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person_profile-Esther Williams

Esther Williams Died at age: 91

Actor | Producer

Date of Birth:

Aug 08, 1921

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Jun 06, 2013

Biography of

Esther Williams

    Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an 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.

    Following her retirement from film in the 1960s, Williams became 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.

    Description above from the Wikipedia article Esther Williams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Photos of

Esther Williams

Photos ( 7 Photos

Filmography of

Esther Williams

Found 41 Movies in total

Esther Williams: Hollywood's Mermaid

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2024

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2002

The Original Mermaid

Herself (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2002

Hollywood Musicals of the 40's

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2000

That's Entertainment! III

Self - Co-Host / Narrator ( Actor )

... 1994

... 1990

Dance Crazy in Hollywood

Self - Actress (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1990

... 1987

... 1985

That's Dancing!

From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1985

That's Entertainment, Part II

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1976

That's Entertainment!

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1974

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1972

Magic Fountain

Hyacinth Tower ( Actor )

... 1963

The Big Show

Hillary Allen ( Actor )

... 1961

Andy Hardy Comes Home

Sheila Brooks (archive footage) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1958

Raw Wind in Eden

Laura ( Actor )

... 1958

The Unguarded Moment

Lois Conway ( Actor )

... 1956

Jupiter's Darling

Amytis ( Actor )

... 1955

Easy to Love

Julie Hallerton ( Actor )

... 1953

Dangerous When Wet

Katie Higgins ( Actor )

... 1953

Million Dollar Mermaid

Annette Kellerman ( Actor )

... 1952

Skirts Ahoy!

Whitney Young ( Actor )

... 1952

Callaway Went Thataway

Esther Williams (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1951

Texas Carnival

Debbie Telford ( Actor )

... 1951

Pagan Love Song

Mimi Bennett ( Actor )

... 1950

Duchess of Idaho

Christine Riverton Duncan ( Actor )

... 1950

Neptune's Daughter

Eve Barrett ( Actor )

... 1949

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

K.C. Higgins ( Actor )

... 1949

On an Island with You

Rosalind Rennolds ( Actor )

... 1948

This Time for Keeps

Nora Cambaretti ( Actor )

... 1947

Fiesta

Maria Morales ( Actor )

... 1947

Till the Clouds Roll By

Esther Williams - Signing Autographs (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1946

Easy to Wed

Connie Allenbury ( Actor )

... 1946

The Hoodlum Saint

Kay Lorrison ( Actor )

... 1946

Ziegfeld Follies

Esther Williams (segment A Water Ballet) ( Actor )

... 1945

Thrill of a Romance

Cynthia Glenn ( Actor )

... 1945

Bathing Beauty

Caroline Marie Brooks ( Actor )

... 1944

A Guy Named Joe

Ellen Bright ( Actor )

... 1943

Andy Hardy's Double Life

Sheila Brooks ( Actor )

... 1942