5 Reasons I'm Having an Esther Williams Movie Night

Every year my hubby and I hunker down for a movie marathon on New Year's Eve. We choose a few movies (the cheesier the better), make some snacks, and pop open the bubbly. This year, we're having a movie marathon of one of my favorite stars of all time, Esther Williams.

Esther Williams Movies Are Predictably Fun

I've been a fan of Esther Williams movies for ages, partially because they are predictable and fun. Those are two words that normally don't go together, but there is comfort in watching a movie where you know that no matter what turmoil the characters endure, it will all work out in the end. More than that, everyone will get married and live "happily ever after." While I don't believe this is the standard for a real life "happy ending," I am more than content to let my mind float away with Esther for a couple hours while her character gets the guy and the exciting swimming gig in the end.

Best Movie Line

There is no better movie line, in my opinion, than when Victor Mature's character James Sullivan tells Esther (who played Annette Kellerman) in Million Dollar Mermaid, "Wet, you're terrific. Dry, you're just a nice girl who ought to settle down and get married." What a condescending thing to say to a woman! And yet, I loved it.

Best Musical Number

In Neptune's Daughter, Esther sings, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Ricardo Montalban, which went on to win a Best Song Oscar and became a Christmas classic. The best thing about that number? The fact that Montalban's character, José O'Rourke, opens a closet door to reveal a pull out, fully stocked, bar. My husband actually paused the movie the first time he saw it and said, "We've got to get one of those." It was cool in a cheesy, 50s, sort of way where everyone wore a suit just to go have dinner at your next door neighbor's house. The fact that Xavier Cugat makes an appearance as himself, and that they hired Betty Garrett to play a character named Betty Barrett doesn't hurt on the cheese-o-meter either.

Busby Berkeley Numbers

Some of Esther's movies have those great Busby Berkeley numbers, with dozens of girls in bathing suits swimming in sync and diving one-by-one into a giant pool decked out with Technicolor flowers and rings of fire. You'd see Esther miraculously being lifted out of the water on a swing, with a big smile on her face and not a hair out of place. (How did her hairdo stay so perfect when she came out of the water?)

An Interesting Life

When I watch Esther Williams' movies, I can't help thinking about the interesting life she's had. Before the big Hollywood movies she was an athlete, winning several national swimming meets when she was just a kid. She performed in aquatic shows, became an entrepreneur, married four times, and had a family. Her life is about as big as her film career, and I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year than to have an Esther Williams' movie-a-thon.

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