Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) is the eldest daughter of a dairy-farming family of health nuts. Health tonic promoter Windy Weebe (Jack Carson) convinces her to enter a contest to swim the English Channel. After arriving in Europe, Katie finds herself pursued by a dashing Frenchman (Fernando Lamas). This is one of Esther's best movies. She's gorgeous here, as she always was -- the Queen of Technicolor. The cast is great. Highlights include Barbara Whiting's performance of the cheeky song "I Like Men," Esther's famous underwater ballet with Tom & Jerry, and pretty much every scene with William Demarest. It's a very funny and charming musical comedy. A must-see for Esther fans.
25 Reviews
The Promoting Instincts Take Over
bkoganbing19 January 2011
In Dangerous When Wet Esther Williams finds herself the oldest daughter of three in the Ozark family of William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood, her sisters being Donna Corcoran and Barbara Whiting. Medicine show salesman Jack Carson is passing by and all the clichés about the farmer's daughter start occurring.
When Carson comes calling Demarest starts bragging about his family all being physical culturists, Ozark style. When he gets to talking about Esther Williams swimming the Chattahoochee River which is nowhere near the Ozarks, Carson gets interested. He's peddling some kind of snake oil medicine, but he sees Esther swimming the English Channel he sees her as one tasty bit of advertising. Carson's libido ain't totally put on hold.
But he's cooled down a might when Esther meets a romantic Frenchman played by Fernando Lamas. Their real life marriage came much later. Not to worry because a French Channel swimming aspirant Denise Darcel has her eyes on Carson.
Dangerous When Wet is best known for a dream sequence where Esther does a water ballet with Tom and Jerry and some other cartoon characters. In her memoirs Esther says that one of her least favorite experiences was with Gene Kelly who gave her an awful time in the dance numbers in Take Me Out To The Ballgame. The muscles she developed as a swimmer were not conducive to dancing as she explained and Kelly knew this and still gave her a bad time. One of his innovations was a ballet with Tom and Jerry in Anchors Aweigh. I think Esther decided to show him that she could do what he could in her own field. And Esther certainly succeeded.
Jack Carson is his usual braggart type and William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood show a thing or two with a little soft shoe they do. All and all Dangerous When Wet is a great example of the MGM musical and an Esther Williams water spectacular rolled into one.
When Carson comes calling Demarest starts bragging about his family all being physical culturists, Ozark style. When he gets to talking about Esther Williams swimming the Chattahoochee River which is nowhere near the Ozarks, Carson gets interested. He's peddling some kind of snake oil medicine, but he sees Esther swimming the English Channel he sees her as one tasty bit of advertising. Carson's libido ain't totally put on hold.
But he's cooled down a might when Esther meets a romantic Frenchman played by Fernando Lamas. Their real life marriage came much later. Not to worry because a French Channel swimming aspirant Denise Darcel has her eyes on Carson.
Dangerous When Wet is best known for a dream sequence where Esther does a water ballet with Tom and Jerry and some other cartoon characters. In her memoirs Esther says that one of her least favorite experiences was with Gene Kelly who gave her an awful time in the dance numbers in Take Me Out To The Ballgame. The muscles she developed as a swimmer were not conducive to dancing as she explained and Kelly knew this and still gave her a bad time. One of his innovations was a ballet with Tom and Jerry in Anchors Aweigh. I think Esther decided to show him that she could do what he could in her own field. And Esther certainly succeeded.
Jack Carson is his usual braggart type and William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood show a thing or two with a little soft shoe they do. All and all Dangerous When Wet is a great example of the MGM musical and an Esther Williams water spectacular rolled into one.
She swims the Channel, hung over!
looseWasp19 October 2000
Esther Williams has the misfortune to be born to a family of irrepressible morning people. You know the type: always perky and cheerful first thing in the morning and ready to beat it into you if you're not. Esther enters a contest to swim the English Channel, and for some reason the time of the race is set only the night before. Wouldn't you know it, that's the night she's chosen to go out drinking with Fernando Lamas.
All in all, a delightful piece of fluff. This is the one where Esther dances a water ballet with Tom and Jerry.
All in all, a delightful piece of fluff. This is the one where Esther dances a water ballet with Tom and Jerry.
Esther takes Fernando for a test dive.
Poseidon-315 September 2004
MGM's resident mermaid Williams gets an ever-so-slightly more challenging part in this musical outing. Often, Williams just did (dazzling) water ballets sprinkled amongst a lot of romantic entanglements and shenanigans. It's much the same here, but at least she gets a chance to do a story that has a few real moments of emotion and even strife. She plays the eldest daughter of an especially healthy farm family who is chosen to swim the English Channel in an international event. Carson plays a relentless promoter while Lamas is a wealthy and charming distraction. The story details Williams and her family undergoing the necessary training and preparation for the big swim, encountering a few hurdles along the way. It culminates in a surprisingly strenuous and moving climax in which a badly exhausted Williams can barely move a muscle in the open sea. Several peppy musical numbers occur throughout the movie including an opening number in which the family begins their daily fitness ritual and an ensemble piece featuring the mother (Greenwood) in a bizarre, wacky, but fun dance routine.
There's also a lengthy dream sequence (a major highlight of the film) in which a luminous Williams swims with the famous cartoon characters Tom and Jerry and other animated sea creatures based on the other actors in the film. (Hilariously, Lamas is depicted as an octopus, which aptly sums up the man's on and off screen persona of an insatiable ladies man.) Parts of the film lag a bit as it meanders to it's fairly predictable end, but Carson brings a lot of energy and humor to his role and other cast members provide nice work as well. Lamas and Williams display clear chemistry together, though she maintains that they did not have an affair during the film (just one racy ride home from the studio in which she had her hand under his robe most of the way!) They married about 15 or so years later once he had cooled his libidinous jets somewhat and she was free of her deadbeat second husband. Cruelly, Lamas' formidable body is kept under wraps much of the time. Their only major swimming sequence together is filmed entirely above the water.
There's also a lengthy dream sequence (a major highlight of the film) in which a luminous Williams swims with the famous cartoon characters Tom and Jerry and other animated sea creatures based on the other actors in the film. (Hilariously, Lamas is depicted as an octopus, which aptly sums up the man's on and off screen persona of an insatiable ladies man.) Parts of the film lag a bit as it meanders to it's fairly predictable end, but Carson brings a lot of energy and humor to his role and other cast members provide nice work as well. Lamas and Williams display clear chemistry together, though she maintains that they did not have an affair during the film (just one racy ride home from the studio in which she had her hand under his robe most of the way!) They married about 15 or so years later once he had cooled his libidinous jets somewhat and she was free of her deadbeat second husband. Cruelly, Lamas' formidable body is kept under wraps much of the time. Their only major swimming sequence together is filmed entirely above the water.
OK vehicle for the talents of Esther Williams...
moonspinner5521 January 2006
Arkansas farm family is tapped to swim in a race across the English Channel as part of a promotional campaign for a health drink. MGM musical isn't smothered with the usual studio-gloss, and Esther Williams is spunky and likable, but the plot is still pretty thin. Esther's on-screen romance with Fernando Lamas generated sparks off-screen (they were soon married in real-life), yet only a smidgen of this chemistry makes it into the movie. Not bad, overall; it's probably best remembered for the wonderful dream sequence wherein Williams swims with various cartoon characters, including Tom and Jerry. **1/2 from ****
Esther Williams in Average Fare
atlasmb24 June 2015
Jack Carson plays a traveling salesman, promoting a potion called Liqua-pep on the county fair circuit. While driving through Arkansas, he meets a family that owns a dairy farm and are dedicated to physical fitness.
When Jack's character, Wendy, realizes the eldest daughter, Katy (that's how it's spelled in the credits)--played by Esther Williams--is a beauty and a tireless swimmer, he wants her to attempt the English Channel as a promotion for his snake oil. Eventually, she agrees.
Along the way, she meets a Frenchman played by Fernando Lamas (who Esther marries sixteen years later) who becomes her love interest.
Esther's films tend to be light fare, intending merely to entertain while allowing her to swim in a pool, a lagoon, or wherever the script might take her. "Dangerous When Wet" includes a few upbeat songs and the usual all-American touchstones. But it is best known for Esther's underwater swimming sequence with Tom and Jerry (Jerry danced nine years earlier with Gene Kelly).
When Jack's character, Wendy, realizes the eldest daughter, Katy (that's how it's spelled in the credits)--played by Esther Williams--is a beauty and a tireless swimmer, he wants her to attempt the English Channel as a promotion for his snake oil. Eventually, she agrees.
Along the way, she meets a Frenchman played by Fernando Lamas (who Esther marries sixteen years later) who becomes her love interest.
Esther's films tend to be light fare, intending merely to entertain while allowing her to swim in a pool, a lagoon, or wherever the script might take her. "Dangerous When Wet" includes a few upbeat songs and the usual all-American touchstones. But it is best known for Esther's underwater swimming sequence with Tom and Jerry (Jerry danced nine years earlier with Gene Kelly).
One of her better films.
planktonrules21 January 2014
Esther Williams plays Katie Higgins in "Dangerous When Wet". She's a member of a family that is nuts for physical fitness and they come to the attention of a slick salesman (Jack Carson) who decides to market them in an upcoming English Channel swimming race. However, shortly before the race, the sponsor, 'Liquapep', decides that the family (apart from Katie) isn't up to the rigors of such a crossing. So, it's up to Katie to try to win it for her family. In the meantime, a very rich and handsome man, André (Fernando Lamas) falls for her and might prove to be a bit of a distraction. What's to happen? See the film.
"Dangerous When Wet" is different from all the many other Esther Williams films that I have seen because the plot seems to unfold at a much slower pace than her other films. It also is different because, for once, she has a leading man who can keep up with her in the water. Fernando Lamas was a South American swimming champion, and so his swimming scenes with Esther looked awfully good compared to some of other male co-stars. But the important thing is whether it's any good. Overall, I'd have to say yes. The cast is quite good and the finale is awfully well done. Not Williams' best film but one of her better ones.
By the way, this film featured a lengthy cartoon sequence where Esther swam with Tom & Jerry. While charming, I actually found it slowed the film down and wasn't necessary.
"Dangerous When Wet" is different from all the many other Esther Williams films that I have seen because the plot seems to unfold at a much slower pace than her other films. It also is different because, for once, she has a leading man who can keep up with her in the water. Fernando Lamas was a South American swimming champion, and so his swimming scenes with Esther looked awfully good compared to some of other male co-stars. But the important thing is whether it's any good. Overall, I'd have to say yes. The cast is quite good and the finale is awfully well done. Not Williams' best film but one of her better ones.
By the way, this film featured a lengthy cartoon sequence where Esther swam with Tom & Jerry. While charming, I actually found it slowed the film down and wasn't necessary.
Boring
the-antichrist-is-near1 October 2023
Overall, this movie is just really not that interesting. There's some nice jokes and gags, a bit of romance, an extremely small bit of suspense... Sadly none of that can elevate the razor thin story line everything is built on.
Regardless of how weird it would be to just let someone swim 20 miles without proper preparation (let alone letting the underage daughter try the same), it also feels a bit forced; furthermore, in the end it's all just about money and disregard for the actual achievement...
Everything just flows on like a quiet river, but there is just nothing exciting or unpredictable happening.
The dream sequence is nicely done, but it's already very telling that that would be the pinnacle of this movie...
Regardless of how weird it would be to just let someone swim 20 miles without proper preparation (let alone letting the underage daughter try the same), it also feels a bit forced; furthermore, in the end it's all just about money and disregard for the actual achievement...
Everything just flows on like a quiet river, but there is just nothing exciting or unpredictable happening.
The dream sequence is nicely done, but it's already very telling that that would be the pinnacle of this movie...
Jump in with Esther!
JLRMovieReviews15 June 2009
Get ready to be wet and happy all over! William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood are head of this family that practices healthy habits: eating right and plenty of exercise, which of course includes swimming. Enter Esther Williams who is in her element in this feel-good lightweight comedy musical. Fernando Lamas is an added plus to this story of a family that tries to swim the English Channel. Their chemistry and good looks make for much of this film's appeal. But, it works on so many other levels, too, with enjoyable and peppy songs and great acting by its supporting character actors William Demarest, Charlotte Greenwood (who has a very memorable dance number), and Jack Carson as her agent. Plus, a famous cat-and-mouse team is featured to good use. With that much talent, you can't go wrong. So, jump in and get wet all over. You'll feel better.
light fun
SnoopyStyle20 September 2020
On an Arkansas farm, Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) and her family are swimming enthusiasts. Traveling tonic salesman Windy Weebe is taken with the beautiful farmer's daughter. He recruits her to swim the English Channel in a special promotion. The whole family comes across the Atlantic. Katie is pursued by Frenchman André Lanet.
This is bright. It's light. It's light-weight wholesome fun. Esther Williams is swimming around in the old style bathing suit. She even rejects the new bikini from Lanet. It has some light comedy which is actually a bit funny. It has Tom & Jerry. I'm a sucker for Tom & Jerry. It's not a classic by any means but it's still worthwhile.
This is bright. It's light. It's light-weight wholesome fun. Esther Williams is swimming around in the old style bathing suit. She even rejects the new bikini from Lanet. It has some light comedy which is actually a bit funny. It has Tom & Jerry. I'm a sucker for Tom & Jerry. It's not a classic by any means but it's still worthwhile.
There is a DVD "Bonus Feature" on such Tom & Jerry . . .
tadpole-596-91825618 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
. . . sets as "The Spotlight Collection" (2004) called "Tom and Jerry swim with Esther Williams." Does this DANGEROUS WHEN WET excerpt constitute a good argument for viewing the complete feature, or is it simply 7 minutes, 47 seconds of bad advertising? My family experienced the latter outcome, as this scene rang false from beginning to end. First of all, no one is allowed to swim the English Channel underwater. Millions of hallowed war dead are consecrated there, including famous folks such as Big Band Leader Glenn Miller. Traipsing along there, as Tom, Jerry and Esther do, is tantamount to scrawling graffiti across Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Furthermore, all official Channel swimmers on the SURFACE of the strait MUST be accompanied by representatives of the English and French Embassies in a rowboat.
Fans of Esther Williams, swimming and Tom and Jerry will be in heaven
TheLittleSongbird24 January 2017
Even in films with not-much-to-write-home-about stories (though a good deal of her films are still worth watching), Esther Williams was always watchable and more, with her swimming talent on film second to none. Tom and Jerry are two of my favourite animated characters, as a lifelong fan of animation, and a legendary animated-comic duo. Have always loved musicals too.
Williams is captivating in how fetching she is and she radiates in charm, her swimming talent hardly wasted. She has very clear chemistry with Fernando Lamas (though she has had partners with a little more charisma than he), and wonderfully supported by a peppy Barbara Whiting, an energetic Jack Carson and a perfectly cast William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood.
'Dangerous When Wet's' highlight is the sequence with Williams and Tom and Jerry, which is simply ingenious in every sense. Very close behind are Whiting's "I Like Men" and the very determined and moving English Channel swim scene.
Furthermore, 'Dangerous When Wet' looks great, being beautifully photographed and designed and the colours are rich and colourful. The songs are not exceptional but they are very pleasant and put one in a good mood, but it's the way they're staged that elevate them to a better level.
The script is lively and perky enough, while Charles Walters directs competently. The story while meandering a little in pace towards the end makes for by far one of the more eventful, more plausible and more atmospherically warm and likable Esther Williams films.
Overall, great fun and charming, anybody who like Williams and Tom and Jerry shouldn't miss it. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Williams is captivating in how fetching she is and she radiates in charm, her swimming talent hardly wasted. She has very clear chemistry with Fernando Lamas (though she has had partners with a little more charisma than he), and wonderfully supported by a peppy Barbara Whiting, an energetic Jack Carson and a perfectly cast William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood.
'Dangerous When Wet's' highlight is the sequence with Williams and Tom and Jerry, which is simply ingenious in every sense. Very close behind are Whiting's "I Like Men" and the very determined and moving English Channel swim scene.
Furthermore, 'Dangerous When Wet' looks great, being beautifully photographed and designed and the colours are rich and colourful. The songs are not exceptional but they are very pleasant and put one in a good mood, but it's the way they're staged that elevate them to a better level.
The script is lively and perky enough, while Charles Walters directs competently. The story while meandering a little in pace towards the end makes for by far one of the more eventful, more plausible and more atmospherically warm and likable Esther Williams films.
Overall, great fun and charming, anybody who like Williams and Tom and Jerry shouldn't miss it. 8/10 Bethany Cox
This Esther Williams features future husband Fernando Lamas, Tom & Jerry
jacobs-greenwood18 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Charles Walters, and written by Dorothy Kingsley, this Esther Williams film also stars her future husband Fernando Lamas, who swims with her during this musical romantic comedy. Though absent much of the spectacular synchronized swimming that's a staple in virtually all of her other films, this one does feature an extended animated sequence in which Ms. Williams swims with Tom & Jerry and other cartoon characters. Also appearing are Jack Carson, Charlotte Greenwood, and William Demarest.
The Higgins family is a healthy one, the family that swims together stays together. Unfortunately, their family farm isn't doing so well. What they really need is a prize bull to breed better dairy cows than they currently have, and a few repairs here and there. Enter Windy Weebe (Carson), a vitamin serum ("Liquapep") traveling salesman that meets the farmer's daughter, Katie Higgins (Williams). When he happens upon the fit family and learns that Ma (Greenwood), Pa (Demarest), Junior (Donna Corcoran), and Suzie (Barbara Whiting) recently swam in a 14 mile river race, along with Katie who won it, he knows he's found a perfect promotion for his wares. He convinces "the Colonel" (someone we never see who Windy speaks to via the telephone) to sponsor the family in an attempt to cross the English Channel. The family is willing to go along with it because of their financial need, and because Windy tells them the distance is only 20 miles.
Once in France, the Higgins family learns that crossing the channel is really a 30 to 40 mile swim because of the route one must take to traverse its currents. However, they begin their training in earnest anyway, which occasionally involves promoting Liquapep, the vitamin product none of them can stand to swallow. On one particularly foggy day, Katie meets rich playboy André Lanet (Lamas), while he's rowing to his yacht; Windy meets another swimmer Gigi Mignon (Denise Darcel). Of course, a romance begins between Katie and André (and Windy & Gigi) which threatens her training schedule and the possibility that she's be fit enough to accomplish the task.
Additionally, Pa mortgages the family farm and bets it all on someone in their family winning the race. It also becomes clear that only Katie will be able to attempt the crossing among the family. I'm sure you can guess the result.
The Higgins family is a healthy one, the family that swims together stays together. Unfortunately, their family farm isn't doing so well. What they really need is a prize bull to breed better dairy cows than they currently have, and a few repairs here and there. Enter Windy Weebe (Carson), a vitamin serum ("Liquapep") traveling salesman that meets the farmer's daughter, Katie Higgins (Williams). When he happens upon the fit family and learns that Ma (Greenwood), Pa (Demarest), Junior (Donna Corcoran), and Suzie (Barbara Whiting) recently swam in a 14 mile river race, along with Katie who won it, he knows he's found a perfect promotion for his wares. He convinces "the Colonel" (someone we never see who Windy speaks to via the telephone) to sponsor the family in an attempt to cross the English Channel. The family is willing to go along with it because of their financial need, and because Windy tells them the distance is only 20 miles.
Once in France, the Higgins family learns that crossing the channel is really a 30 to 40 mile swim because of the route one must take to traverse its currents. However, they begin their training in earnest anyway, which occasionally involves promoting Liquapep, the vitamin product none of them can stand to swallow. On one particularly foggy day, Katie meets rich playboy André Lanet (Lamas), while he's rowing to his yacht; Windy meets another swimmer Gigi Mignon (Denise Darcel). Of course, a romance begins between Katie and André (and Windy & Gigi) which threatens her training schedule and the possibility that she's be fit enough to accomplish the task.
Additionally, Pa mortgages the family farm and bets it all on someone in their family winning the race. It also becomes clear that only Katie will be able to attempt the crossing among the family. I'm sure you can guess the result.
Esther swims with Tom & Jerry...so-so Williams flick...
Doylenf1 June 2001
MGM always released an Esther Williams movie as a bit of relaxing summer entertainment with the Swimming Sweetheart obliging everyone by looking pretty in a bathing suit as she plunges into those big swimming pools.
Here she plunges into the English Channel to compete for top prize. She's from a family of health addicts headed by William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood (who happen to look foolish during some of their song-and-dance routines) and encouraged by coach Jack Carson. Denise Darcel is her romantic rival--but wait, she has Fernando Lamas, a dashing Frenchman, ready to offer her romance aboard his yacht. It's all quite watchable, if silly, and definitely not one of Esther's finest moments.
A memorable highlight is her underwater fling with Tom & Jerry that is fun to watch and dazzling to contemplate. But the film itself is a light, airy entertainment that is strictly a no-brainer guaranteed to please the masses. And Esther, as usual, looks gorgeous in and out of a bathing suit. Real life hubby, Fernando Lamas, however, comes across as one of her less versatile leading men, no matter how handsome he is.
The musical interludes are few and far between. None of them are remarkable. What the film needed was a lift from a song like "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (as in 'Neptune's Daughter'), but instead there are a few dreary numbers such as "Ain't Nature Grand?" and "In My Wildest Dreams". The channel swimming scenes will have you rooting for Esther as you huff and puff with her! Could have been better, but what the heck.
Here she plunges into the English Channel to compete for top prize. She's from a family of health addicts headed by William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood (who happen to look foolish during some of their song-and-dance routines) and encouraged by coach Jack Carson. Denise Darcel is her romantic rival--but wait, she has Fernando Lamas, a dashing Frenchman, ready to offer her romance aboard his yacht. It's all quite watchable, if silly, and definitely not one of Esther's finest moments.
A memorable highlight is her underwater fling with Tom & Jerry that is fun to watch and dazzling to contemplate. But the film itself is a light, airy entertainment that is strictly a no-brainer guaranteed to please the masses. And Esther, as usual, looks gorgeous in and out of a bathing suit. Real life hubby, Fernando Lamas, however, comes across as one of her less versatile leading men, no matter how handsome he is.
The musical interludes are few and far between. None of them are remarkable. What the film needed was a lift from a song like "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (as in 'Neptune's Daughter'), but instead there are a few dreary numbers such as "Ain't Nature Grand?" and "In My Wildest Dreams". The channel swimming scenes will have you rooting for Esther as you huff and puff with her! Could have been better, but what the heck.
National Velvet's mom swam the English Channel . . .
pixrox113 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
. . . decades before typecast film mermaid Esther Williams ("Katy Higgins" here) essays something dozens of real life females ALREADY had accomplished by DANGEROUS WHEN WET's 1953 release date. Women of the early 1950s were much more polite than today's female set. Many of them had built tanks and bombers as "Rosie the Riveters" to help America win WWII, and were then content to vacuum in their pearls and high heels while waiting for their husbands to take them out for dinner and a movie. None of them were likely to shout out, "Chicks have been doing THAT for years!" at the Big Screen, as the radio commentators heard in DANGEROUS WHEN WET breathlessly extol "Katy's" tortured final yards of a 20-mile-plus swim. If some film studio nowadays tried to promote a flick along similar lines, say a woman becoming America's first female president, they'd be booed out of the multiplex by scads of ladies shouting, "Been there, done that!" In large part, Hilary's loss in 2008 can be attributed to the plethora of distaff presidents previously seen on film and TV. So this movie is even more dangerous if you see it when you're dry.
Hollywood Misogyny
phuckracistgop4 March 2024
Jack Carson 's character is your typical sloped headed backwards facing knuckles dragging across the pavement Neanderthal with the appeal of a skunk and shows that misogyny reigns supreme over on the descendants of European colonizers side of the fence.
What's up with Hollywood and this grabbing women against their will? Esther Williams character was dealing with the cows when this Neanderthal restrained her which constitutes assault. But leave it to old white men to totally ignore the obvious.
I didn't notice this as a child when I first saw this movie, now I am disgusted with this type of character being in the movie.
Otherwise it is semi- entertaining.
What's up with Hollywood and this grabbing women against their will? Esther Williams character was dealing with the cows when this Neanderthal restrained her which constitutes assault. But leave it to old white men to totally ignore the obvious.
I didn't notice this as a child when I first saw this movie, now I am disgusted with this type of character being in the movie.
Otherwise it is semi- entertaining.
strange musical
petersjoelen21 February 2024
A sometimes strange musical film about a swimming farming family who accept a promoter's offer to swim across the canal so he can promote his energy drink.
I didn't know Esther Williams as an actress at all, but she is certainly a sight to see.
However, as a musical it is mediocre, I have to admit that musicals are often not my cup of tea, but this combination of story and songs did not really seem to match.
A romance plot between Williams and a French character is also not very well developed.
The tom and jerry cartoon is ok and original In the end it is still a nice film because of the unusual story.
I didn't know Esther Williams as an actress at all, but she is certainly a sight to see.
However, as a musical it is mediocre, I have to admit that musicals are often not my cup of tea, but this combination of story and songs did not really seem to match.
A romance plot between Williams and a French character is also not very well developed.
The tom and jerry cartoon is ok and original In the end it is still a nice film because of the unusual story.
Esher, Tom and Jerry, Fernando, and Where's Lana Turner?
joseph95200125 June 2006
O.K.; so it's not a classic! So, it's not one of Esther's best, but - considering the over-all movie - it IS very entertaining! When I first saw this movie as as a teenager, I found myself singing "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side" so much that the family finally said, "For God's sake! Will you SHUT UP?" So, sense of humor! No respect for Esther whom I adored and was in love with as ever other red-blooded American Teenager was at the time! Recently, I was happy to see it play on Turner Classics and the charm of the film has not diminished! I guess the best part of the film was when the whole cast got in on the song "Ain't Love So Grand"! And there's Charolotte Greenwood doing her dancing specialty at the end of the number. I guess this was the second to last that she ever danced in a film with "Oklahoma" being the last in which she played Aunt Eller. Originally, she was the first pick for playing Aunt Eller in Oklahoma on Braodway, but other commitments stopped her from doing it, so Rogers and Hammerstien were thrilled when they finally signed her up for the movie version. Greenwood was known for her eccentric dancing in which she had been a hit in an old move called "The Pip From Pittsburg". It's sad to see many of our characters in the business gone, but it's wonderful that we still have their performances on film to enjoy forever.
It's true that Esther married Fernando in real life, but from what I remember, Lana Tuner was married to Lex Barker, and Arlene Dahl was married to Fernando Lamas, and they were a happy foursome so much that Turner divorced Barker, Dahl divorced Fernando, and then Dahly married Lex Barker and Lana Turner married Fernando Lamas, but before the divorces Arlene Dahl gave birth to Lorenzo Lamas who would go on to a somewhat fame in movies and T.V. but not with the stature and popularity of his father. Then much later, after filming Dangerous When Wet Fernando started dating Esther and Esthers film career was beginning to go downhill, and she was pretty well tired of making movies and when Fernando asked her to marry him, he asked her, "Can you stop being Esther Willimas?" and she gladly said, "Yes!" and she kept her word to the day Fernando died and didn't have anything to do with a career in show-business! Much later, Lorenzo was on, I believe, The Johnny Carson Show, and Carson asked him what is was like having Esther as a mother, and he proudly answered, "How many kids can claim they were taught to swim by Esther Williams?"
It's true that Esther married Fernando in real life, but from what I remember, Lana Tuner was married to Lex Barker, and Arlene Dahl was married to Fernando Lamas, and they were a happy foursome so much that Turner divorced Barker, Dahl divorced Fernando, and then Dahly married Lex Barker and Lana Turner married Fernando Lamas, but before the divorces Arlene Dahl gave birth to Lorenzo Lamas who would go on to a somewhat fame in movies and T.V. but not with the stature and popularity of his father. Then much later, after filming Dangerous When Wet Fernando started dating Esther and Esthers film career was beginning to go downhill, and she was pretty well tired of making movies and when Fernando asked her to marry him, he asked her, "Can you stop being Esther Willimas?" and she gladly said, "Yes!" and she kept her word to the day Fernando died and didn't have anything to do with a career in show-business! Much later, Lorenzo was on, I believe, The Johnny Carson Show, and Carson asked him what is was like having Esther as a mother, and he proudly answered, "How many kids can claim they were taught to swim by Esther Williams?"
A little comedy, music and romance, but lots of splashing
SimonJack22 December 2022
Esther Williams was nicknamed America's Mermaid for a good reason. She made a dozen films over a decade, from 1944 to 1953 in which she swam. Several of those were major productions built around her swimming. Just as Sonja Henie became the star of the ice in many Hollywood films of the golden era, Williams was the star of the water. That was usually a pool, including some lavishly built and designed ones. But, in a couple other films and this one, she tackles bigger waters.
All of these films were musicals, most with comedy and romance. This one includes an animated segment in which MGM's cartoon cat and mouse characters, Tom and Jerry, swim with Williams. That's one of those tricks of filmmakers with the animated segment and a live segment overlaid. Kids might still like it today - including some kids of 92, as the song goes. The cast overall is good, and has some familiar faces from comedies. Jack Carson, William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood were well known actors of the day. Argentine-born Fernando Lamas was an actor and director. There also are some who had very short careers in film.
The story for this film is a little silly, and disjointed. Carson plays Windy Weebe, a traveling salesman who stumbles across the Higgins family in Arkansas. They are all health nuts of sorts who own a dairy farm but start their day out swimming together for exercise in the nearby lake. In the end, the group travels to Europe to swim the English Channel, under the sponsorship of Weebe's energy drink company. Esther's Katie Higgins is the only one who is qualified to compete eventually, and while training in the channel on a dense foggy day, she and her rowboat escort, Windy, get separated. That's when she meet Lamas, who is Andre Lanet. Well the romance will follow somewhat slowly, as Katie continues training and Andre continues pursuing her.
The family members and Lamas and Carson have some songs, and Charlotte Greenwood does one of her acrobatic dance gyrations. And, a French female swimmer, Gigi Mignon (played by Denise Darcel) has a thing for Carson.
The film seems to drag on a lot, and there are no hit songs. This is an MGM film, but nothing on the level of the big splashes Williams made in "Bathing Beauty" of 1944 and "Million Dollar Mermaid" of 1952.
It's interesting that Williams and Lamas would get married 16 years later. They would be in another film together - her last one. In 1961, Lamas directed a Spanish film, Magic Fountain, in the south of Spain. It has swimming, but wasn't released until 1963, and then never in the U. S. market. Lamas and Williams had both been divorced before that, he from his third wife, and she from her second husband. And, neither one would marry again until they wed each other eight years later on Dec. 31, 1969. That would end with his death in 1982 from pancreatic cancer. Williams's film career ended when she was 40. She had made some dramatic films, but when the musicals began to fade and Hollywood and the public seemed to tire of the swimming films, Esther Williams called it quits.
Among the rest of this cast, Demarest had the only long and enduring career in films. He had many top supporting roles with most of the leading actors for more than four decades. His best roles were in comedies and in his later years he played in TV roles. He was in 215 episodes, as Uncle Charley O'Casey, of the popular family comedy series, "My Three Sons," from 1965 to 1972.
Donna Corcoran, who plays the youngest Higgins family member, didn't go much beyond her childhood years, ending her acting career on TV's Donna Reed Show in 1963. Barbara Whiting, who sings a couple of songs as Suzie Higgins, was in her last of 20 acting credits in a TV movie in 1958. And French actress Denise Darcel, who pursues Carson in this film, was in just two more films and a few TV series before her film and acting career ended. She did work in the entertainment field after that.
Here's the one funny exchange that most people will smile or chuckle over. Katie Higgins (Williams), "How'd it get so dark?" André Lanet (Lamas), "The sun went down."
All of these films were musicals, most with comedy and romance. This one includes an animated segment in which MGM's cartoon cat and mouse characters, Tom and Jerry, swim with Williams. That's one of those tricks of filmmakers with the animated segment and a live segment overlaid. Kids might still like it today - including some kids of 92, as the song goes. The cast overall is good, and has some familiar faces from comedies. Jack Carson, William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood were well known actors of the day. Argentine-born Fernando Lamas was an actor and director. There also are some who had very short careers in film.
The story for this film is a little silly, and disjointed. Carson plays Windy Weebe, a traveling salesman who stumbles across the Higgins family in Arkansas. They are all health nuts of sorts who own a dairy farm but start their day out swimming together for exercise in the nearby lake. In the end, the group travels to Europe to swim the English Channel, under the sponsorship of Weebe's energy drink company. Esther's Katie Higgins is the only one who is qualified to compete eventually, and while training in the channel on a dense foggy day, she and her rowboat escort, Windy, get separated. That's when she meet Lamas, who is Andre Lanet. Well the romance will follow somewhat slowly, as Katie continues training and Andre continues pursuing her.
The family members and Lamas and Carson have some songs, and Charlotte Greenwood does one of her acrobatic dance gyrations. And, a French female swimmer, Gigi Mignon (played by Denise Darcel) has a thing for Carson.
The film seems to drag on a lot, and there are no hit songs. This is an MGM film, but nothing on the level of the big splashes Williams made in "Bathing Beauty" of 1944 and "Million Dollar Mermaid" of 1952.
It's interesting that Williams and Lamas would get married 16 years later. They would be in another film together - her last one. In 1961, Lamas directed a Spanish film, Magic Fountain, in the south of Spain. It has swimming, but wasn't released until 1963, and then never in the U. S. market. Lamas and Williams had both been divorced before that, he from his third wife, and she from her second husband. And, neither one would marry again until they wed each other eight years later on Dec. 31, 1969. That would end with his death in 1982 from pancreatic cancer. Williams's film career ended when she was 40. She had made some dramatic films, but when the musicals began to fade and Hollywood and the public seemed to tire of the swimming films, Esther Williams called it quits.
Among the rest of this cast, Demarest had the only long and enduring career in films. He had many top supporting roles with most of the leading actors for more than four decades. His best roles were in comedies and in his later years he played in TV roles. He was in 215 episodes, as Uncle Charley O'Casey, of the popular family comedy series, "My Three Sons," from 1965 to 1972.
Donna Corcoran, who plays the youngest Higgins family member, didn't go much beyond her childhood years, ending her acting career on TV's Donna Reed Show in 1963. Barbara Whiting, who sings a couple of songs as Suzie Higgins, was in her last of 20 acting credits in a TV movie in 1958. And French actress Denise Darcel, who pursues Carson in this film, was in just two more films and a few TV series before her film and acting career ended. She did work in the entertainment field after that.
Here's the one funny exchange that most people will smile or chuckle over. Katie Higgins (Williams), "How'd it get so dark?" André Lanet (Lamas), "The sun went down."
More music than ever and lots of comedy make this one of Esther's best.
mark.waltz11 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The challenge of crossing the English channel becomes the focus for swimming champion Esther Williams who comes from an athletic family. Of course, when you've got Charlotte Greenwood as a mother who can kick her legs sideways up to her head without calling for Ben Gay then flies into a split, you know you've got to keep up. After they get out of bed on the right side, they face the challenges of training her for this competition, and find romantic entanglements as well, Williams with the handsome Argentinian Fernando Lamas, who in real life would eventually become her husband.
Middle daughter Barbara Whiting is the typical Ann Miller/Betty Garrett/Janis Paige/Virginia O'Brien second lead and sings of her attraction to the opposite sex in the complicated song titled "I Like Men" (as opposed to Kathryn Grayson in the same year's "Kiss Me Kate" who declared just the opposite), and the entire cast, including Williams' brassy agent Jack Carson, papa William Demarest, younger sister Donna Corcoran and the French damsel Denise Darcel get together for the truly delightful "Ain't Nature Grand" where Greenwood gets to take center stage and show what she had done twenty years before on Broadway and ten years ago in Fox musicals with Betty Grable.
A delightful cream puff of a musical, Williams shows that when she had a fun script and something to do except wear a bathing suit, she could have a ball on screen and let it show. Here, her big water number (other than the channel crossing in the finale) is an animated water ballet with none other than Tom and Jerry, making their first full length screen appearances ever since dancing with Gene Kelly in "Anchor's Aweigh". Here, Tom gets to do more than serve Jerry, and they are also joined by a cute turtle doing the back stroke and an amorous octopus who happens to sing like Lamas. Great fun. Take the kiddies.
Middle daughter Barbara Whiting is the typical Ann Miller/Betty Garrett/Janis Paige/Virginia O'Brien second lead and sings of her attraction to the opposite sex in the complicated song titled "I Like Men" (as opposed to Kathryn Grayson in the same year's "Kiss Me Kate" who declared just the opposite), and the entire cast, including Williams' brassy agent Jack Carson, papa William Demarest, younger sister Donna Corcoran and the French damsel Denise Darcel get together for the truly delightful "Ain't Nature Grand" where Greenwood gets to take center stage and show what she had done twenty years before on Broadway and ten years ago in Fox musicals with Betty Grable.
A delightful cream puff of a musical, Williams shows that when she had a fun script and something to do except wear a bathing suit, she could have a ball on screen and let it show. Here, her big water number (other than the channel crossing in the finale) is an animated water ballet with none other than Tom and Jerry, making their first full length screen appearances ever since dancing with Gene Kelly in "Anchor's Aweigh". Here, Tom gets to do more than serve Jerry, and they are also joined by a cute turtle doing the back stroke and an amorous octopus who happens to sing like Lamas. Great fun. Take the kiddies.
Pretty good Esther film, not very best but good
richspenc8 May 2017
Actually I give it a 7.5 but since it won't let us do that, I rounded it off to an 8. This is a good clean early 1950s film. Esther is great in a lot of her things. Many of her films are sweet fictional comedy/romances such as "Bathing beauty" and "This time for keeps" (those two films have her most wonderful water ballets of all). My favorite Esther films are the two I just mentioned, "Thrill of a romance", "Neptune's daughter", and "Easy to love" (which has her great skiing escapade). I also like her couple of competitive events style films such as "Million dollar mermaid" (which also has 2 great water ballets) and "Dangerous when wet". I also enjoyed "On an island with you" and "Pagan love song" with their tropical Pacific island locations.
The film starts with Esther's enthusiastic athletic family led by her pa who's played by William Demearest (who was also great in Twilight zone episode "What's in the box" which he starred with a much older looking Joan Blondell, who was great in her young beauty days in Busby Berkeley's 1930s films). They march out of their country farm home to their backyard swimming hole singing "I got outta bed on the right side" to go swim laps. After their morning routine, Esther sees a small truck driver who is blocked from driving by her family's cows in the road. I liked Esther's couple of witty sarcastic funny remarks she makes at driver Jack Carson (Jack: "you gotta go milk those cows?" Esther: "No, they're very clever, they milk themselves". And then, Jack: "can I meet you?" Esther: "go to the corner of fifth and Main and wait, if you don't see me by next Thursday, you'll know something happened".). Jack's response is "boy, the farm girl's really with it". Jack advertises liquapep (a health tonic) and is hosting a rally in town. The family attends the liquapep rally. Esther's sister Katy goes on stage to sing "I like men". This is the second film where Esther had a very boy crazy sister who seemed way ahead of her time with that assertive boy chasing attitude. The other one was Esther's sister Betty Garrett in "Neptune's daughter". Anyways, Katy's number wins them a ribbon, and the whole family is then chosen to go to England to swim the English channel.
When over there, with Jack in tow, we meet some other characters such as a pretty French woman with an eye for Jack, and Fernando Lamas (Esther's soon real life husband to be) with an eye for Esther. The family soon learns that what was thought to be a 20 mile swim, is actually more 30-40 miles due to the channel currents making you zigzag. Then the fam finds out how everyone except Esther has been disqualified, much to pa's upset. Romance begins to bloom between Esther and Fernando, and the acting between them two I'm sure didn't have to be practiced much due to their real life romance. I think I could tell the naturalness between them. This movie of course contains the famous Esther swimming with Tom and Jerry sequence, which was Esther's dream one night soon before the channel swim. I like how Esther's family is a family of seahorses, the French lady is a charming sea creature, and Fernando is an octopus (who sings "In my wildest dreams" as Fernando while Esther's awake on his yaht, and he sings it in the dream as the octopus). I liked the mixing cartoons with real life, "Anchors aweigh" with Jerry mouse and Gene Kelly was another classic.
The race across the channel with Esther and the following boats keeping an eye on her and the other swimmers was very good and interesting, and there were some similarities there to Esther's river Thames swim in "Million dollar mermaid". Esther having been an almost Olympic swimmer (which didn't happen due to the Olympics being cancelled due to the war) really helped Esther get the opportunity to do something great with her swimming in another way. Becoming a famous swimmer and water ballet girl on films was in a sense just as if not maybe more exciting than competing in the Olympics, since she was trying something entirely new. She also officially started synchronised swimming as an official sport. That and her water ballets in her films. She was America's mermaid.
The film starts with Esther's enthusiastic athletic family led by her pa who's played by William Demearest (who was also great in Twilight zone episode "What's in the box" which he starred with a much older looking Joan Blondell, who was great in her young beauty days in Busby Berkeley's 1930s films). They march out of their country farm home to their backyard swimming hole singing "I got outta bed on the right side" to go swim laps. After their morning routine, Esther sees a small truck driver who is blocked from driving by her family's cows in the road. I liked Esther's couple of witty sarcastic funny remarks she makes at driver Jack Carson (Jack: "you gotta go milk those cows?" Esther: "No, they're very clever, they milk themselves". And then, Jack: "can I meet you?" Esther: "go to the corner of fifth and Main and wait, if you don't see me by next Thursday, you'll know something happened".). Jack's response is "boy, the farm girl's really with it". Jack advertises liquapep (a health tonic) and is hosting a rally in town. The family attends the liquapep rally. Esther's sister Katy goes on stage to sing "I like men". This is the second film where Esther had a very boy crazy sister who seemed way ahead of her time with that assertive boy chasing attitude. The other one was Esther's sister Betty Garrett in "Neptune's daughter". Anyways, Katy's number wins them a ribbon, and the whole family is then chosen to go to England to swim the English channel.
When over there, with Jack in tow, we meet some other characters such as a pretty French woman with an eye for Jack, and Fernando Lamas (Esther's soon real life husband to be) with an eye for Esther. The family soon learns that what was thought to be a 20 mile swim, is actually more 30-40 miles due to the channel currents making you zigzag. Then the fam finds out how everyone except Esther has been disqualified, much to pa's upset. Romance begins to bloom between Esther and Fernando, and the acting between them two I'm sure didn't have to be practiced much due to their real life romance. I think I could tell the naturalness between them. This movie of course contains the famous Esther swimming with Tom and Jerry sequence, which was Esther's dream one night soon before the channel swim. I like how Esther's family is a family of seahorses, the French lady is a charming sea creature, and Fernando is an octopus (who sings "In my wildest dreams" as Fernando while Esther's awake on his yaht, and he sings it in the dream as the octopus). I liked the mixing cartoons with real life, "Anchors aweigh" with Jerry mouse and Gene Kelly was another classic.
The race across the channel with Esther and the following boats keeping an eye on her and the other swimmers was very good and interesting, and there were some similarities there to Esther's river Thames swim in "Million dollar mermaid". Esther having been an almost Olympic swimmer (which didn't happen due to the Olympics being cancelled due to the war) really helped Esther get the opportunity to do something great with her swimming in another way. Becoming a famous swimmer and water ballet girl on films was in a sense just as if not maybe more exciting than competing in the Olympics, since she was trying something entirely new. She also officially started synchronised swimming as an official sport. That and her water ballets in her films. She was America's mermaid.
One of the Best of Esther Williams' Swim Flicks
LeonardKniffel14 April 2020
Among the most charming of swimming star Esther Williams' films, this one features a scene in which she swims with cartoon cat and mouse Tom and Jerry. The score is quite listenable, and it's interesting to note that Williams met her costar, Fernando Lamas, on the set of this film and later married him. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013
Will Esther beat Denise swimming the Channel?
gregcouture8 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
For those who haven't seen this one there are, perhaps, a couple of mini-SPOILERS to follow:
This bit of fluff opens with the Higgins family, Dad, Mom and their three daughters, rising and shining on the family's farm, for an early morning swim. Esther, the eldest daughter, seems to be reluctantly following the parade to the swimming hole, and the audience is in for a bit of a surprise. Each family executes a dive into a rustic backlot pool until Esther is at water's edge. But she dips a toe in the H2O and decides, naw!, opens the book she's been carrying, and curls up at the water's edge, contentedly immersed in her reading material! When I smiled at this clever way of postponing our expectations, I thought we were in for one of Esther's more rewarding vehicles, and it does have some rather good chuckles in store. Overall, though, it's not up to the best that the mermaid was required to do during her reign as one of M-G-M's box office queens.
Some of the better moments include Esther slithering from the amorous clutches of Fernando Lamas (whom she eventually married a few years after this one was filmed) as he croons an insistent love song; Tom and Jerry, M-G-M's animated feline/rodent duo, joining Esther for an underwater ballet (this film's only equivalent of the usually extravagant production numbers in Esther's previous efforts); Denise Darcel, all impenetrable French accent and looking far-too-zaftig to ever be credible as Esther's rival in a crossing-the-English Channel swimming contest (Mlle. Darcel IS funny though!); and Jack Carson once again amusingly embodying a con man with a touch of lechery. Charles Walters directs with his usual lack of distinction and the production values aren't as luxurious as are on display in some other Esther aquacades. Several scenes occur at night, lending a rather dark look to a good portion of the proceedings, in contrast to the normally sunny Technicolor that radiates from the screen when Esther flashes her dazzling smile.
As for who wins the Channel swimming contest, do you have to ask?!? I enjoyed its modest ninety-five minute running time and you probably will too.
This bit of fluff opens with the Higgins family, Dad, Mom and their three daughters, rising and shining on the family's farm, for an early morning swim. Esther, the eldest daughter, seems to be reluctantly following the parade to the swimming hole, and the audience is in for a bit of a surprise. Each family executes a dive into a rustic backlot pool until Esther is at water's edge. But she dips a toe in the H2O and decides, naw!, opens the book she's been carrying, and curls up at the water's edge, contentedly immersed in her reading material! When I smiled at this clever way of postponing our expectations, I thought we were in for one of Esther's more rewarding vehicles, and it does have some rather good chuckles in store. Overall, though, it's not up to the best that the mermaid was required to do during her reign as one of M-G-M's box office queens.
Some of the better moments include Esther slithering from the amorous clutches of Fernando Lamas (whom she eventually married a few years after this one was filmed) as he croons an insistent love song; Tom and Jerry, M-G-M's animated feline/rodent duo, joining Esther for an underwater ballet (this film's only equivalent of the usually extravagant production numbers in Esther's previous efforts); Denise Darcel, all impenetrable French accent and looking far-too-zaftig to ever be credible as Esther's rival in a crossing-the-English Channel swimming contest (Mlle. Darcel IS funny though!); and Jack Carson once again amusingly embodying a con man with a touch of lechery. Charles Walters directs with his usual lack of distinction and the production values aren't as luxurious as are on display in some other Esther aquacades. Several scenes occur at night, lending a rather dark look to a good portion of the proceedings, in contrast to the normally sunny Technicolor that radiates from the screen when Esther flashes her dazzling smile.
As for who wins the Channel swimming contest, do you have to ask?!? I enjoyed its modest ninety-five minute running time and you probably will too.
This time she really swims
searchanddestroy-130 June 2022
The peculiarity here is that this time, Esther Williams really swims, and not only in a simple ballet, aquatic ballet, which had nothing to do with the topic itself, a silly romance already seen thousand times before with the likes of Van Johnson or Jack Carson, the ideal son or brother in law for such films. The story is tense, more interesting than usual, but the important thing is that she met Fernando Lamas on this shooting, her future husband who later, in real life, did not even accept her own kids, whom she had from previous husbands. All alcohilics who took advantage of her, who was the bread provider, poor gorgeous, courageous woman and generous. So this film is among her best, among the batch of silly other films which she was involved in. I don't speak of MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID or NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER.
"I look better in the dark"
weezeralfalfa11 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
My review title is a quote from Jack Carson, as his character is getting nowhere trying to strike up a romance with Esther's character, on her family porch at night. Don't understand the reason for the title of this capsule of euphoric escapism. It's the story of 32y.o. spinster milkmaid Katie(Esther)(undoubtedly cast as much younger), still part of her marginal, if healthy, dairy farming family. By her responses to a series of questions by aspiring suitor Windy Weebe(Jack Carson), she seems to have no interest in romantic relationships with men, who are easily attracted to her. In contrast, her younger sister, Suzie(Barbara Whiting) seems interested in men(as suggested by her song "I Like Men"), but is never seen with a romantic hopeful, although she is surrounded by a bevy of men during her 2 songs.
Other than seeing a few bovines wandering around, we never really feel we are on a dairy farm. The family awakens as a group well after the usual very early morning milking time. Instead of rushing to the milking barn, they group sing, then undergo a daily exercise training program, including a swim by Esther.. Later, all truck off to England, with the sponsorship of the dubious Liquipep company(thanks to accompanying Weebe), to compete in a 'swim the English Channel' contest.
The film can usefully be divided into 6 segments:
1) An introduction to the Higgins family, with William Demarest as father, Charlotte Greenwood as mother, Katie the oldest, followed by Suzie, and much younger 'Junior'(they must have been hoping for a boy). Weebe: self-described 'general promoter' is also introduced. Consists of activities at or near the farm.
2)Introduction to foggy England, training for the Channel swim, the accidental meeting of Katie with French playboy Andre Lanet(Fernando Lamas), and the beginning of their romance.
3)the dream-staged cartoon segment, in which Katie cavorts in the ocean with Tom and Jerry, among other animals, some of whom clearly represent characters in the film.
4)The "Ain't Nature Grand" musical interlude, followed by more Katie & André romancing.
5) The Channel swim contest
6)A very brief finale, in which all the principals reprise the opening "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side", to express their general euphoria.
Jack Carson and William Demarest provide most of the light comedy, as expected, Carson more or less functioning in the role of Red Skelton or Jimmy Durante in certain other EW films. Carson's character remains a hopeful romantic partner with Katie through most of the film, despite absolutely no encouragement. A romantic dalliance with French swimming competitor Gigi is suggested, Nonetheless, his character remaining on good terms with the Higgins, after the initial hostility.
In place of a water ballet, featured in many EW films, we have the cartoon segment and the Channel swim, along with various other minor swimming scenes. In the cartoon, Lamas clearly is represented by a large octopus, who keeps trying to snatch Katie, while often singing "In My Wildest Dreams", as had Lamas. The rest of the Higgens family is presented by a foursome of seahorses, singing "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side", as in the film beginning. Gigi is represented by a small French-speaking fish. The turtle leisurely swimming on his back may possibly represent Weebe in his rowboat. A ferocious shark-sailfish hybrid chases Katie, Tom , and Jerry. Not clear to me who it might represent.
Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer did the score. Barbara Whiting gets a role early on in "I Like Men". Shortly before the swimming contest, Katie and Andre, in their private room, begin "Ain't Nature Grand". In a more public place, this is taken up, in succession, by sister Suzie, then Weebe & Gigi, then Papa and Mama Higgens. This performance final ends with Charlotte displaying, at age 63, her signature sideways high kicks, followed by an ape-like 4 ped walk. These can also be seen in "Down Argentine Way", and "Young People", for example.
Lamas was a well-recognized all around athlete and champion swimmer, and could sing and dance tolerably. Thus, he made an ideal mate for Esther's character. Many years later, they would marry.
The channel swim section is perhaps the least interesting. Although Katie insists she has to quit near the end, we are sure that Andre's dogged encouragement will prevail.... The first woman to swim the English Channel was American Gertrude Ederle, back in 1926. It wasn't until shortly before this film was made, that interest in women swimming the channel was reawakened...Odd that in the film, initially the whole Higgens family is promoted as taking part in this contest. Later, only Katie is recognized as having a chance.
If you have the DVD, be sure to check out the special feature "This is a living?", which consists of a series of films of amazing dare devil stunts!
Other than seeing a few bovines wandering around, we never really feel we are on a dairy farm. The family awakens as a group well after the usual very early morning milking time. Instead of rushing to the milking barn, they group sing, then undergo a daily exercise training program, including a swim by Esther.. Later, all truck off to England, with the sponsorship of the dubious Liquipep company(thanks to accompanying Weebe), to compete in a 'swim the English Channel' contest.
The film can usefully be divided into 6 segments:
1) An introduction to the Higgins family, with William Demarest as father, Charlotte Greenwood as mother, Katie the oldest, followed by Suzie, and much younger 'Junior'(they must have been hoping for a boy). Weebe: self-described 'general promoter' is also introduced. Consists of activities at or near the farm.
2)Introduction to foggy England, training for the Channel swim, the accidental meeting of Katie with French playboy Andre Lanet(Fernando Lamas), and the beginning of their romance.
3)the dream-staged cartoon segment, in which Katie cavorts in the ocean with Tom and Jerry, among other animals, some of whom clearly represent characters in the film.
4)The "Ain't Nature Grand" musical interlude, followed by more Katie & André romancing.
5) The Channel swim contest
6)A very brief finale, in which all the principals reprise the opening "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side", to express their general euphoria.
Jack Carson and William Demarest provide most of the light comedy, as expected, Carson more or less functioning in the role of Red Skelton or Jimmy Durante in certain other EW films. Carson's character remains a hopeful romantic partner with Katie through most of the film, despite absolutely no encouragement. A romantic dalliance with French swimming competitor Gigi is suggested, Nonetheless, his character remaining on good terms with the Higgins, after the initial hostility.
In place of a water ballet, featured in many EW films, we have the cartoon segment and the Channel swim, along with various other minor swimming scenes. In the cartoon, Lamas clearly is represented by a large octopus, who keeps trying to snatch Katie, while often singing "In My Wildest Dreams", as had Lamas. The rest of the Higgens family is presented by a foursome of seahorses, singing "I Got Out of Bed on the Right Side", as in the film beginning. Gigi is represented by a small French-speaking fish. The turtle leisurely swimming on his back may possibly represent Weebe in his rowboat. A ferocious shark-sailfish hybrid chases Katie, Tom , and Jerry. Not clear to me who it might represent.
Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer did the score. Barbara Whiting gets a role early on in "I Like Men". Shortly before the swimming contest, Katie and Andre, in their private room, begin "Ain't Nature Grand". In a more public place, this is taken up, in succession, by sister Suzie, then Weebe & Gigi, then Papa and Mama Higgens. This performance final ends with Charlotte displaying, at age 63, her signature sideways high kicks, followed by an ape-like 4 ped walk. These can also be seen in "Down Argentine Way", and "Young People", for example.
Lamas was a well-recognized all around athlete and champion swimmer, and could sing and dance tolerably. Thus, he made an ideal mate for Esther's character. Many years later, they would marry.
The channel swim section is perhaps the least interesting. Although Katie insists she has to quit near the end, we are sure that Andre's dogged encouragement will prevail.... The first woman to swim the English Channel was American Gertrude Ederle, back in 1926. It wasn't until shortly before this film was made, that interest in women swimming the channel was reawakened...Odd that in the film, initially the whole Higgens family is promoted as taking part in this contest. Later, only Katie is recognized as having a chance.
If you have the DVD, be sure to check out the special feature "This is a living?", which consists of a series of films of amazing dare devil stunts!
See also
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