Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Esther Williams

Here's some interesting history a lot of you may not be aware of. In 1940, before she became a famous Hollywood Movie Star, Esther Williams, was a champion women's swimmer, winning both National titles in Freestyle as well as the Breast stroke. She would have been on the Women's Olympic Swim Team for the USA-----but as we all know the 1940 Olympic games were cancelled due to WW II.
She did however get to serve her country joining the ranks of keeping our GI'S moral up, her picture hung in many a GI's locker----and she was one of the many major movie stars of the forties and fifties.
I thought maybe with the 2008 Olympics in progress, and the women's team doing as well as they are----that you all might enjoy this little piece of History.

4 comments:

  1. I knew she was famous for her swimming in movies but that fact about her being an Olympic swimmer was not known to me. My own little tidbit for you would be her 1953 film "Easy To Love" was filmed right here in Winter Haven, Florida at our own Cypress Gardens Theme Park (Florida's Original Theme Park). She stars with Van Johnson. Missy and Hut's cousin Lindy was an extra in that movie. She is one of the girls around the famous Florida pool. (How's that for braggining?)

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  2. Ricardo Montalban sang the now-classic 'Baby It's Cold Outside' to Esther Williams in the 1949 movie "Neptune's Daughter"; the film co-starred Red Skelton. 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' won an Oscar that year for Best Original Song.

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  3. Jo Stafford also recorded the song "Baby Its cold Outside" ---but wait maybe I am confusing it with another song, "Let it snow, Let it snow,Let it snow"---Help me out here Roger, your the expert----you and Sue (my main google researcher)

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Speak up, don't be a nebish---your opinions do count.