View source for Esther Williams

{{Short description|American swimmer and actress (1921–2013)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Esther Williams
| image              = Esther Williams - portrait.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Williams in 1950
| birth_name         = Esther Jane Williams
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1921|8|8|mf=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Inglewood, California]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2013|6|6|1921|8|8|mf=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[Los Angeles City College]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Swimmer
* actress
}}
| yearsactive        = 1942–1963
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Leonard Kovner|1940|1944|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Ben Gage]]|1945|1958|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Fernando Lamas]]|1969|1982|reason=died}}
* {{marriage|Edward Bell<br />|1994}}
}}
| children           = 3
| height             = 5'8"
| website            = {{URL|esther-williams.com}}
}}

'''Esther Jane Williams''' (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the [[Los Angeles Athletic Club]] swim team. Unable to compete in the [[1940 Summer Olympics]] because of the outbreak of World War II, she 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. While in the city, she spent five months swimming alongside Olympic gold-medal winner and ''Tarzan'' star [[Johnny Weissmuller]].<ref name="LAtimes1940-05-13"/> Williams caught the attention of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, and 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 [[synchronised swimming]] and diving.

Every year from 1945 to 1949, Williams had at least one film among the 20 highest-grossing films of the year.<ref name="BOR1945"/><ref name="BOR1946"/><ref name="BOR1947"/><ref name="BOR1948"/><ref name="BOR1949"/> In 1952, Williams appeared in her only biographical role, as Australian swimming star [[Annette Kellermann|Annette Kellerman]] in ''[[Million Dollar Mermaid]]'', which went on to become her nickname while she was at MGM.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=285}} Williams left MGM in 1956 and appeared in a handful of unsuccessful feature films, followed by several extremely popular water-themed network television specials, including one from [[Cypress Gardens, Florida]].

Williams was also a successful businesswoman. Before retiring from acting, she invested in a "service station, a metal products plant, a manufacturer of bathing suits, various properties and a successful restaurant chain known as Trails."<ref>{{cite news |title=Esther Williams |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=June 6, 2013 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10104714/Esther-Williams.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10104714/Esther-Williams.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=May 10, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She lent her name to a line of swimming pools, retro [[swimwear]], and instructional swimming videos for children, and served as a commentator for [[synchronized swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles.

==Early years==
Esther Jane Williams was born on August 8, 1921, in [[Inglewood, California]],<ref name="AP2006-10-25-ABC"/><ref name="CABI"/> the fifth and youngest child of Louis Stanton Williams (January 19, 1886 &nbsp;– June 10, 1968) and Bula Myrtle (née Gilpin; October 8, 1885&nbsp;– December 29, 1971).{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

The two lived on neighboring farms in Kansas and carried on a nine-year courtship until June 1, 1908, when they eloped and set off for California. However, they ran out of money in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], and settled there. Esther's brother, Stanton (September 4, 1912&nbsp;– March 3, 1929) was discovered by actress [[Marjorie Rambeau]], which led to the family (including sisters Maurine and June, and brother David) moving to the Los Angeles area to be near the studios. Louis Williams purchased a small piece of land in the southwest area of town and had a small house built there. Esther was born in the living room, which was also where the family slept until Louis Williams was able to add bedrooms. In 1929, Stanton Williams died after his colon burst. He was 16 years old.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=22}}

In 1935, Bula Williams invited 16-year-old Buddy McClure to live with her family. McClure had recently lost his mother and Bula was still grieving over the death of her son, Stanton. Esther recounted in her autobiography that one night, when the rest of the family was visiting relatives in [[Alhambra, California|Alhambra]], McClure raped her. She was terrified to tell anyone about the incident and waited two years before finally revealing the truth to her parents. Bula seemed unsure about her story, claiming McClure was "sensitive" and felt sympathetic toward him when he admitted his guilt. However, she banished him from her home. McClure joined the [[United States Coast Guard]], and Williams never saw him again.{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=24–28}}

==Career==

===Competitive swimming===
[[File:Esther Williams, posing in a swim suit in Los Angeles, Calif, 1939.jpg|thumb|upright|Williams (in swimsuit) at the [[Los Angeles Athletic Club]] in 1939]]
Williams was enthusiastic about swimming in her youth. Her older sister, Maurine, took her to [[Manhattan Beach, California|Manhattan Beach]] and to the local pool. She took a job counting towels at the pool to pay the five-cent entry fee, and while there, had swimming lessons from the male lifeguards. From them, she learned the "male only" swimming strokes, including the [[butterfly stroke|butterfly]], with which she would later break records.<ref>{{cite news |title=Swim Mark Shattered |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 27, 1939 |page=8, Pt. I}}</ref>

Her medley team set the record for the 300-yard relay at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in 1939,<ref>{{cite news |title=L.A.A.C. Mermaids Set New Medley Relay Record |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 31, 1939 |page=8 |id={{ProQuest|164991330}}}}</ref> and was also national AAU champion in the 100 meter freestyle, with a record-breaking time of 1 minute 9.0 seconds.<ref name="ISHOF">{{cite web |url=http://ishof.org/Honorees/66/66ewilliams.html |title=1966 Honorees – Esther Williams |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609094024/http://www.ishof.org/Honorees/66/66ewilliams.html |archive-date=June 9, 2013}}</ref> By age 16, Williams had won three US national championships in breaststroke and freestyle swimming.{{sfn|Sherrow|1996|p=333}}

Williams graduated from [[Washington Preparatory High School|Washington High School]] (now known as Washington Preparatory High School) in Los Angeles in 1939, where she served as class vice president, and later president.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=160}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aitexas.com/Ebay/1939_Washington_High_Esther_Williams_Yearbook_283.jpg |title=Photograph of Esther Williams's High School Yearbook |access-date=July 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707100453/http://www.aitexas.com/Ebay/1939_Washington_High_Esther_Williams_Yearbook_283.jpg |archive-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A Stroke for Esther |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 25, 1977 |page=U2 |id={{ProQuest|158249098}}}}</ref> However, Williams never trained in swimming while there.<ref name="Miss Olympic Hope">{{cite news |title=Mercury Miss Olympic 'Hope' |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=April 5, 1939 |page=A13 |id={{ProQuest|164963241}}}}</ref>

During her senior year of high school, Williams received a D in her [[algebra]] course, preventing her from getting a scholarship to the [[University of Southern California]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Esther Williams Back at Poolside |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 27, 1984 |page=G1 |id={{ProQuest|153858190}}}} Williams stated in her autobiography that her family could not afford to send her to USC, and that she did not get a scholarship to the school. In a 1984 interview with ''The Los Angeles Times'', it reports she spent a year there.</ref> She enrolled in [[Los Angeles City College]] to retake the course. In 1939, Williams expressed interest in pursuing a degree in physical education in order to teach it one day.<ref name="Miss Olympic Hope"/> To earn money for tuition, Williams worked as a stock girl at the [[I. Magnin]] department store, where she also modeled clothing for customers and appeared in newspaper advertisements.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=39}}

While Williams was working at I. Magnin, she was contacted by [[Billy Rose]]'s assistant and asked to audition as a replacement for [[Eleanor Holm]] in his [[Billy Rose's Aquacade|Aquacade]] show. Williams impressed Rose and she got the role.<ref name="LAtimes1940-05-13"/>{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=41}} The Aquacade was part of the [[Golden Gate International Exposition]], and Williams was partnered with [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] swimmer and ''Tarzan'' star [[Johnny Weissmuller]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Weissmuller Lands Lead in Aquacade |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 22, 1940 |page=21 |id={{ProQuest|165037287}}}}</ref> who, Williams wrote in her autobiography, repeatedly tried to seduce her. Despite this, Williams remained with the show until it closed on September 29, 1940.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=56}} Williams had planned to compete in the [[1940 Summer Olympics]], which were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. Sometime in the mid to late 1950s, NBC built a large studio with a huge swimming pool on Avenue M between E 14th and E 15th St. in Brooklyn, New York.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} The intent was, according to local rumors, that Esther Williams was going to have a show from the studio. It never occurred. The building remained empty until 1959/1960, when the “Steve Allen Show” was brought to the studios and televised live on Sunday evenings.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===Acting===
It was at Aquacade that Williams first attracted attention from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] scouts. MGM's head, [[Louis B. Mayer]], had been looking for a female sports star for the studio to compete with [[20th Century Fox|Fox]]'s figure skating star, [[Sonja Henie]].{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=57}} Williams signed her contract with MGM in 1941.{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=380}}

In her contract were two clauses: the first being that she receive a guest pass to [[The Beverly Hills Hotel]] where she could swim in the pool every day, and the second that she would not appear on camera for nine months to allow for acting, singing, dancing, and diction lessons. Williams wrote in her autobiography, "If it took nine months for a baby to be born, I figured my 'birth' from Esther Williams the swimmer to Esther Williams the movie actress would not be much different."{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=73}}
[[File:Esther Williams 2.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[pin-up]] of Williams from a 1945 issue of ''[[Yank, the Army Weekly]]'']]
[[File:Esther Williams in Thrill of a Romance (1945) 02.png|left|thumb|Esther Williams in ''Thrill of a Romance'' (1945)]]
While top stars at the studios such as [[Judy Garland]], [[Betty Grable]], and [[Shirley Temple]] took part in [[War bond|bond tours]] during the war, Williams was asked to take in hospital tours. At this point, Williams had achieved pin-up status because of the number of photographs of her in bathing suits.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=101}} To prepare, Williams and her publicity assistant would listen to [[Bob Hope]] and [[Jack Benny]]'s radio programs, retelling the funniest jokes while at the hospitals. Williams also invited GIs to dance with her on stage and take part in mock screen tests. The men would receive a card telling them their lines, and they would act out the scene in front of the other soldiers. These tests were always romantic scenes to which the men were required to refuse multiple times. When the men said the final, "No", Williams would pull at her tear-away skirt and sweater leaving nothing but a gold lamé swimsuit. The scenes would always end with the men giving in and kissing her after that stunt.{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=103}} Her hospital tours continued into the 1950s.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=102}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Unexpected Pleasure |first=Hedda |last=Hopper |author-link=Hedda Hopper |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 18, 1951 |page=2 |id={{ProQuest|166244192}} |quote=Staff Sgt. Walter Wasik of Chicago appears to be a very happy GI as he holds Movie Actress Esther Williams on his lap for a picture before a swimming demonstration at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.}}</ref> A (forged) signed, waterproof portrait of Williams was circulated among men in the United States Navy for a [[Esther Williams Trophy|"capture the Esther" competition]].{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=160}} This competition continues to this day in the [[Royal Australian Navy]], which holds in its archives an "original" forged signed portrait while maintaining a "capturable" image for use in the fleet.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

===1940s===
Three weeks after Williams signed her contract, [[George Sidney]] directed her first screen test. According to Williams's autobiography, the studio used this test to get [[Lana Turner]] back in line with the terms of her contract and as punishment for Turner's having eloped with [[Artie Shaw]]. Williams screen tested with the leading man, [[Clark Gable]], for the film ''[[Somewhere I'll Find You]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hedda Hopper's Hollywood |first=Hedda |last=Hopper |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 15, 1942 |page=C3}}</ref> However, when Turner divorced Shaw after four months of marriage, she rejoined the film.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=94}} Following several short subject films, Williams appeared as Sheila Brooks in ''[[Andy Hardy's Double Life]]''. Sheila was a student with whom Andy falls in love.<ref>{{cite news |title=Screen and Stage |first=John L. |last=Scott |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 12, 1943 |page=14}}</ref>{{sfn|Háy|1991|p=202}} Next was a small part in the film ''[[A Guy Named Joe]]'', starring [[Spencer Tracy]] and [[Irene Dunne]]. It was here she first worked with [[Van Johnson]], with whom she would partner in five films.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=120}}

''[[Bathing Beauty]]'', previously titled ''Mr. Coed'', starred [[Red Skelton]] as a man who enrolls in a women's college to win back his swimming instructor fiancée, played by Williams. This was her first Technicolor musical. The studio changed the title of the film to showcase Williams. Almost all of the film's posters featured Williams in a bathing suit, though the swimming sequences make up a small portion of the film. Her date to the premiere at the Astor Theater in New York City was future husband [[Ben Gage]]. For the event, MGM publicity set up a six-story-tall billboard of Williams diving into Times Square with a large sign that said "Come on in! The story's fine!"{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=116}}

[[File:Thrillofaromance-esthervancharleton.jpg|thumb|left| Williams, [[Van Johnson]] and [[Carleton G. Young]] in ''[[Thrill of a Romance]]'' (1945)]]
Williams appeared in the film ''[[Ziegfeld Follies (film)|Ziegfeld Follies]]'' as herself.<ref>{{TCMDb title|96661|Ziegfeld Follies}}</ref> This was followed by the musical ''[[Thrill of a Romance]]''. [[Van Johnson]] co-starred as a decorated war veteran who falls in love with Williams while on her honeymoon. ''Thrill of a Romance'' was the 8th highest-grossing film of 1945.<ref name="BOR1945"/> The studio's publicity department tried to put the two together in public as much as possible in the hopes of encouraging a romance, even though Williams was involved with Ben Gage at the time. When asked why they did not date, Johnson replied, "because I'm afraid she can't get her webbed feet into a pair of evening sandals."<ref>Ronald L. Davis ''Van Johnson: MGM's Golden Boy'', Jackson, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press, 2001, pg. 88</ref>

Williams tried a more serious role in ''[[The Hoodlum Saint]]'' (1946), with [[William Powell]] and [[Angela Lansbury]]. Audiences expected Powell's [[Nick and Nora Charles|Nick Charles]] persona and rejected the idea of a romance between Williams and Powell onscreen due to their age difference.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/88203 |title=TCM article on ''The Hoodlum Saint'' |publisher=Turner Classic Movies |date=November 12, 2009 |access-date=July 29, 2010}}</ref> She also appeared in ''[[Easy to Wed]]'', a remake of 1936's ''[[Libeled Lady]]'', with Johnson and [[Lucille Ball]].<ref>{{TCMDb title|id=133|title=Easy to Wed}}</ref> It was the first singing part in a film for Williams, who had [[Harriet Lee (singer)|Harriet Lee]] as her [[voice teacher|singing teacher]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Schallert |first=Edwin |title=Esther Williams becomes a Spanish songbird |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 19, 1945 |page=8}}</ref> She even had the added challenge of singing in Portuguese with the song "Boneca de Pixe".
[[File:Esther Williams in Fiesta trailer.jpg|thumb|Williams as Maria in ''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]'' (1947)]]
''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]'' (originally called ''Fiesta Brava'')<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5L0KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nE0DAAAAIBAJ&dq=esther%20williams&pg=3855%2C5379356 April 19, 1945 The Deseret News].</ref> starred Williams as [[Ricardo Montalbán]]'s twin sister Maria, who pretends to be her [[bullfighting]] brother in hopes of luring him back home. Audiences and Williams thought the film was silly, as Williams and Montalbán had vastly different accents. Montalbán was born in Mexico and was a native Spanish speaker while Williams had a Midwestern accent picked up from her Kansas-born parents. Production was difficult with a multitude of problems. By 1947, Gage and Williams were married. Gage had traveled to Mexico for the making of the film. He got into a fight with an employee of the cast's hotel, was arrested, and subsequently thrown out of the country.{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=381}} The director of photography, Sidney Wagner, and one other crew member died of [[cholera]] from eating contaminated street food. Many of the film's stuntmen were sent to the hospital after being gored by bulls. Director [[Richard Thorpe|Dick Thorpe]] had not wanted the bulls killed (as they usually were at the end of a bullfight) because he believed them to be too expensive to replace.{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=137–146}}

After filming was completed on ''Fiesta'', Williams appeared in the romance ''[[This Time for Keeps]]'' (1947) with singer [[Johnnie Johnston]]. In 1948 Williams signed a contract with swimwear company Cole of California to appear as their spokesperson, and Williams and the other swimmers in her films wore Cole swimsuits. Since the aqua-musicals were an entirely new genre, the studio's costume designers had little experience creating practical swimsuits.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=104}} William's plaid flannel swimsuit for ''This Time for Keeps'' was so heavy that she was dragged to the bottom of the pool and had to unzip the suit, swimming naked to the edge of the pool to avoid drowning. Cole swimsuits used latex, which meant zippers were no longer necessary. While filming ''[[Skirts Ahoy!]]'' (1952), Williams discovered that members of the [[WAVES]] program received thin, cotton, shapeless swimsuits as part of their uniforms. Williams modeled a Cole swimsuit for the [[Secretary of the Navy]] and explained that the new swimsuits helped support women's figures. The United States Navy ordered 50,000 suits immediately.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=205}}

Filming the period musical ''[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game (film)|Take Me Out to the Ball Game]]'' (1949) was, according to Williams in her autobiography, an experience of "pure misery". [[Gene Kelly]] and [[Frank Sinatra]]'s characters were players on a baseball team owned by K.C. Higgins, played by Williams. She claimed that Kelly and co-writer [[Stanley Donen]] treated her with contempt and went out of their way to make jokes at her expense. The film was well-received critically and became a major commercial success, raking in $3.4 million in rentals and becoming the 11th highest-earning film of the year.<ref name="BOR1949" /> Williams made ''[[Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)|Neptune's Daughter]]'' (also 1949) around the same time with co-stars Ricardo Montalbán, Red Skelton, and [[Betty Garrett]], who had also been in ''[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game]].''{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=152}} In the film, Williams sings "[[Baby, It's Cold Outside]]" with Montalbán. The song won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song]] at the [[22nd Academy Awards]]. Williams and Montalbán were originally slated to sing "[[(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China]]", but studio censors thought the song was too sexual (interpreting the word "get" as "have") and instead gave them "Baby, It's Cold Outside."<ref name="1999 NYT Interview">[[Todd S. Purdum|Purdum, Todd S.]] (September 2, 1999). [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/02/garden/at-home-with-esther-williams-swimming-upstream.html?scp=16&sq=esther%20williams&st=cse&pagewanted=2 "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref> ''Neptune's Daughter'' became the 10th highest-grossing film of 1949.<ref name="BOR1949"/>

===1950s===
[[File:Esther Williams in Million Dollar Mermaid trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Williams as [[Annette Kellermann]] in ''[[Million Dollar Mermaid]]'' (1952)]]
Williams made ''[[Duchess of Idaho]]'' (1950), shot on location in [[Sun Valley, Idaho]], co-starring [[Van Johnson]] and [[John Lund (actor)|John Lund]].<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/654/duchess-of-idaho TCM Database listing for ''Duchess of Idaho''].</ref> MGM paired her with [[Howard Keel]] for three films, ''[[Pagan Love Song]]'' (also 1950), ''Texas Carnival (1951''), and later ''[[Jupiter's Darling (film)|Jupiter's Darling]]'' (1955). They both had cameos in the film ''[[Callaway Went Thataway]]'' (1951).<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/70/callaway-went-thataway TCM Database listing for ''Callaway Went Thataway''].</ref>

In ''[[Million Dollar Mermaid]]'' (1952) Williams portrayed [[Annette Kellermann]], a real-life Australian swimming and diving star. Williams co-starred with [[Victor Mature]], who played Kellermann's husband and manager, James Sullivan. The two engaged in a passionate affair during filming. Williams often called this her favourite film and named her autobiography after it.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=1}} Williams also won the ''Henrietta Award'' at the 1952 [[Golden Globes]] for World Film Favorite&nbsp;– Female.<ref>{{cite news |title=Esther Williams, Alan Ladd Get Movie Henriettas |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 27, 1952 |page=B1}}</ref> ''[[Easy to Love (1953 film)|Easy to Love]]'' (1953), also with Van Johnson, was filmed on location in [[Cypress Gardens]], [[Florida]], where a swimming pool in the shape of the state had been built specifically for the film. Williams was pregnant during shooting but still performed all her own waterskiing stunts.{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=245–249}}

In ''[[Dangerous When Wet]]'' (also 1953) Williams worked with three important male co-stars&nbsp;– [[Tom and Jerry]] and her future husband [[Fernando Lamas]]. During casting, Lamas told Williams he did not want to star in the film with her because he only wanted to be involved in "important pictures". His part had to be rewritten to persuade him to take part in the film. {{Citation needed|date=June 2013}}

During 1953 Williams and writers Leo Pogostin and [[Charles Walters|Chuck Walters]] came up with a script idea for a film to be titled ''Athena''. She then went on maternity leave for three months, pregnant with her daughter Susan, and assumed she would go straight to work on the film ''[[Athena (1954 film)|Athena]]'' upon her return.<ref>{{cite news |title='Athena' Announced for Esther Williams |first=Hedda |last=Hopper |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 7, 1953 |page=8}}</ref> However, production started without her, and the studio cast [[Jane Powell]] in the lead role,<ref>{{cite news |title=Drama |first=Edwin |last=Schallert |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 6, 1954 |page=B7}}</ref> requiring a rewrite of much of the original premise. The studio moved her to ''Jupiter's Darling.'' Two more films were planned, ''Bermuda Encounter'' and ''Olympic Venus'', about the first Olympic swimmers; however, these were never made.<ref>{{cite news |title=Danny Thomas Set in 2D Jolson Role |date=November 29, 1952 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=12 |id={{ProQuest|112236127}}}}</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DjITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dgAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4302,1941143&dq=esther+williams&hl=en ''The Toledo Blade'', May 19, 1953].</ref><ref>[https://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_111547b/99 ''Box Office Barometer'', November 15, 1947]{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "This states ''Olympic Venus'' as incomplete."</ref>

Many of her MGM films, such as ''Million Dollar Mermaid'' and ''Jupiter's Darling'', contained elaborately staged synchronized swimming scenes with considerable risk to Williams. She broke her neck filming a 115&nbsp;ft dive off a tower during a climactic musical number in ''Million Dollar Mermaid'' and was in a body cast for seven months. She subsequently recovered, although she continued to suffer headaches as a result of the accident. Her many hours spent submerged in a studio tank resulted in ruptured [[eardrum]]s numerous times. She also nearly drowned after not being able to find the trapdoor in the ceiling of a tank. The walls and ceiling were painted black and the trapdoor blended in. Williams was pulled out only because a member of the crew realized the door was not opening.

===After MGM===
After 15 years of appearing in films, Williams was threatened with contract suspension from MGM after refusing the lead role in ''[[The Opposite Sex]]'', a musical remake of 1939's ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]'' that was released in 1956. The role of Mary would have been rewritten to be an aquacade star—instead, [[June Allyson]] was cast in the role as Kay, a nightclub singer. Knowing that she was slowly being phased out of MGM by being given projects that were bound to be flops, Williams preferred to avoid the embarrassment and indignity of such an ending to her career. She redecorated her dressing room to accommodate returning star [[Grace Kelly]], packed her terry cloth robes and swimsuits, and drove off the studio lot. As a result of leaving her contract, Williams lost almost $3 million in deferred contract payments, which had been taken from her paychecks over the previous 14 years and put aside as both a nest egg and a [[tax deferral]]. She was, however, still able to collect on the $50,000 signing bonus from when she first signed her contract.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=349}}

In 1956 she moved to [[Universal International]] and appeared in a non-musical dramatic film, ''[[The Unguarded Moment (film)|The Unguarded Moment]]''. After that, her film career slowly wound down. She later admitted that husband [[Fernando Lamas]] preferred her not to continue in films. She would, however, make occasional appearances on television, including mystery guest spots for ''[[What's My Line?]]'', ''[[The Donna Reed Show]]'', ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', and two aqua-specials, ''The Esther Williams Aqua Spectacle'' held in London at The Empire Pool Wembley in 1956 and ''Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens'' which was telecast on August 8, 1960.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o38TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p4oDAAAAIBAJ&dq=esther%20williams&pg=2391%2C3728220 (Fredericksburg, Virginia) ''Free-Lane Star'', August 9, 1960].</ref> More than half of all television sets in use in the United States were tuned in to watch the ''Cypress Gardens'' special.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=324}} In 1966, Williams was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.{{sfn|Sherrow|1996|p=333}}

==Later years==
Williams retired from acting in the early 1960s and later turned down the role of Belle Rosen, a character with a crucial swimming scene, in ''[[The Poseidon Adventure (1972 film)|The Poseidon Adventure]]''.{{Why|date=October 2021}} (The role eventually went to [[Shelley Winters]].)

She continued to lend her name to a line of retro women's [[swimwear]]. Williams said, "Women worldwide are fighting a thing called gravity&nbsp;... I say to women when I talk to them, 'You girls of 18 have until about 25, 30 at the most, and then you have to report to me. My suits are quality fabric.{{'"}}<ref name="1999 NYT Interview"/> She went on: "I put you in a suit that contains you and you will swim in. I don't want you to be in two Dixie cups and a fish line."<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_-kNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K28DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6146,4767773&dq=esther+williams&hl=en ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', July 23, 1997 article].</ref>

She was also the namesake of a company that manufactures [[swimming pool]]s and swimming pool accessories. She came out with a line of ''Swim, Baby, Swim'' videos, which helped parents teach their children how to swim. She stepped in as a commentator for synchronized swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Esther Williams: Biography |url=https://www.biography.com/people/esther-williams-259340 |publisher=biography.com |access-date=March 3, 2014 |archive-date=February 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226003309/http://www.biography.com/people/esther-williams-259340 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Williams met her fourth husband as a result of his calling her to coordinate her appearance.<ref name="1999 NYT Interview" /> She co-wrote her autobiography, ''The Million Dollar Mermaid'' (New York: [[Simon & Schuster]], 1999), with popular media critic and author Digby Diehl.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=1}} In 1994 she made her first new big-screen appearance in 31 years as one of the hosts of the retrospective ''[[That's Entertainment! III]]''.

In a 2007 interview with [[Diane Sawyer]], Williams admitted that she had recently suffered a stroke. "I opened my eyes and I could see, but I couldn't remember anything from the past", she said.<ref>[https://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3891099&page=2 GMA interview with Diane Sawyer in 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411005240/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3891099&page=2 |date=April 11, 2021 }}.</ref> In June 2008, Williams was able to attend [[Cyd Charisse]]'s funeral, albeit in a wheelchair.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.life.com/image/81717121 |title=Cyd Charisse Funeral in Culver City, CA |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |date=June 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610223452/http://www.life.com/image/81717121 |archive-date=June 10, 2011}}</ref>

In April 2010, Williams appeared at the first [[Turner Classic Movies]] Classic Film Festival in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], California, alongside two-time co-star [[Betty Garrett]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Lond |first=Harley W. |url=http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/04/26/stars-films-shine-at-tcm-classic-film-festival |title=TCM Classic Film Festival info |publisher=Insidemovies.moviefone.com |date=April 26, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706181551/http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/04/26/stars-films-shine-at-tcm-classic-film-festival |archive-date=July 6, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Their film, ''Neptune's Daughter'' (1949), was screened at the pool of the [[Roosevelt Hotel (Hollywood)|Roosevelt Hotel]], along with a performance of the Williams-inspired synchronized swimming troupe, The Waterlilies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.life.com/image/98637566 |title=Photographs of Williams and Garrett at the TCM Classic Film Festival Q & A |publisher=LIFE |date=April 22, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010 |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610223435/http://www.life.com/image/98637566 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/reviews/article_1551330.php/Review-TCM-s-first-Classic-Film-Festival-a-star-studded-success |title=Review of the TCM Classic Film Festival |publisher=Monstersandcritics.com |date=April 27, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719201129/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/reviews/article_1551330.php/Review-TCM-s-first-Classic-Film-Festival-a-star-studded-success |archive-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> South Beach Miami's 2010 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim, a showcase of designer swimwear, included a Williams suit, complete with a beach summer theme and sand palette with aqua accents.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mercedes-benz-fashion-week-swim-lets-the-sun-in-98595984.html |title=PR Newswire press release re Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim |location=Florida, New Jersey |publisher=PR Newswire |date=July 16, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010}}</ref>

In 2000 an account of Williams's life and career appeared in the Swedish book ''Esther Williams — Skenbiografin'' (''Esther Williams: The Fake Biography'') written by Jane Magnusson,<ref>Jane Magnusson. Esther Williams – skenbiografin. Stockholm, Sweden: Bokförlaget DN, 2000.</ref> in which the author shares with readers her own fascination for art swimming as a genre and her opinion of Williams as both a bewildering and mesmerizing front figure and icon in this field.<ref>[http://www.bok.nu/Jane_Magnusson/Esther_Williams_Skenbiografin Esther Williams – skenbiografin; Forum Bokförlag] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724190505/http://www.bok.nu/Jane_Magnusson/Esther_Williams_Skenbiografin |date=July 24, 2011 }} (Swedish)</ref>

==Personal life==
===Political views===
Williams was a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Corliss |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corliss |date=June 13, 2013 |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/13/bathing-beauty-the-wet-and-wild-life-of-esther-williams/ |title=Bathing Beauty: The Wet and Wild Life of Esther Williams |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

===Marriages===
Williams married four times. She met her first husband, Leonard Kovner, while attending [[Los Angeles City College]]. She later wrote in her autobiography, ''The Million Dollar Mermaid'', that "he was smart, handsome, dependable&nbsp;... and dull. I respected his intelligence and his dedication to a future career in [[medicine]]. He loved me, or so he said, and even asked me to marry him." They were married in the San Francisco suburb of [[Los Altos, California|Los Altos]] on June 27, 1940.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=54}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Marriage Announcement 2 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=June 28, 1940 |page=31}}</ref><ref name="Esther Williams Sues for Divorce">{{cite news |title=Esther Williams Sues for Divorce |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=August 15, 1944 |page=A10}}</ref> On their split she said, "I found, much to my relief, that all I needed for my emotional and personal security was my own resolve and determination. I didn't need a marriage and a ring. I had come to realize all too quickly that Leonard Kovner was not a man I could ever really love."{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=113}} They divorced on September 12, 1944.<ref
name="Esther Williams Sues for Divorce"/><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GSYiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-qMFAAAAIBAJ&dq=esther%20williams%20divorce&pg=4167%2C5933593 September 11, 1944, ''San Jose Evening News''].</ref>

[[File:Esther Williams with her husband Ben Gage, 1945.jpg|thumb|right|1945 wedding photo of Williams and her second husband, [[Ben Gage]]]]
She married singer/actor [[Ben Gage]] on November 25, 1945;<ref>{{cite news |title=Esther Williams Will be Married Tomorrow |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 24, 1945 |page=A1}}</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p2EKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EksDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5015,3168456&dq=esther+williams&hl=en November 17, 1945 Ellensburg, Washington Daily Record].</ref> they had three children: Benjamin Stanton (born August 6, 1949),{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=381}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Family Portrait |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 17, 1949 |page=26}} Actress Esther Williams of MGM and her husband, Ben Gage, with their 2-month-old son, Benjamin Stanton, and first family portrait.</ref> Kimball Austin (October 30, 1950&nbsp;– May 6, 2008),<ref>{{cite news |title=Second Son |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=February 16, 1951 |page=26}} Esther Williams with her new son, Kimball Austin Gage, born October 30. The swimming star is also the mother of Benjamin Gage, born August 6, 1949.</ref> and Susan Tenney (born October 1, 1953).<ref>{{cite news |title=Important Event |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 15, 1954 |page=A1}} Williams holds daughter, Susan, 5 months, at baptism rites for her three children. Sons Kimmie and Benjie stand in front. Helping hold Susan is Gov. Kohler of Wisconsin. At left is Esther's husband, Ben Gage.</ref> In her autobiography, she portrayed Gage as an [[alcoholism|alcoholic]] parasite who squandered $10 million of her earnings. Gage and Williams separated in 1952{{sfn|Wayne|2003|p=382}} and divorced in April 1959.<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/441473602.html?dids=441473602:441473602&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+09%2C+1958&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Esther+Williams+Wins+Divorce+From+Ben+Gage&pqatl=google "Esther Williams Wins Divorce From Ben Gage", April 9, 1958, ''Los Angeles Times''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105204027/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/441473602.html?dids=441473602:441473602&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+09%2C+1958&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Esther+Williams+Wins+Divorce+From+Ben+Gage&pqatl=google |date=November 5, 2012 }}.</ref>

During the filming of ''[[Pagan Love Song]]'' in Hawaii, Williams learned she was pregnant with her third child and notified the studio in California. Gage had met a man at the hotel who owned a [[ham radio]] and persuaded the man to let them use it to call California. What they failed to realize at the time, though, was that anyone could be listening in on their conversation, and news of her pregnancy was broadcast to the entire West Coast.{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=189–190}}

She disclosed in her autobiography that she had an affair with actor [[Victor Mature]] while they were working on ''Million Dollar Mermaid'', citing that at the time her marriage was in trouble and, feeling lonely, she turned to Mature for love and affection, and he gave her all she wanted. The affair ended while Williams was recovering from her fall during the shoot. She was romantically linked with [[Jeff Chandler]]. She claims in her autobiography that Chandler was a [[transvestite|cross-dresser]] and that she broke off the relationship.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=309}} According to the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', many friends and colleagues of Chandler rebutted Williams's claims. [[Jane Russell]] commented, "I've never heard of such a thing. Cross-dressing is the last thing I would expect of Jeff. He was a sweet guy, definitely all man."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-27-ca-26587-story.html |title=Esther Williams Is All Wet, Say Friends of the Late Jeff Chandler |last=Lovell |first=Glenn |date=October 27, 1999 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=September 11, 2009}}</ref>

She married her former lover, Argentine actor/director [[Fernando Lamas]], on December 31, 1969. She later claimed that for 13 years she lived in total submission to him. She had to stop being "Esther Williams" and could not have her children live with her. In return, he would be faithful.<ref name="1999 NYT Interview"/>{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=343–367}} They remained married until Lamas's death from [[pancreatic cancer]] on October 8, 1982.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=380}}

She resided in [[Beverly Hills]] with actor husband Edward Bell, whom she married on October 24, 1994.{{sfn|Williams|1999|p=392-393}}

===LSD===
In September 1959, [[Cary Grant]] told ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'' magazine that he had taken [[LSD]] under a doctor's supervision and it had changed his life. Grant's therapist, Mortimer Hartman, described LSD as "a psychic energizer which empties the subconscious and intensifies emotion and memory a hundred times". Grant said that, with the help of LSD, he had "found that [he] had a tough inner core of strength", and that when he was young, he "was very dependent upon older men and women. Now, people [came] to [him] for help." Williams stated that she wanted to be one of those people. As she said in ''Million Dollar Mermaid'', "At that point, I really didn't know who I was. Was I that glamorous femme fatale?&nbsp;... Was I just another broken-down divorcée whose husband left her with all the bills and three kids?" Shortly after reading the article, she contacted Grant. He called his doctor and made an appointment for her. Williams said LSD seemed like instant [[psychoanalysis]].{{sfn|Williams|1999|pp=12–16}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Beauchamp |first=Cari |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/08/drugs-in-hollywood-201008.print |title=Cary in the Sky with Diamonds |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=August 2010 |access-date=August 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808062413/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/08/drugs-in-hollywood-201008.print |archive-date=August 8, 2014}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Esther Williams died in her sleep on June 6, 2013, from [[natural causes]] in her Los Angeles home. She was 91.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22806809 |title=Actress Esther Williams dies at 91 |work=BBC News |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.{{Citation needed |date=November 2021}}

On her death, [[CNN]] quoted<ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Esther Williams, star of film and swimming, dies at 91 |date=June 6, 2013 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/obit-esther-williams/index.html |work=CNN|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> her [[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] biography, saying, "Her movie career played a major role in the promotion of swimming, making it attractive to the public, contributing to the growth of the sport as a public recreation for health, exercise, water safety – and just plain fun."<ref name="ISHOF" /> Her stepson [[Lorenzo Lamas]] tweeted she was "The best swim teacher and soul mom."<ref name="npr">{{cite web |title=Esther Williams, Swimmer Turned Movie Star, Dies |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |first=Mark |last=Memmott |date=June 6, 2013 |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/06/06/189221862/esther-williams-swimmer-turned-movie-star-dies |access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> Actress [[Annabeth Gish]] tweeted a tribute, writing that Esther Williams was an "elegant, gracious movie star, legend and neighbor".<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/annabethgish/status/342791302456422400 |title=RIP Esther Williams |user=annabethgish |last=Gish |first=Annabeth |number=342791302456422400 |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=August 19, 2021 }}</ref> Film historian [[Leonard Maltin]] called her "a major, major star, a tremendous box office attraction."<ref name="usat">{{cite web |last=Alexander |first=Bryan |date=June 6, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/06/06/swimming-champion-movie-star-esther-williams-dies/2396845/ |title=Swimming champion, movie star Esther Williams dies |work=USA Today |access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>

For her contribution to the motion-picture industry, Williams has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 1560 Vine Street. She left her hand and footprints in front of [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] on August 1, 1944.

Williams was mentioned in the "Court Charades" sketch in the 1970 ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' episode "The Spanish Inquisition", where [[Eric Idle]] mentions her to which [[Graham Chapman]] responds, "How can you find the defendant 'Not Esther Williams'?"

[[Scarlett Johansson]]'s character DeeAnna Moran in the 2016 [[Coen Brothers]] film ''[[Hail, Caesar!]]'' shares several similarities with Williams, most notably being an aquamusical star who becomes pregnant during production.

==Archive==
Esther Williams donated her personal film archive, including twenty home movies, to the [[Academy Film Archive]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Esther Williams Collection |url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/esther-williams-collection |website=Academy Film Archive|date=September 4, 2014 }}</ref> The Academy Film Archive has subsequently preserved several of these home movies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Preserved Projects |url=https://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=Williams%2C+Esther&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All |website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film<ref>{{tcmdb name|id=206608}}</ref>
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1942
| ''[[Andy Hardy's Double Life]]''
| Sheila Brooks
| 
|-
| ''Personalities''
| Sheila Brooks (Screen test footage)
| Short subject 
|-
| ''Inflation''
| Mrs. Smith 
| Short film
|-

| 1943
| ''{{sortname|A|Guy Named Joe}}''
| Ellen Bright
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Bathing Beauty]]''
| Caroline Brooks
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1945
| ''[[Thrill of a Romance]]''
| Cynthia Glenn
|
|-
| ''[[Ziegfeld Follies (film)|Ziegfeld Follies]]''
| Herself
| ('A Water Ballet')
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1946
| ''{{sortname|The|Hoodlum Saint}}''
| Kay Lorrison
|
|-
| ''[[Easy to Wed]]''
| Connie Allenbury Chandler
| 
|-
| ''[[Till the Clouds Roll By]]''
| Herself
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1947
| ''[[Fiesta (1947 film)|Fiesta]]''
| Maria Morales
| 
|-
| ''[[This Time for Keeps]]''
| Leonora 'Nora' Cambaretti
| 
|-
| 1948
| ''[[On an Island with You]]''
| Rosalind Reynolds
| 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1949
| ''[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game (film)|Take Me Out to the Ball Game]]''
| K.C. Higgins
| 
|-
| ''[[Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)|Neptune's Daughter]]''
| Eve Barrett
| 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1950
| ''[[Duchess of Idaho]]''
| Christine Riverton Duncan
| 
|-
| ''[[Pagan Love Song]]''
| Mimi Bennett
| 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1951
| ''[[Texas Carnival]]''
| Debbie Telford
| 
|-
| ''[[Callaway Went Thataway]]''
| Herself
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1952
| ''[[Skirts Ahoy!]]''
| Whitney Young
|
|-
| ''[[Million Dollar Mermaid]]''
| [[Annette Kellermann|Annette Kellerman]]
| 
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1953
| ''[[Dangerous When Wet]]''
| Katie Higgins
| 
|-
| ''[[Easy to Love (1953 film)|Easy to Love]]''
| Julie Hallerton
| 
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Athena (1954 film)|Athena]]''
| {{center|–}}
| Screenwriter<br/>Uncredited
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1955
| ''[[Jupiter's Darling (film)|Jupiter's Darling]]''
| Amytis
| 
|-
| ''1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration''
| Herself
| Short subject
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1956
| ''[[The Unguarded Moment (film)|The Unguarded Moment]]''
| Lois Conway
|
|-
| ''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood, City of Stars''{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}<!--per [[WP:RS/IMDB]], IMDb is not a reliable source for this--> 
| Herself
| Short subject
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Raw Wind in Eden]]''
| Laura
| 
|-
| 1961
| ''[[The Big Show (1961 film)|The Big Show]]''
| Hillary Allen
|
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Magic Fountain (1963 film)|Magic Fountain]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Esther Williams Back at Poolside |first=J. |last=Michaelson |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 13, 1984 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/400621713/ |via=Newspapers.com}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
| Hyacinth Tower
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[That's Entertainment! III]]''
| Herself
|
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Television
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes 
|-
| 1955
| ''[[What's My Line]]''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEpSVCYok8s | title=What's My Line? - Esther Williams (Jan 16, 1955) | website=[[YouTube]] | date=November 7, 2013 }}</ref>
| Guest Celebrity
| Episode: "16 January 1955"
|-
| 1957
| ''[[Lux Video Theatre]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-armed-venus-episode-734-pictured-esther-williams-as-news-photo/141235783#/the-armed-venus-episode-734-pictured-esther-williams-as-vicki-photo-picture-id141235783 |title=Lux Video Theatre |website=Getty Images |date=March 13, 2012 |language=en-US |access-date=August 6, 2018}}</ref>
| Vicki 
| Episode: "The Armed Venus"
|-
| 1960
| ''[[The Donna Reed Show]]''<ref>{{Cite book |author=Tucker, David C. |publisher=McFarland |title=The women who made television funny: ten stars of 1950s sitcoms |pages=109ff}}</ref>
| Molly 
| Episode: "The Career Woman"
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/shows/zane-grey-theater/the-black-wagon-108169/ |title=Zane Grey Theater: The Black Wagon |website=TV.com |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=August 6, 2018 |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806210804/http://www.tv.com/shows/zane-grey-theater/the-black-wagon-108169/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| Sarah Harmon
| Episode: "The Black Wagon"
|-
| 1961
| ''The Bob Hope Show''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/shows/the-bob-hope-show/season-11/ |title=The Bob Hope Show Season 11 |website=TV.com |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=August 6, 2018 |archive-date=August 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807001559/http://www.tv.com/shows/the-bob-hope-show/season-11/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|
| Episode: "The Bob Hope Buick Sports Awards Show"
|}

==Box office rankings==
For a number of years, US movie exhibitors voted Esther Williams among the most popular film stars in the country:
*1947 – 24th most popular star<ref>"Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown" by Richard L. Coe. ''The Washington Post'' [Washington, D.C.] January 3, 1948: 12.</ref>
*1948 – 11th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18154454 |title=Filmdom Ranks Its Money-Spinning Stars Best At Box-Office |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=March 30, 1950 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=12 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1949 – 8th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84374923 |title=Bob Upsets Bing—at the Box Office |newspaper=[[Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] |location=Perth |date=December 31, 1949 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=9 Edition: First |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1950 – 8th<ref>Of Local Origin
''New York Times'' December 29, 1950: 15.</ref> – also 2nd most popular star in the UK<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27569072 |title=Film Stars—liked and Disliked |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=December 14, 1950 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1951 – 5th most popular female star<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59538348 |title=Box-Office Winners |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|The Sunday Times]] |location=Perth |date=December 23, 1951 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1952 – 12th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61229397 |title=Box Office Draw |newspaper=[[The Barrier Miner]] |location=Broken Hill, NSW |date=December 29, 1952 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
*1953 – 12th
*1954 – 25th<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50623443 |title=Top Two at Box Office |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]] |location=Brisbane |date=December 10, 1954 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
With the exception of ''[[The Hoodlum Saint]]'' and ''[[Jupiter's Darling (film)|Jupiter's Darling]]'', no film in which Williams starred for MGM lost money and some were extremely profitable.<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation |title=The Eddie Mannix Ledger |publisher=Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study |place=Los Angeles}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame]]
* [[Esther Williams Trophy]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist
| colwidth = 30em
| refs =
<ref name="AP2006-10-25-ABC">{{cite news
 |title        = Actress Esther Williams Hospitalized
 |date         = October 25, 2006
 |agency       = Associated Press
 |work         = ABClocal.go.com
 |url          = http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/entertainment&id=4685059
 |access-date  = July 30, 2010
 |archive-date = June 29, 2011
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629034741/http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Fentertainment&id=4685059
 |url-status   = dead
}} While some references cited 1922 as her year of birth, Williams told The Associated Press in 2004 that she was born August 8, 1921.</ref>
<ref name="CABI">
According to the ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995'' located at the Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California.
</ref>
<ref name="LAtimes1940-05-13">
{{cite news
  | title     = Esther Williams Queen of Aquacade
  | newspaper = Los Angeles Times
  | date      = May 13, 1940
  | page      = A12
}}
</ref>
<ref name="BOR1945">
{{cite web
  | url          = http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1945.shtml
  | title        = Box Office Report for 1945
  | quote        = Thrill of a Romance
  | publisher    = BoxOfficeReport.com
  | access-date  = July 30, 2010
  | url-status   = dead
  | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090713043154/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1945.shtml
  | archive-date = July 13, 2009
}}
</ref>
<ref name="BOR1946">
{{cite web
  | url          = http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1946.shtml
  | title        = Box Office Report for 1946
  | quote        = ''Till the Clouds Roll By'' and ''Easy to Wed''
  | publisher    = BoxOfficeReport.com
  | access-date  = July 30, 2010
  | url-status   = dead
  | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20060624064523/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1946.shtml
  | archive-date = June 24, 2006
}}
</ref>
<ref name="BOR1947">
{{cite web
  | url          = http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1947.shtml
  | title        = Box Office Report for 1947
  | quote        = ''This Time for Keeps'' and ''Fiesta''
  | publisher    = BoxOfficeReport.com
  | access-date  = July 30, 2010
  | url-status   = dead
  | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080807162657/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1947.shtml
  | archive-date = August 7, 2008
}}
</ref>
<ref name="BOR1948">
{{cite web
  | url          = http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1948.shtml
  | title        = Box Office Report for 1948
  | quote        = On an Island with You
  | publisher    = BoxOfficeReport.com
  | access-date  = July 30, 2010
  | url-status   = dead
  | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081012213312/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1948.shtml
  | archive-date = October 12, 2008
}}
</ref>
<ref name="BOR1949">
{{cite web
  | url          = http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1949.shtml
  | title        = Box Office Report for 1949
  | quote        = ''Neptune's Daughter'' and ''Take Me out to the Ball Game''
  | publisher    = BoxOfficeReport.com
  | access-date  = July 30, 2010
  | url-status   = dead
  | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110109042835/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1949.shtml
  | archive-date = January 9, 2011
}}
</ref>
<!--Unused citations
-->
}}

== General references ==
{{Refbegin
| colwidth = 30em
}}
* {{cite book
 |last        = Háy
 |first       = Peter
 |author-link = Peter Háy (Canadian author, publisher and bookseller)
 |year        = 1991
 |title       = MGM: When the Lion Roars
 |edition     = 1st
 |publisher   = Turner Publishing, Inc
 |location    = Atlanta, Georgia
 |isbn        = 978-1-878685-04-9
 |oclc        = 499304130
 |url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=WxEIAQAAMAAJ
 |access-date = July 30, 2010
}}
* {{cite book
 |title       = The Encyclopedia of Women and Sports
 |last        = Sherrow
 |first       = Victoria
 |year        = 1996
 |publisher   = ABC-CLIO
 |location    = Santa Barbara, California
 |isbn        = 978-0-87436-826-0
 |oclc        = 34658767
 |url         = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofwo00sher
 |access-date = July 30, 2010
}}
* {{cite book
 |last         = Williams
 |first        = Esther
 |year         = 1999
 |title        = The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography
 |type         = Autobiography
 |edition      = First
 |publisher    = Simon & Schuster
 |location     = New York
 |isbn         = 978-0-15-601135-8
 |oclc         = 43706619
 |url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=8Rspg9YX9tcC
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140722090452/http://books.google.com/books?id=8Rspg9YX9tcC&printsec=frontcover&hl=nl
 |archive-date = July 22, 2014
 |access-date  = July 30, 2010
}}
* {{cite book
 |last        = Wayne
 |first       = Jane Ellen
 |year        = 2003
 |title       = The Golden Girls of MGM: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, and Others
 |edition     = First
 |publisher   = Carroll & Graf Publishers
 |location    = New York <!-- Originally published: London : Robson, 2002 -->
 |isbn        = 978-0-7867-1303-5
 |oclc        = 54010001
 |url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=TwMw7HsE_WMC
 |access-date = July 30, 2010
}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{ISHOF}}
* [http://www.estherwilliamspools.com/ Esther Williams Swimming Pools website]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=4911 Photographs of Esther Williams]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070526045456/http://www.thegoldenyears.org/williams.html ''The Golden Years'']
* [http://www.esthersfollies.com/ Vaudeville theater named in honor of Esther Williams]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Esther}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Actresses from Inglewood, California]]
[[Category:American autobiographers]]
[[Category:American female swimmers]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American memoirists]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Los Angeles City College alumni]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Inglewood, California]]
[[Category:American women autobiographers]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:American women memoirists]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesswomen]]