Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth weren't the only stars who sat for pin-ups during the war; their photos were simply the most popular. The idea of pin-ups (technically, they were just photos of women) were nothing new by the Second World War. Victorians and Edwardians, of course, had French postcards, which ranged from fully-clothed women … Continue reading During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
That’s Show Business
Welcome back, Miss Esther... Esther Williams was no stranger to hazards, naturally, since her movies typically involved dangerous stunts, but in the case of 1948's On An Island With You, things were just annoyingly blah. The movie was blah, the swimming scenes were blah, and spirits were blah. Still, the show must go on, and there's … Continue reading That’s Show Business
Esther’s New Suit
Hello, Miss Esther... One of the fun things about Esther Williams' movies is seeing all the ways MGM devised to get her into the water, and so far I think my favorite is the 1949 film, Neptune's Daughter. It's not only a fun movie, but it's the point in Esther's career in which she started … Continue reading Esther’s New Suit
Come On In, the Water’s Fine
Swimmers, take your marks... Esther Williams never set out to be a movie star. She was a champion swimmer who dreamed of competing in the Olympics. When the 1940 games were cancelled, she got a job working as a floor model at I. Magnin's Los Angeles store, and then landed a gig with Billy Rose's … Continue reading Come On In, the Water’s Fine
A Song To Sing
Another talented composer of the twentieth century is Jerome Kern. His songs are graceful, elegant, and thoughtful, ranging from playful to poignant, and he frequently collaborated with such lyrical greats as Oscar Hammerstein, Dorothy Fields, E.Y. Harburg, Ira Gershwin, and Johnny Mercer. Kern's biopic, Till the Clouds Roll By was released at the end of 1946, … Continue reading A Song To Sing
End of an Era
Long before MGM put his story on the screen, Florenz Ziegfeld was dipping his toe into Hollywood. The first film he produced was 1917's The Land of Promise. Starring Billie Burke, the film is a straightforward story of farmers and romance. It's also, unfortunately, lost. Other films were takeoffs of his stage shows, such as Rio Rita or Whoopee. Only … Continue reading End of an Era
Taking Up Room 