Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Not part of a collection.
Inspired by the true story of bathing beauties!
After overcoming polio, Annette Kellerman achieves fame and creates a scandal when her one-piece bathing suit is considered indecent.
CinemaSerf
Jul 21, 2025 · via TMDB
Loosely based on the true story of Australian Annette Kellerman, this starts with her as a young girl under the care of her doting dad (Walter Pidgeon). He is on permanent watch around her as he is terrified that her disabling polio might endanger this determined young girl - especially when she takes to swimming in the lake. It appears, though, that this exercise is doing her the power of good and soon she (now Esther Williams) is winning local trophies. Meantime, her music teaching father is facing some financial hardships so they decide to relocate to London where he has an offer of a job. On board the ship they encounter the enigmatic “Jimmy” (Victor Mature), his pal “Doc” (Jesse White) and their boxing kangaroo. That proved quite lucky as there is no job when they arrive and so it falls to her to make a living doing the odd thing in the water. Next stop the USA and then success beckons as the public appear fascinated with her underwater ballet and acrobatics. There is one such scene in this film where I dare you to try and hold your breath for as long as she is supposed be able to. I got nowhere near! From what I know of the accomplished Miss Kellerman, there is a certain degree of cinematic licence taken here as the gently engaging plot gives way to sentiment making quite heavy going of this biopic - especially the romantic elements. Williams is charismatic, Pidgeon his usual reliable self and some of the set-piece routines are nicely staged and scored, but Mature is frequently upstaged by the roo and it all ends a little abruptly. It’d be interesting nowadays to see whether anyone would pay to sit poolside and watch anyone demonstrating the crawl, or the backstroke, or exhibition diving from a high board - but clearly, our forebears did.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Esther Williams
Annette Kellerman
Victor Mature
James Sullivan
Walter Pidgeon
Frederick Kellerman
David Brian
Alfred Harper
Donna Corcoran
Ten-Year-Old Annette
Jesse White
Doc Cronnol
Maria Tallchief
Pavlova
Howard Freeman
Aldrich
Charles Watts
Policeman
Wilton Graff
Garvey
Frank Ferguson
Prosecutor
James Bell
Judge
James Flavin
Conductor
Willis Bouchey
Director
Larri Thomas
Swimmer (uncredited)
Maudie Prickett
Grace (uncredited)
Harry Hines
Andy (uncredited)
Kathryn Reed Altman
Swimmer (uncredited)
Dorinda Clifton
Swimmer (uncredited)
Carol Brewster
Showgirl (uncredited)
Mary Parker
Woman at Restaurant (uncredited)
George J. Folsey
Director of Photography
Helen Rose
Costume Design
Walter Plunkett
Costume Design
Busby Berkeley
Choreographer
Mervyn LeRoy
Director
Arthur Hornblow Jr.
Producer
Alexander Courage
Orchestrator
Douglas Shearer
Recording Supervision
Neil Diamond: Greatest Hits Live
Fleetwood Mac: The Dance
Brave
The Big Blue
West Side Story
An Inspector Calls
The Secret
Oliver!
Carmen
Election
Rent
Anchors Aweigh
The Harmonists
Going My Way
S&M Judge
Peter Pan
Schultze Gets the Blues
Hannah Montana: The Movie
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Tommy
Lili Marleen
A Song Is Born
Gypsy
Porgy and Bess
Primary Colors
A Chorus Line
Show Boat
South Pacific: In Concert from Carnegie Hall
Head
Pennies from Heaven
South Pacific
Blue Hawaii
Jesucristo Superestrella Andino
Dust
A Place of One's Own
You and I
All the King's Men
Duets
Song of Old Wyoming
Eve Knew Her Apples
Lady in the Water
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan
100m Freestyle
Le Divorce
Hell
The Miner's Son
Know Thy Enemy
Zille und ick
Two Fish
The First & Last
Georgia
Daughter of the Wind
Hello Daddu
Mary I Love You
Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana
The Man Behind the Camera
Carmen in 3D
Michael
I Can Only Imagine 2
Clouds
Citizen Kane
Young Woman and the Sea
Mildred Pierce
Erin Brockovich
Bratz: Rock Angelz
Les Misérables
Köln 75
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Plunder Road
Dolphin Tale 2
The Natural
Evil Under the Sun
Take the Lead
Eight Men Out
Boychoir
People Like Us
Dreamgirls
Don't Bother to Knock
Judy
Good Vibrations
Copying Beethoven
Too Late Blues
Janie Jones
BUtterfield 8
Taking Sides
Turks & Caicos
Beyond the Sea
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special
Grace Unplugged
Make Mine Music
Honeydripper
Dec 4, 1952
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.