Another day, another diva centenary - that of the "Million Dollar Mermaid" herself, the aquatic Queen of Busby Berkeley Hollywood Campery, Miss Esther Williams!
She may not have been much lauded for actual acting skills, but who needs it when you can have spectacular numbers such as these..?!
...and, of course, this [which I famously described back in 2012 as "assuredly in the Top Ten of the most extravagantly camp moments in cinema"]!
Wow.
Esther Williams (8th August 1921 – 6th June 2013)
Dangerous when wet? It's a good job Ms Williams didn't live in Blighty as we'd all have been done for!
ReplyDelete(On a related note, I am just about to get in the bath, so I'll watch all these fabulous clips later/tomorrow. I might also pretend I'm Ms Williams while I'm in there...)
You'll need a very deep bath to recreate some of her underwater ballets...
Delete...and a gold lamé swimsuit with sparkling headdress, of course! Jx
What makes you think I don't already have a gold lamé swimsuit with sparkling headdress? The only thing I don't have are a couple of high-wire swings to catapult scantily-clad men into my moistened vicinity. There's always Christmas, I suppose...
DeleteI would hope you've dried off your moistened vicinity by now. You'll catch your death of a chill else... Jx
DeleteWell. Umm. People. Well... they watch the Olympics. And there's a paint brand called Olympic Paints. You get out of the pool? You grab a towel to dry off. And ummm. Paint dries. So ummm... she had a beautiful smile. :)
ReplyDeleteShe was actually a champion swimmer and could have competed in the Olympics - she was the commentator for synchronised swimming at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles! Jx
DeleteShe is the very essence of Camp
ReplyDeleteThe Gypsy violins on the trees in the everglades is a perfect camp joy.
That's why we adore her so! Jx
DeleteAs today's something of an Event day, I thought I'd pop in early to wish you a Very Happy Birthday - whatever the weather may bring (let's hope that any moistened vicinities won't be a result of the aforementioned weather)!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mr IDV! The weather here's not too bad as we speak - heaven knows how long that will last. I'll be off to the glories of Wood Green Shopping City later (I know how to party!), but I very much doubt there'll be much there to moisten my vicinities, except rain. Jx
DeleteShe just embodies joy and exuberance.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember her on Parkinson talking about a transvestite actor who wanted to marry her? He was a great butch macho man on screen but he had a huge walk in wardrobe on chiffon ballgowns... She said no and advised him to go back to his wife. And I cannot remember who it was!
I don't remember the Parky interview - bust according to her obituary on the BBC website, she wrote about this particular anecdote in her memoir.
DeleteThe butch actor in question was Jeff Chandler. I love the quote from the article above where she walked out on him saying: "Jeff, you're too big for polka dots"! Jx
I've not heard of Jeff Chandler but from the sound of things that relationship would not have worked. Who wants unsolicited fashion advice off their partner?
ReplyDeleteWho would want their partner to look better in a frock then they did? Jx
DeleteMe! I wouldn't stop my husband wearing polka dots if he wanted. (Shows no sign of wanting to though.)
DeleteDepends whether you're a Diva or not though, for us women who don't want to be looked at walking around with a transvestite would be great, pressure's off us completely.
The phrase I remember was "massive doesn't work in chiffon"
ReplyDelete