Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

DubyaHan The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

TheLittleSongbird Although 'Bathing Beauty' was intended as a Red Skelton vehicle it's known more for the introduction of Esther Williams, who became a star overnight.No wonder too. Williams is a sheer delight, in and out of the water. Her aquatic dancing is dazzling, and she has an immensely charming presence that handles comedy and romance very well. This is not knocking Skelton though, because while he could easily have mugged he is suitably subdued here and is very funny, his ballet dancing scenes are some of the best things he ever did on film and still come over as riotous.Basil Rathbone is underused and has been better, but is still amusing and suave. Other standout supporting turns are from a dynamite Harry James, Ethel Smith and Helen Forrest.Visually, 'Bathing Beauty' is a beautiful-looking film, with opulent use of colour, handsome cinematography and elegant costumes and sets. The songs and music, while not exactly memorable or timeless, are still very pleasant to listen to and performed with zest, sensitivity and assurance.Scripting-wise, it is amusing and fun enough while resisting mawkishness in the more romantic elements. George Sidney directs assuredly, and the film maintains interest and rarely loses it. A definite highlight element is the water ballet sequences, the final one being the very meaning of "aqua-spectacular".However, the story is paper-thin flimsy, contrived and pure nonsense. While a few supporting cast members acquit themselves well, most of them are wasted (Bill Goodwin, Donald Meek) or forgettable, though Carlos Ramirez does stick out as somebody on vocally glorious but entirely charisma-free form.Overall, Technicolor and aquatic beauty and worth seeing for Skelton and Williams. 7/10 Bethany Cox

edwagreen Basil Rathbone, although nasty and cunning as ever, is way out of his league in this one. Here he is a producer who tries to break up the marriage of Red Skelton and Esther Williams so that the latter can continue writing music for his water story.To get Williams back, Skelton goes to her college and the film depicts his madcap adventures there in an all-girl's school with the dean and faculty trying to get him to have 100 demerits so that he can be expelled.The water sequences are beautifully realized by Williams but to say that this is her picture is ridiculous. To me, it was Skelton's with his antics all the way.Regarding the ballet scene where Skelton dresses in a tutu and is given the works by instructor Ann Codee, wasn't this done before in another Skelton-Codee film?

richspenc "Bathing beauty" is on my very favorite top five list of Esther Williams films and of Esther's water ballets. I believe this was Esther's second film ever. She appeared once before in an Andy Hardy film with Mickey Rooney looking beautiful as one of his love interests. She is gorgeous here. Esther is just so beautiful, sweet, charming, and graceful. The water ballet here is one of the best of Esther's with the beautiful overhead patterns in the water, the graceful beautiful girls dancing outside of the pool in the background while the beautiful girls in the pool do their water dancing while the beautiful classical music plays, the elaborate underwater spin circles the girls do while Esther swims through them, and the spectacular fountain works in the pool. Then, the story itself is interesting, with Red Skelton being engaged to Esther. Even the first scene by the pool is nice. Then, during Red and Esther's wedding, Red is unfairly set up and made to look like he cheated on Esther. Esther believes it, and flees. She flies back to the east coast to take her old job at a girl's boarding school. Then comes the silly, yet very funny plot of Red enrolling in the girl's school just to try and get back with Esther and convince her he didn't do anything wrong. This all includes some amusing, laugh out loud moments such as Red trying to dance in a pink tutu during ballet class and the hilarious way the ballet teacher treats Red. There's also a neat little number Red does with this cute, petite girl (Jean Porter) from music class "I'll take the high road, you take the low road". The school girls act silly and play different hyjinks, largely on Red, including another funny scene where a few of them are hiding in a closet while Red is in his room with Esther. Through particular circumstances, the scene ends with the three girls and a musician riding out of the closet on a four person bicycle while singing. This is typical great classic comic timing. " Bathing beauty" was great, with the combination of it being sweet, passionate, spectacular, and very funny. Esther was beautiful and charming, as always. This film was pure, Hollywood golden age greatness.

utgard14 Esther Williams' first starring role is a silly but fun musical comedy from MGM filmed in beautiful Technicolor. Despite the title the movie centers more on Red Skelton's character, a songwriter who marries then loses Esther because of the machinations of Basil Rathbone. So Red forces his way into enrollment at the all-girls college where Esther is a teacher, hoping to win her back. It's all fluff but enjoyable. Musical numbers by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Harry James and His Music Makers, Lina Romay, Helen Forrest, and more. The music's fine and Red's funny but Esther's the reason most of us are likely to watch this. She's gorgeous, of course, and has a nice swimming scene at the beginning and a classic aquatic ballet number at the end. Just amazing to watch. She's very likable and holds her own with Skelton. It's easy to see how this movie made her a star. The cast also includes Carlos Ramirez, Nana Bryant, Donald Meek, Jean Porter, Jacqueline Dalya, and Janis Paige (in her film debut). Basil Rathbone seems to be having fun with a different kind of part than he usually got to play. Yeah he's sort of the villain but it's a soft villainy not someone evil. He gets to do a little comedy, too, which he seemed to enjoy. It goes on a little longer than it needed to but it's all light and fun. The sort of movie that's a good pick-me-up when you're feeling down.