In which I pay tribute to Esther Williams

Another Hollywood legend gone.

Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921- June 6, 2013) was one of my absolute favorite movie stars of the 40s and 50s. She started out as a champion swimmer but quickly blossomed into a beloved star in Hollywood, swimming her way through many films and alongside various leading men (although my favorite partner of hers will always be Van Johnson).

Esther & Van in "Thrill of a Romance"

Thus the "aqua-musical" genre was created, and it is many of these films that I proudly call my favorites, particularly "Thrill of a Romance" from 1945 (more posts to come on this film later!). It is wonderfully lighthearted, filmed in glorious technicolor, and showcases some incredibly gorgeous 1940s hair and fashion. Although she was a pin-up during these times, her physique was clearly more athletic than most of the other female figures- something I greatly admire her for. A large chunk of my life was dedicated to competitive sports and I have the arm and legs muscles to show for it, which I wasn't always comfortable with. But looking at Esther I am confident that athleticism can be both beautiful as well as feminine.

Sculpted arms and shoulders that came from years of hard work

Esther will be greatly missed and forever cherished as America's "Million Dollar Mermaid". I could think of no better person to dedicate my very first blog post to.

A snippet of my Esther Williams collection: DVD sets, paper doll book & a signed photo that came with my EW sheath swimsuit