Die Venus verliebt sich

If you want to Esther Williams in one of her better roles check this one out. While she still has two very nice water ballet sequences, the best parts of the movie involve the funny antics of its players. The cast is very good especially Williams and Van Johnson who have a great chemistry. It's no wonder they made 3 other movies together. Johnson is absolutely charming and Williams shows that she can do more than just swim. She definately holds her own.

Of course it is pretty easy to perdict what will happen, but it's still a lot of fun. It will definately puts a smile on the face. It's also very neat to see a very young Mel Torme as a messenger.

Esther Williams tries to help her friend Paula Raymond land himbo John Lund. Why, I couldn't begin to tell you. Back in those days guys like this were considered dreamy I guess. Anyway, not surprisingly, Lund gets one look at Esther and goes gaga. Can't blame him there. Bandleader Van Johnson is also in love with Esther. So we have a good old-fashioned triangle...or rather, quadrangle.

The movie begins with Esther in a swimsuit doing an aquatic number, looking as lovely as ever. She is radiant throughout the picture, a goddess of technicolor. Paula Raymond is pretty and likable. The idea she would have to struggle to get any man is just something you'll have to suspend disbelief over. Notable for being Eleanor Powell's last film. She returned after being absent from the screen for six years (and becoming Mrs. Glenn Ford) to do this cameo where she gets to tap dance, which is always a treat. Red Skelton also has a cameo and Lena Horne sings a song. Also some songs by adorable Connie Haines. It's a light, fun movie. Not much swimming stuff despite Esther Williams being the star but it's a good one anyway.

Watching this movie made for a very pleasant Sunday morning. It's a typical boy-gets-girl...boy-loses-girl...etc., film, but wholesome in its content and dialog. How refreshing to see Esther Williams portray a thoughtful friend in trying to assist in her roommate's quest for her bosses affection, with no malice or self serving interest. The chef to this boss provides some amusing lines - but some real smiles come when you see that Van Johnson's band isn't really playing their instruments (if you look close, you will see that the piano player only taps the tops of the keys!). Of course, there are the gratuitous swimming scenes to showcase Esther Williams ~ but you find yourself watching her movies to see how they'll weave in this angle each time! This movie serves the purpose for which it was intended - a little light hearted fluff to put a smile on your face. All in all, a pleasant way to accompany a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

If the ski slopes of Sun Valley in Idaho seem a most unlikely place to find Esther Williams, for those of you who are fans fear not, for she does get a couple of numbers in a swimming pool.

Duchess Of Idaho casts Esther Williams and Paula Raymond as a pair of sisters who were once in the army. Esther is of course an aquatic star and Paula has settled down to work as a secretary for playboy millionaire railroad tycoon John Lund who uses Raymond to fend off the advances of females with marriage on their minds.

The rest of the film plays like a plot from I Love Lucy. Raymond is first elated to get an invitation from Lund for a working vacation in Sun Valley, but then she's told Lund is going it alone. Then Williams gets the Lucy Ricardo like idea to go to Sun Valley on the same train and play up to Lund with the idea that he'll send for Raymond to bail him out again and Raymond can finally get Lund.

It starts to work out that way, but Williams also meets bandleader Van Johnson on the same trip and she starts falling for him. But true to her sister and her mission she still plays for Lund. It all ends a bit happier than Lucy Ricardo's schemes did.

Nothing terribly memorable music wise comes from Duchess Of Idaho. The best number is from Lena Horne as a guest star who sings Baby Come Out Of The Clouds. Eleanor Powell has a specialty dance number and this turned out to be her farewell appearance on the big screen. Clinton Sundberg has a nice bit as Lund's valet, but for the life of me I could not see casting Mel Torme in a film as a bellhop and not giving him at least one number. My guess is they did and it ended up on the cutting room floor.

The film opens and closes with an Esther Williams water ballet for her fans. And it certainly establishes a reason for her to be in the Duchess Of Idaho. Her many legion of fans will like the film and it's a pleasant diversion for the rest of us.

Esther really shows off her flair for light comedy in this one, and for me - a lover of Esther Williams musicals - this one has the best music of them all...one great tune after another. Former band singer Connie Haines delivers two swinging songs and joins Van for another, and Lena Horne is in top form singing the hot number "Baby,Come Out Of The Clouds" in her glamorous style. Eleanor Powell tap dances to boogie woogie.

This is one of the films where we're supposed to believe that there is a huge nightclub with a giant swimming pool surrounded by chorus girls and filled with muscle men who strike poses with Esther...preposterous Hollywood fantasy, but that makes it all the more fun. A Technicolor delight.