Die Venus verliebt sich

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.

If you can get past the irrelevant title of this film, you will find it's a solid vehicle for Esther Williams, who--remarkably!--plays an aquatic entertainer. As Christine Duncan, she gets involved in a plot to hook up her sister (Ellen Hallit, played by Paula Raymond) with the sister's boss (Douglas Morrissen, played by John Lund), a rich playboy businessman who sees her only as his secretary. Typical for its day, the plot revolves around getting him to notice her legs more than recognize what a great person she is.

Christine's swimming routines include long stretches of swimming underwater and hiding behind scenery, so that audiences cannot see her well. But viewers of this film are treated to underwater shots and close-ups of her languid stroking. So we know up-front that we have entered the world of a Hollywood fantasy and left reality behind--which is where it belongs in this very stylized story.

The sets and the sights are richly colored, the fashions are well-tailored and sharp, the musical numbers are enjoyable and eye-catching. They are also numerous, because (fortunately) the characters spend plenty of time visiting nightclubs and running into singers and dancers (like Lena Horne and Eleanor Powell). Such numbers interrupt the narrative, but are an integral part of the formula. The music is mostly of the big band genre, with some boogie woogie to spice things up.

As for the acting, Ms. Williams is, in my opinion, always competent. The other leads are also up to the task, though the emotional demands of the script are minimal. This is a lighthearted romance where the musical entertainment is a primary draw. I enjoyed it as such.

"You always have to have a plot. There's never an easy way of doing things." So says JOHN LUND in this typical ESTHER WILLIAMS movie based on the familiar mix-ups involved when nobody tells the truth.

The mix-ups begin when Esther offers to help secretary PAULR RAYMOND catch a rich playboy (Lund), suggesting a trip to romantic surroundings in Sun Valley, Idaho would help. Esther, in the meantime, is pursued by VAN JOHNSON, a bandleader at the resort, who soon melts her heart. In the interim, there are guest appearances by RED SKELTON (at a potato square-dance contest that is deftly done) and ELEANOR POWELL, who does a guest spot in the usual MGM manner of at first coyly refusing to dance when requested. Then she rips into an impromptu routine that had to be rehearsed for at least three weeks. So much for reality.

It's a strictly fun, escapist musical, which is all it pretends to be. ESTHER WILLIAMS and PAUL RAYMOND look gorgeous in their various Technicolor outfits and Esther gets to do a couple of swimming numbers in her usual charming manner. JOHN LUND and VAN JOHNSON do nicely in the romantic comedy department as the love interest for the gals.

If you like Esther, this one is for you.

DUCHESS OF IDAHO is a product of its time. Lavish costumes and settings done the MGM way. No one get dirty, everyone, including the men, are clean, made-up and stylishly dressed. Plot is fun...again, a plot that is a 'product' of its day. ESTHER WILLIAMS is really good in this one. I think she was an underrated actress. If you want pure escapist enjoyment, see DUCHESS OF IDAHO. And just look at that nightclub with its giant swimming pool. How on earth could the patrons see all the underwater stuff? And what nightclub could even afford something as extravagant as that. OH, I forgot...this is an MGM film. And if it's MGM in the 40's or 50's, don't expect realism. But that's the great thing about MGM..especially the musicals. Who wants reality??

Of the Esther Williams films seen so far, which is a vast majority of them, 'Duchess of Idaho' stands out as one of the best ones. As well as having one of her best performances.

Its only real faults are the story, which is very flimsy and with the odd implausible moment, and the waste of Mel Torme, a very talented performer with a beautiful voice with very little to do which is pretty shameful.

Conversely, Williams is captivating in a role that suits her perfectly, one of her best performances as aforementioned without a shadow of a doubt.

She is well supported by an appealing John Lund, charming Paula Raymond and a more at ease than usual Van Johnson, and she shares great chemistry with all three. 'Duchess of Idaho' is significant for being the last film of Eleanor Powell, who dances up a storm, while Lena Horne sings sublimely in one of the film's better songs.

'Duchess of Idaho' is shot in glorious Technicolor and sumptuously designed (the costumes are of the usual MGM glamour), while the direction goes at a bright and breezy pace and the film is full of jolly fun and emotive charm. The songs are pleasant and lively, and choreographed with grace and enthusiasm, and the script is amusing.

In summary, very entertaining and well done. Not a great film, but a very good one. 8/10 Bethany Cox