La duchessa dell'Idaho

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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??