Frisson d'amour

Van Johnson and Esther Williams at their loveliest. Wonderful music throughout. A delightful picture for anyone who has ever been or hopes to be in love.

We have beautiful Esther Williams swimming and diving. We have Van Johnson sincere and radiant. We have Melchior in fine classical voice, Tommy Dorsey playing Grieg on the trombone (!) along with other classic Dorsey hits. And a couple of new songs. The movie mostly takes place in a resort with Olympic swimming pool and a sound-stage with a view over Yosemite Valley.

It's all very light, but let yourself be carried away, and it will steal your heart.

Fun and easy flowing movie. Good old film but would LOVE to know the name of the girl playing piano with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the movie. This is not considered a "heavy" movie but light weight and one the kids could watch with mom and dad in today's society. Some typical water scenes of Esther Williams that all of us can enjoy and of course dream we could do the same in our pool. Costuming is tastefully done and this brings back some great music and actually there are several genres covered. Not for Head Bangers or Hip Hoppers but for those that want to hear what the good old stuff really was meant to sound like. Abit more actual acting in this movie than a lot of those that Esther was in. Watch and enjoy!

Thrill of a Romance is such a VERY nice film. I watched it last night and totally enjoyed this cute and entertaining film. Nice swimming scenes with both Esther and Van together. Wonderful diving from Esther in this film and the music was wonderful.

This film is a wonderful way to end any romantic evening. MonaK

The glorious voice of Wagnerian Tenor Lauritz Melchoir adorns this formulistic film, crafted by MGM staff writers.

After dominating the Met and international operatic stages along with colleague Soprano Helen Traubel, Melchoir along with Traubel and Ezio Pinza signed MGM contracts. The three appeared in light musicals for this studio, singing arias, light ballads and specialty numbers, which were incorporated into the plotlines.

Here Melchoir's role is quite gratuitous, yet all is forgotten when he opens his mouth and sings several varied selections.

His voice rings out like a bell, and he possesses a welcome warmth and humor in his screen presence. Joined by studio regulars Esther Williams, Van Johnson, and Bandleader Tommy Dorsey, Melchoir manages to punctuate the slightly sub-par plot with charm.

It's as though the project was cast first, then writers were called upon to write for each personality. While the proceedings may be a bit routine, the music, color and trappings are quite enjoyable, and a pleasant reminder of a gentle era of movie making.

I didn't recognize Esther Williams when I saw her with her hair down, and had to look here to see who the actress was...what a beautiful woman! And the costumes were wonderful, along with the scenery of Yosemite, making this movie the perfect diversion for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The plot was a bit slow, and at today's standards left a lot to the imagination, however the innocence of post-WWII "romance" made this an absolutely charming tale. Van Johnson was good (as always, in my opinion), but the tenor actually stole the show and provided the perfect sounding board for both characters so that we could see that they weren't really philanderers -- just caught up in a difficult situation. My husband and I both enjoyed this movie, and I got a lot of great costume ideas, as well! I recommend this movie to anyone who is nostalgic for a simpler time and doesn't want to have to think too much -- just watch and be entertained!