La première sirène

If any kind of biographical film was to be made about Annette Kellerman, champion swimmer from the turn of the last century, MGM was the only studio to do it. They had the only star qualified and the only studio that gave said star her own set.

If Annette Kellerman hadn't blazed the trail, Esther Williams could not have had a movie career. Kellerman first won many swimming medals in her native Australia and then went to the United Kingdom and then to America where she was the first international female swimming star. The Aquacade, the water ballet, I believe the Australian crawl swimming stroke were named in her honor, all these are due to her. She was crippled as a child and swimming did indeed make her legs grow stronger, as therapeutic to her as it was to a certain crippled president of the United States.

I'm really surprised that the Australians have not done any kind of big screen or small screen film about her, she was such an icon in a newly independent country. Leaving it to America and to MGM, Million Dollar Mermaid is a fine Esther Williams film, but no more than that. I get very little information about the trials and tribulations of the real Annette Kellerman and the people around her.

She did in fact marry her manager James Sullivan played here by Victor Mature who did NOT bring Rin Tin Tin to the silver screen. They do in fact cover her notorious arrest in Boston for wearing a shocking newly designed one piece bathing suit. Boston had many silly laws back in the day, they were known for it. If you remember in John Ford's Donovan's Reef, a gag is used about Elizabeth Allen wearing the typical Gay Nineties bathing attire and then stripping down to what Kellerman popularized.

Most of the plot of Million Dollar Mermaid is fictitious, her romance with Hippodrome impresario David Brian, her accident on the set of Neptune's Daughter. Annette did become an early silent film star as big in the silent days as her male successors Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe became in sound.

Kellerman and Sullivan lived to see Million Dollar Mermaid and it's unknown what they thought about it. The fact they were both still around I'm sure made MGM tread softly. One thing the film didn't answer was why Kellerman did not compete in the Olympics. In that she has something in common with Esther Williams. Esther didn't compete because the 1940 Olympics were called off as were the 1944. She had to turn professional and then became an actress and the rest is history. Why Kellerman didn't is something I'd like to know.

Perhaps an Australian production might answer that question if one is made. Until then we'll have to be satisfied with the beautiful and expensive Million Dollar Mermaid.

Esther Williams and that the water ballet sequences were choreographed by Busby Berkeley were my two main reasons for seeing 'Million Dollar Mermaid'. As well as that Annette Kellerman's story is an interesting one.

While highly fictionalised as a real-life biography (not unexpected, this was true of a lot of film biopics made then and it's a trend that still hasn't gone away with a few exceptions), 'Million Dollar Mermaid' (aka 'The One Piece Bathing Suit') as a piece of entertainment or a film in its own right is a good film and one of Williams' better films by quite some distance.

As for Williams herself, she is captivating and really does radiate a million dollars. Not just in the water, where her aquatic skills are second to none, but she gives a heartfelt and committed out of the water too. She is well supported by handsome Victor Mature (who really does try to inject charm and energy into a character written in a way not worthy of those attributes), very amusing and sympathetic Jesse White and endearing Walter Pidgeon.

Berkeley is another star here, the aquatic sequences are wonderfully ornate, exquisitely shot and simply jaw dropping to watch, actually being better than the term "aqua spectacular". Anybody looking for a contender for the best aquatic sequences in an Esther Williams film, or even on film full-stop, 'Million Dollar Mermaid' is a definite contender.

'Million Dollar Mermaid' looks beautiful, with lavish cinematography (especially in the aquatic sequences), big, bold, rich colours and opulent costumes and sets, even if the studio's version of England has to be seen to be believed. The music is always pleasant to listen to, while the script avoids being too frothy, sentimental or cheesy and is actually tight, sometimes amusing and sometimes heartfelt. Even though fictionalised (with some glaring inaccuracies and omissions that one wishes were in the film), the story still has a high nostalgic value and emotional impact and is much more eventful and sincere than most of the usual stories in Esther Williams' films.

Not without faults. 'Million Dollar Mermaid' does go on slightly longer than necessary and drags ever so slightly in places where the drama sags a little. More of a problem was that the chemistry between Williams and Mature could have been more believable and not as ill at ease, not Williams' fault nor Mature's but more to do with the very unsympathetic and caddish way that the latter's character is written in.

Overall, a good film with Williams radiating a million dollars. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I've heard that this movie was not a completely accurate story of the life of Annette Kellerman. Since I don't really know her story, I cannot say, but I did enjoy this film, as I've enjoyed all of Esther Williams' films. Esther Williams is the most wonderful, beautiful, sweetheart of a girl to watch. Even when she gets upset (which is never that often cause she always has such good spirits), she still seems so nice and innocent. And her swimming is always a joy to watch. In "Million dollar mermaid", Esther starts off as a little girl who is overcoming polio. She still can't walk straight, but she tries to swim. And she does it pretty well for the first time. Her father is concerned at first, but then really admires her determination and decides he will be right there with her.

As she's grown up, we see Esther as a terrific swimmer and diver. One scene in particular, Esther gets in trouble on a NY beach for indecent exposure. She is wearing a one piece bathing suit that shows all of her arms and about 75% of her legs, but nothing else. I know that this film takes place at the turn of the 1900s, but it's still jarring to see a woman making such a scene and getting arrested for that when today you've got topless women all over the beaches of Europe (and the Caribbean and Miami) wearing absolutely nothing but the tiniest g string bikini bottoms.

As the film continues, we see her achievements, first as Esther swims all the way down the Thames in London to Greenwich, and then her performing at the Hippodrome in New York. She does some dazzling numbers there such as flipping around underwater, sitting in a giant clamshell with a pearl, jumping off a 50 foot high platform ( the platform itself is so beautiful, it's like a tall thin vertical waterfall). I heard somewhere that she badly injured herself one time rehearsing that scene when she jumped from that platform. And they had to stall film production while she recovered. Esther's father was the maestro of the orchestra playing during her water shows. One night, there's a tragedy with her father during one of her shows just while she was getting in the clam. Another time, a tragedy happened with Esther while in a water tank and the glass of the tank cracked and broke. Thank God, she recovered. There's also a subplot in this film of a friend of Esther's who's trying to fly his plane around the world, and there's also a part with a kangaroo. And the very best of all of Esther's water ballets is here. Starting with a lot of her crew and herself jumping from these high flying trapeze bars just swinging out of these pretty colorful clouds, some brilliant overhead patterns of Esther and the girls in the water, along with other terrific plays such as Esther and the girls wearing dazzling, sparkling crowns as they're slowly coming out of the water. This was a great film. There has never been anyone else quite like Esther Williams. She was amazing and wonderful. And like Mickey Rooney, she only left us a few years ago (both in 2013), both living into their 90s. There were sadly, the last of the wonderful surviving Golden age celebrities. Esther Williams and Judy Garland were both the most wonderful women ever to grace this earth. They were both angels. Judy, sadly hasn't been with us since 1969, and Esther, now sadly has left us too. Dear God, please take the best care of these two wonderful angels in heaven. Someday when it is my time for God to take me, perhaps I will see both Judy and Esther up there.

This film is very interesting and expensively mounted. I recommend it with a few caveats. For instance, the water ballets could not have looked the way they looked in the film because they simply did not have the electrical devices necessary in the 1910s and 1920s to create these effects. They did in the 1950s, of course.

Secondly, Annette's former flame, Mr. Sullivan, was not the guy who raised and trained Rin-Tin-Tin and got him started in Hollywood. For the life of me, I cannot understand why this was in the film. Lee Duncan, a former Army airman, was Rinty's owner and trainer, and as far as I know he had no connection to Annette. I don't know why 1950s biographical film had the tendency to do this sort of thing, but it is very common.

In Australia, little Donna Corcoran (as little Annette Kellerman) swims to overcome polio. Supported by father Walter Pidgeon (as Frederick), she becomes a little swimming champion. The cute girl quickly grows up to be attractive trophy-collecting Esther Williams (as the adult Annette Kellerman). She meets manly Victor Mature (as James "Jimmy" Sullivan) and goes to America. Mr. Mature puts her in a shocking one-piece bathing suit and Ms. Williams is accused of "indecent exposure." They are mutually attracted, but Williams must listen to Mature tell her:

"Wet you're terrific, dry you're just a nice girl who ought to settle down and get married."

Understandably, this nervy line puts a cramp in their romance. Williams also attracts "Hippodrome" owner David Brian (as Alfred Harper). While not classically handsome, kangaroo-trainer Jesse White (as Doc Cronnol) gets no action; he's faithful, supportive and funny, but apparently not Williams' type. All this silliness is based on a few facts from the real turn-of-the century celebrity Annette Kellerman's life. The original "Million Dollar Mermaid" was also famous for appearing for the public in only her "birthday suit" - but this biography keeps Williams' Kellerman modestly covered.

Stick around for the sensational aquatic scenes. This is where Williams, choreographer Busby Berkeley, and cinematographer George J. Folsey really shine. They didn't do it alone, of course, as the MGM production team employed hundreds of hard-working helpers. Ballet dancer Maria Tallchief (as Anna Pavlova) and one of the seemingly endless cute Corcoran kids are additionally noteworthy. Young Donna won a "Film Daily" acting nomination in their juvenile category, Mr. Folsey's color photography received "Academy Award" consideration, and Williams drew in the crowds.

****** Million Dollar Mermaid (12/4/52) Mervyn LeRoy ~ Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, David Brian