Friday, February 6, 2015

Million Dollar Mermaid 1952




     This film is set in the 1890's, it is the story of Annette Kellerman and she was a proficient Australian swimmer.  She was born 7/6/1986 in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia.  When she was a child, she was stricken with polio and had to wear leg braces.  She start swimming in a pond on her father’s property.  He didn’t know where she disappeared to every day but one day he followed her and found her swimming.  She was able to strengthen her legs, she was able to walk and later she was winning many trophies for swimming.  The Australian economy was suffering and her father lost most of his music students which provided their income.  She met a promoter who became her manager and she turned the world around by wearing her one-piece bathing suit on a public beach. 
     This is a good story and interesting.  Annette could not do distance swimming in the yards of material pantaloon costume that was worn by the women of this period.  Esther Williams is in the role of Annette. She was born 8/8/1921, she set national and regional swimming records in her late teens.  Due to the outbreak of WWII, she was unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics.  Between 1945-1949, she had a least one movie in the top 20 highest grossing films of the year.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

115 min, Bio directed by Mervyn LeRoy with Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon, David Brian, Maia Tallchief, Howard Freeman.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, 67% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 24 reviews.







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