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Esther Jane Williams was an American competitive swimmer and actress. Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, she joined Billy Rose's Aquacade, where she took on the role vacated by Eleanor Holm after the show's move from New York City to San Francisco. While in the city, she spent five months swimming alongside Olympic gold medal winner and Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller. Williams caught the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, alongside Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and future five-time co-star Van Johnson in A Guy Named Joe, Williams made a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as "aquamusicals," which featured elaborate performances with synchronised swimming and diving.
Birth Name
Esther Jane Williams
Born
Monday, 08 August 1921
Died
Thursday, 06 June 2013
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Orson Bean Show | Self | 8696 |
| Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies | Self | 2020 |
| Cane Fire | Mimi Bennett in Pagan Love Song | 2020 |
| The Fabulous Allan Carr | Self | 2018 |
| Listen to Me Marlon | Self | 2015 |
| Rock Hudson: Dark and Handsome Stranger | Self | 2010 |
| The Pursuit of Excellence | (archive footage) | 2007 |
| Voces | Eve Barrett | 2006 |
| The Original Mermaid | Herself (archive footage) | 2002 |
| Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 2001 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Orson Bean Show | Self | 8696 |
| Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies | Self | 2020 |
| Cane Fire | Mimi Bennett in Pagan Love Song | 2020 |
| The Fabulous Allan Carr | Self | 2018 |
| Listen to Me Marlon | Self | 2015 |
| Rock Hudson: Dark and Handsome Stranger | Self | 2010 |
| The Pursuit of Excellence | (archive footage) | 2007 |
| Voces | Eve Barrett | 2006 |
| The Original Mermaid | Herself (archive footage) | 2002 |
| Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 2001 |
| Glorious Technicolor | Self | 1998 |
| Inside the Dream Factory | Self | 1995 |
| That's Entertainment! III | Narrator / Self - Co-Host | 1994 |
| MGM: When the Lion Roars | Herself | 1992 |
| One on One with John Tesh | Self | 1991 |
| Burt Reynolds' Conversation With | Self | 1991 |
| Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood | Self | 1987 |
| Biography | Self | 1987 |
| American Masters | Self | 1986 |
| The 58th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Performer | 1986 |
| All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan | Self | 1985 |
| Night of 100 Stars II | Self | 1985 |
| That's Dancing! | Archival footage from 'Bathing Beauty' | 1985 |
| That's Entertainment, Part II | Clip from 'Easy to Love' / (archive footage) | 1976 |
| That's Entertainment! | Clips from 'Bathing Beauty' & 'Million Dollar Mermaid' etc. / (archive footage) | 1974 |
| Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self - film clips / Self (archive footage) | 1972 |
| Magic Fountain | Hyacinth Tower | 1963 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1961 | |
| The Big Show | Hillary Allen | 1961 |
| The Big Party | Self | 1959 |
| Andy Hardy Comes Home | Sheila Brooks (in Clip from "Andy Hardy's Double Life") | 1958 |
| The Garry Moore Show | Self | 1958 |
| The Donna Reed Show | Molly | 1958 |
| Raw Wind in Eden | Laura | 1958 |
| The Unguarded Moment | Lois Conway | 1956 |
| Zane Grey Theatre | Sarah Harmon | 1956 |
| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Self | 1956 |
| The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Self - Swimmer / Self (Award Presenter) | 1956 |
| The Tender Trap | Actress in 'Easy to Love' - Movie on TV | 1955 |
| MGM Parade | Self - Water Ballerina in 'Ziegfeld Follies' | 1955 |
| This Is Your Life | Self - Filmed tribute | 1955 |
| Jupiter's Darling | Amytis | 1955 |
| The Jimmy Durante Show | Self | 1954 |
| Easy to Love | Julie Hallerton | 1953 |
| Person to Person | Self | 1953 |
| Dangerous When Wet | Katie Higgins | 1953 |
| Million Dollar Mermaid | Annette Kellerman | 1952 |
| Omnibus | Self - Presenter (segment) / Self (segment "Advice to Bathers") | 1952 |
| This Is Your Life | Self | 1952 |
| Skirts Ahoy! | Whitney Young | 1952 |
| Callaway Went Thataway | Esther Williams | 1951 |
| Texas Carnival | Debbie Telford | 1951 |
| The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story | (archive footage) | 1951 |
| Pagan Love Song | Mimi Bennett | 1950 |
| Lux Video Theatre | Vicki | 1950 |
| Duchess of Idaho | Christine Riverton Duncan | 1950 |
| The Costume Designer | Self | 1950 |
| What's My Line? | Herself - Mystery Guest / Herself - Guest Panelist | 1950 |
| Neptune's Daughter | Eve Barrett | 1949 |
| Take Me Out to the Ball Game | K.C. Higgins | 1949 |
| Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | Herself | 1948 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Self / Self - Guest Host | 1948 |
| The Milton Berle Show | Self / Self - Actress | 1948 |
| On an Island with You | Rosalind Rennolds | 1948 |
| This Time for Keeps | Leonora 'Nora' Cambaretti / Nora Cambaretti | 1947 |
| Fiesta | Maria Morales | 1947 |
| Till the Clouds Roll By | Esther Williams - Signing Autographs | 1946 |
| Easy to Wed | Connie Allenbury Chandler / Connie Allenbury | 1946 |
| The Hoodlum Saint | Kay Lorrison | 1946 |
| Ziegfeld Follies | Esther Williams ('A Water Ballet') / Esther Williams (segment A Water Ballet) | 1945 |
| Thrill of a Romance | Cynthia Glenn | 1945 |
| Bathing Beauty | Caroline Brooks / Caroline Marie Brooks | 1944 |
| Twenty Years After | (archive footage) | 1944 |
| A Guy Named Joe | Ellen Bright | 1943 |
| Andy Hardy's Double Life | Sheila Brooks | 1942 |
| Inflation | Mrs. Smith / Mary Smith | 1942 |
