Professor Pfinklepfunder's $1 Sunday Films
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
With Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon
Not Rated, 115 minutes
The days of swimming pictures popularized by Esther Williams have been gone for decades, but this musical/loose biopic remains exceedingly charming in its depictions of the life of Annette Kellerman (Williams), an Australian swimmer, diver, and performer who became an international sensation in the early 20th century. After overcoming a physical disability with the aid of swimming, Kellerman rose to fame as a vaudeville and aquatic star. In doing so, she defied social conventions and restrictive ideas about women's bodies and athleticism—most famously by popularizing the one-piece bathing suit. With gorgeous set pieces choreographed by Busby Berkeley, Million Dollar Mermaid shows how Kellerman navigated fame, romance, and personal setbacks, ultimately becoming a symbol of independence, strength, and modern womanhood.