Esther Jane Williams
13 min read
Reading time
2,474
Words
Published
60
Film credits
2
Awards
Esther Williams won three U.S. national swimming championships before MGM signed her. She earned the nickname America’s Mermaid for her aqua musicals, including Bathing Beauty 1944 and Million Dollar Mermaid 1952. After aqua musicals declined, she tried dramatic roles in The Unguarded Moment 1956 and The Big Show 1961 without success. She then built a swimwear line and the Esther Williams Pools brand. She died at age 91 in 2013.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Esther Williams — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Esther Williams by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Esther Williams — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Esther Williams won three U.S. national swimming championships by her teenage years. She was born on August 8, 1921 in Inglewood, California, the youngest of five children. Her older sister Maurine became her first swimming coach. She was a favorite for the 1940 Olympic team, but the games were canceled due to World War II. While working as a stock girl at I. Magnin in Los Angeles, a talent scout spotted her.
Williams made her film debut in Andy Hardy’s Double Life 1942 as Mickey Rooney’s love interest and received her first screen kiss from him. MGM created a special sub-genre for her called Aqua Musicals, and her first swimming role was in Bathing Beauty 1944. She starred in splashy spectacles like Million Dollar Mermaid 1952 with Victor Mature and Walter Pidgeon. After aqua musicals declined, she took dramatic roles in The Unguarded Moment 1956 and The Big Show 1961, but neither succeeded. She retired from films in the 1960s, returning for That’s Entertainment! III 1994 to discuss her MGM days. She also built a swimwear line and the Esther Williams Pools brand and appeared on television.
Williams married four times: to Dr. Leonard Lee Kovner 1940-1944, singer-actor Ben Gage 1945-1959 with whom she had three children Benjamin, Kimball, and Susan, to actor Fernando Lamas 1969-1982 becoming stepmother to Lorenzo Lamas, and to Edward Michael Bell 1994-2013, whom she met at the 1984 Olympic Games. She strongly supported the Republican Party and endorsed several presidential candidates. Her 1999 autobiography revealed details about her affair with actor Jeff Chandler and her experience with LSD under a doctor’s supervision after Cary Grant recommended it.
Esther Williams popularized synchronized swimming through her film career. The International Swimming Hall of Fame inducted her in 1966, and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. The Esther Williams Pools brand continues her name. Turner Classic Movies honored her with a day of her filmography on her 100th birthday in 2021. Fans remember her as America’s Mermaid for bringing aquatic entertainment to millions.
The complete filmography of Esther Williams — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Esther Williams — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Esther Williams — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Was Called America’s Mermaid, Because It Appeared That I Could Stay Underwater Indefinitely.
All They Ever Did for Me at MGM Was Change My Leading Man and the Water in My Pool.
No One Had Ever Done a Swimming Movie Before so We Just Made It up as We Went Along. I Ad-libbed All My Own Underwater Movements.
I Don’t Know to This Day How I Managed to Fit into Those Bathing Suits When I Was Pregnant, but I Did.
The Popular Andy Hardy Series Movies Were MGM’s Tests for Its Promising Stars Such as Judy Garland, Lana Turner and Donna Reed. If You Didn’t Make It in Those Pictures, You Were Never Heard from Again.
MGM Made Money off Me, but They Never Understood the Art Form. Not Until the Fifth Picture Did I Even Get a Choreographer.
When I First Started Swimming, Not Many Girls Participated in the Sport. They Either Didn’t Want to Get Their Hair Wet or Wanted to Go Out on Friday Nights Instead of Going to a Meet. but as a Result of the Popularity of the Water Ballet, Pretty Girls Began to Swim.
Little-known facts about Esther Williams — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Her 1999 autobiography revealed that her one-time lover Jeff Chandler was obsessed with dressing in women’s clothing, which angered many readers. The book also revealed she took LSD under a doctor’s supervision after Cary Grant recommended it.
Aquatic filming had its dangers: she once broke three neck vertebrae in a dive, suffered several broken eardrums, nearly drowned when she couldn’t find an underwater trapdoor, was almost mutilated by an out-of-control outrigger, and was nearly overcome by waves while shooting pregnant in Cypress Gardens, Florida.
She served as an advisor to the International Olympic Committee at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for the new sport of synchronized swimming.
As the youngest of five children, her oldest sister Maurine was more of a mother to her and became her first swimming coach. She stated that her mother Bula tried to get rid of her while pregnant by horseback riding and jumping off a chest of drawers.
She was cremated and her ashes scattered at sea in the Pacific Ocean.
Irwin Allen offered her roles in both The Poseidon Adventure 1972 and The Towering Inferno 1974, but she turned them down.
Her son Kimball suffered a motorcycle accident that shattered both legs; he had to relearn to walk and died at age 57 in May 2008.
She was born in Los Angeles, the youngest of five children. Her family moved to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City after actress Marjorie Rambeau discovered her older brother Stanton and brought him to Hollywood. Stanton died suddenly at 16 from intestinal blockage.
Before MGM, she trained as a competitive swimmer and would have participated in the 1940 and 1944 Olympics if not canceled due to WWII.
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street on February 8, 1960.
MGM’s Louis B. Mayer pursued her as an answer to 20th Century-Fox’s Sonja Henie. She won her contract after a screen test with Clark Gable.
In honor of her 100th birthday on August 8, 2021, Turner Classic Movies honored her with a day of her filmography.
She once worked as a stock girl for I. Magnin in Los Angeles.
She won the national championship in the 100-meter freestyle, making her a favorite for the 1940 Olympic team.
Second husband Ben Gage was a Big Band vocalist who dubbed for Victor Mature and others. They had three children.
Her first job at age eight was counting towels at a local swimming pool.
She had three children: Benjamin 1949, Kimball 1950, and Susan 1953.
In the 1950s, she earned the nickname America’s Mermaid.
She lent her name to Esther Williams Pools, still sold today.
She claimed the water was her favorite co-star. She practiced in the ocean and won a spot on the LA Athletic Club swim team, occasionally opposite Johnny Weissmuller.
Stepmother of Lorenzo Lamas.
Her movie career popularized synchronized swimming.
She was inducted into the Swimming Pool Hall of Fame in 1967.
She filed a lawsuit against MGM for unauthorized use of footage in That’s Entertainment! 1974.
She miscarried her first child with Ben Gage in September 1946 at four months.
She received her first screen kiss from Mickey Rooney in Andy Hardy’s Double Life 1942.
She stated her favorite film was Ziegfeld Girl 1941.
In 2003, she co-produced Aquaria, a Las Vegas water spectacle.
She had two grandchildren from son Ben and one from daughter Susie.
She met her fourth husband, Edward Michael Bell, at the 1984 Olympics.
She and teammate Virginia Hopkins were to take part in the 1940 Olympics.
She belonged to the Unity Church.
She made her screen test at MGM with Clark Gable for Somewhere I’ll Find You.
She supported the Republican Party, appearing with Virginia Mayo at the 1953 Republican Rally and endorsing Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, McCain, Romney.
She returned to work seven months after giving birth to Susan to begin Jupiter’s Darling 1955.
She was three months pregnant with Benjamin when completing Neptune’s Daughter 1949.
She was four months pregnant with Kimball when completing Pagan Love Song 1950.
She was three months pregnant with Susan when completing Easy to Love 1953.
She’d dreamt of competing in the 1940 Olympics.
She met first husband Leonard Kovner while a student at USC.
She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1966.
Hobbies included cooking, singing, dining, fishing, traveling, spending time with family, sailing, reading, petting animals, dancing, and swimming.
She was the youngest of five children: Stanton, June, Maurine, David.
She made her screen test at MGM with Clark Gable.
Her first and last films at MGM were Bathing Beauty and Jupiter’s Darling, both directed by George Sydney.
She had three stepchildren from Lamas: Cristina, Alexandra, Lorenzo.
She was the sister of Stanton Williams.
She was the grandstepmother of Shayne Lamas and A.J. Lamas.
She returned to work two months after giving birth to Benjamin to begin Duchess of Idaho 1950.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Esther Williams.
Celebrities similar to Esther Williams — same craft, ranked by reach.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
🇦🇹 Austria
🇨🇳 China
🇺🇸 United States
🇨🇦 Canada
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇺🇸 United States
🇮🇹 Italy
🇺🇸 United States
