Bathing Beauty
(1944) 102 minutes, color

Steve Elliott (Red Skelton) is a songwriter who has fallen in love with beautiful Caroline (Esther Williams). Steve wants to marry Caroline and write symphonies instead of the popular "boogie-woogie" songs he is currently employed to write. When Steve's boss George Adams (Rathbone) hears this, he panics. Adams desperately needs Steve's songs for a water pageant he is producing, so he sabotages Steve's romance with Caroline. Adams hires a woman to pretend to be Steve's wife; she shows up at Steve's wedding with three small red-headed boys in tow. Caroline believes the lie and leaves.

Rathbone and Jacqueline Dalya

Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone, and Jacqueline Dalya

Adams advises Steve to bury himself in his music: "In times of stress, work is the only solution." But Steve is a man in love. He finds out that Caroline has gone back to her job at Victoria College, a women's college, in New Jersey. Steve goes to see her, but isn't allowed in. He's told that the only men allowed in are parents and teachers.

Not one to give up, Steve learns of a charter for Victoria College allows male students, so he applies to be a student. Red Skelton as the only male student at a women's college is a situation that allows Red to show off his comedic skills. He performs a classic pantomime skit showing the girls how a girl wakes up, gets dressed and puts on make-up. In another hilarious skit, Steve dons a pink tutu and joins the girls in their ballet class. There are also musical numbers disguised as "Music Class." Harry James and his Music Makers even play in one music class at this women's college! (No one is claiming that this is a realistic scenario. Just enjoy it.) Hit Parade organist and "Empress of the Hammond" Ethel Smith also plays a couple of lively numbers.

While Steve is at the women's college, Caroline continues to spurn him, and George Adams presses him to finish the score for the water ballet. Steve says that he hasn't been able to write anything since he met Caroline. He threatens to strangle whoever put the woman with the three boys up to lying at his wedding. Steve is determined to stay at the college until he wins back the love of his life.

The Dean of Victoria College involves Caroline in a plot to keep Steve Elliott out after hours, so that  she'll have an excuse to expel him. Caroline doesn't want to deceive Steve, but reluctantly agrees. They go to a club where Harry James is playing. While Steve talks and dances with Caroline, she warms up to him again.

Driving back to the college, Caroline tells Steve about the plot to expel him for being out after hours.  "I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you all over again," she confesses.  They plan to pack their bags and leave. Caroline agrees to come to his room later and help him pack. 

A zany comedy scene plays out in Steve's room, which involves him hiding women from Caroline, and trying to hide himself from a student's parents. George Adams and Carlos are there, too. One of the women hiding in Steve's closet is Maria, the woman who pretended to be Steve's wife. Caroline discovers her and screams. The student's parents watch, appalled, as Caroline breaks a picture frame over Steve's head, and several girls ride out of a closet on a multi-seat tandem bicycle. Carlos is on the last seat, playing his guitar and singing.

Back in George Adam's office Steve says, "I've ruined everything. I've embarrassed the Dean, disgraced Victoria College, and caused Caroline to lose her job." Adams still needs Steve to write songs for the water pageant. Steve agrees to write the songs if Adams will star Caroline in the pageant. 

Red Skelton and Rathbone

Red Skelton, Esther Williams, and Rathbone

The final scene is the much-discussed water pageant. Just before it starts, Caroline learns the truth about the wedding sabotage, and forgives Steve. The water pageant is a splendid swimming extravaganza in a pool replete with fountains and flames. Caroline and a bevy of bathing beauties swim to a montage of Straus waltzes. (I wonder what happened to the songs Steve was supposed to write?) The film ends with George Adams jumping into the pool to escape Steve Elliott, who has learned that Adams ruined Steve's wedding with Caroline.

The original working title of the film was "Mr. Coed," a title that focused on Red Skelton. After the film was finished, it was previewed in theaters, and the audiences loved the swimming numbers. The studio changed the title to "Bathing Beauty" to shift the focus to Esther Williams. Esther shared top billing with Red Skelton.

Esther Williams wrote in her book The Million Dollar Mermaid that the 90 by 90 foot pool built on Sound Stage 30 for the final swim number cost $250,000.  The 25-foot deep pool "had all kinds of special effects equipment for underwater fountains and geysers and fireworks, not to mention a central pedestal on a hydraulic lift." (p. 110*)

 "Te Quiero Juste" ("Magic is the Moonlight"), sung by baritone Carlos Ramfont>rez, became Esther's signature song. Esther Williams was lovely both in and out of the water in this, her first swimming film. "Bathing Beauty" was a success at the box office, and launched a series of swimming musicals starring Esther Williams.