Esther Williams
born: 08-08-1921
birth place: Inglewood, California
Esther Williams, swimming star and actress, picked up three national swimming championships by the time she was sixteen and only missed out on Olympic glory thanks to World War II.
However, Esther’s beauty made her an instant modelling star and it wasn’t long before she caught the attention of legendary showman Billy Rose.
Esther starred as Aquabelle Number 1 in the elaborate musical - The Aquacade- which featured hundreds of swimmers and special effects.
Following her water-born antics she went on to star opposite Mickey Rooney in ‘Double Life’ in 1942. However, Esther was never far away from water and ‘Bathing Beauty’ became Hollywood's first swimming movie.
A string of successful musicals followed and by the end of World War II, Williams was a pinup favourite with returning Gl’s. Esther remained America's sweetheart for more than 18 years, appearing in 26 movies from the early 1940's to the end of the '5Os.
When she wasn’t swimming, Esther found time to marry three times – the last being to last to Fernando Lamas who made a name for himself as Hollywood’s Latin lover in the 1950s.
The romance between Fernando and the million-dollar mermaid Esther has recently been richly chronicled in her best-selling autobiography.
