Million Dollar Mermaid ( The One Piece Bathing Suit ) ( 1,000,000 Dollar Mermaid ($1,000,000 Mermaid) )

Million Dollar Mermaid (DVD) (*)

$22.99

Original Title: The One Piece Bathing Suit
Alternate Title: 1,000,000 Dollar Mermaid ($1,000,000 Mermaid)
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Oscar Academy Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Spanish ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Spain ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
105 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu

Movie filmed in 1952 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Mervyn LeRoy

Written By:
Everett Freeman

Actors:
Esther Williams ..... Annette Kellerman
Victor Mature ..... James Sullivan
Walter Pidgeon ..... Frederick Kellerman
David Brian ..... Alfred Harper
Donna Corcoran ..... Annette Kellerman at age 10
Jesse White ..... Doc Cronnol
Maria Tallchief ..... Pavlova
Howard Freeman ..... Aldrich, Lecture Bureau
Charles Watts ..... Policeman on Revere Beach
Wilton Graff ..... Garvey the Producer
Frank Ferguson ..... Boston Prosecutor
James Bell ..... Boston Judge
James Flavin ..... Train conductor
Willis Bouchey ..... Movie director

Synopsis:

Million Dollar Mermaid tells the story of Australian swimming sensation Annette Kellerman, who overcame childhood polio to go on and achieve fame as a professional swimmer and film star in the early decades of the 20th century. At the same time, she scandalized the world by wearing a one-piece bathing suit on public beaches long before the style was accepted in polite company, and made waves in other ways as well. The story was a perfect vehicle decades later to showcase the star quality of Esther Williams in the 1950s, and Kellerman's moniker was picked up by Life Magazine when it named Ms. Williams the 'Million Dollar Mermaid' herself.

Who else but Esther Williams could star in a romantic drama (with musical numbers) bearing a title like this? In Million Dollar Mermaid, Williams plays Annette Kellerman, a real-life Australian swimming star who took up the sport as a child to strengthen her legs, which were severely weakened by a birth defect. The treatment proves effective, and as she grows to adulthood, Annette shows that she has the talent to be a champion swimmer, though she prefers to follow her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. When Annette's father Frederick (Walter Pidgeon) accepts a position in London teaching music, Annette opts to go with him, and along the way she meets James Sullivan (Victor Mature) and Doc Cronnol (Jesse White), the joint-owners of a boxing kangaroo they intend to exhibit in London. James is already aware of Annette's abilities as a competitive swimmer, and he offers to be her manager and help her earn a living from her aquatic skills. At first Annette isn't interested, but when Frederick's job falls through and she can't find work as a dancer, Annette reluctantly agrees to work with James. He arranges a publicity stunt in which Annette swims 30 miles down the Thames River, which attracts the avid attention of the British press and wins her some work as a dancer. Convinced that the big money is in America, James persuades Annette to travel with him to the U.S., where she creates a scandal in Boston by staging another long swim in a one-piece bathing suit, considered shockingly-revealing at the turn of the Century. The stunt nearly lands Annette in jail, but she escapes the long arm of the law and becomes the star of a water ballet revue. Annette had fallen in love with James, but after an argument, he resigns as her manager and Annette takes up with Alfred Harper (David Brian), the male lead in her show. Annette and Alfred agree to marry while working on a movie together, but James returns on the last day of shooting, determined to win back the heart of the woman he loves. Legendary choreographer Busby Berkeley staged the film's elaborate water-ballet sequences.

Story of the rise to fame of the Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman. Screenplay by Everett Freeman

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 20 July, 2011.

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