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People are voting emotionally.

Memorable, crazy movie

best movie i've ever seen.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Even in films with not-much-to-write-home-about stories (though a good deal of her films are still worth watching), Esther Williams was always watchable and more, with her swimming talent on film second to none. Tom and Jerry are two of my favourite animated characters, as a lifelong fan of animation, and a legendary animated-comic duo. Have always loved musicals too.Williams is captivating in how fetching she is and she radiates in charm, her swimming talent hardly wasted. She has very clear chemistry with Fernando Lamas (though she has had partners with a little more charisma than he), and wonderfully supported by a peppy Barbara Whiting, an energetic Jack Carson and a perfectly cast William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood.'Dangerous When Wet's' highlight is the sequence with Williams and Tom and Jerry, which is simply ingenious in every sense. Very close behind are Whiting's "I Like Men" and the very determined and moving English Channel swim scene.Furthermore, 'Dangerous When Wet' looks great, being beautifully photographed and designed and the colours are rich and colourful. The songs are not exceptional but they are very pleasant and put one in a good mood, but it's the way they're staged that elevate them to a better level.The script is lively and perky enough, while Charles Walters directs competently. The story while meandering a little in pace towards the end makes for by far one of the more eventful, more plausible and more atmospherically warm and likable Esther Williams films.Overall, great fun and charming, anybody who like Williams and Tom and Jerry shouldn't miss it. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Esther Williams plays Katie Higgins in "Dangerous When Wet". She's a member of a family that is nuts for physical fitness and they come to the attention of a slick salesman (Jack Carson) who decides to market them in an upcoming English Channel swimming race. However, shortly before the race, the sponsor, 'Liquapep', decides that the family (apart from Katie) isn't up to the rigors of such a crossing. So, it's up to Katie to try to win it for her family. In the meantime, a very rich and handsome man, André (Fernando Lamas) falls for her and might prove to be a bit of a distraction. What's to happen? See the film."Dangerous When Wet" is different from all the many other Esther Williams films that I have seen because the plot seems to unfold at a much slower pace than her other films. It also is different because, for once, she has a leading man who can keep up with her in the water. Fernando Lamas was a South American swimming champion, and so his swimming scenes with Esther looked awfully good compared to some of other male co-stars. But the important thing is whether it's any good. Overall, I'd have to say yes. The cast is quite good and the finale is awfully well done. Not Williams' best film but one of her better ones.By the way, this film featured a lengthy cartoon sequence where Esther swam with Tom & Jerry. While charming, I actually found it slowed the film down and wasn't necessary.

MGM's resident mermaid Williams gets an ever-so-slightly more challenging part in this musical outing. Often, Williams just did (dazzling) water ballets sprinkled amongst a lot of romantic entanglements and shenanigans. It's much the same here, but at least she gets a chance to do a story that has a few real moments of emotion and even strife. She plays the eldest daughter of an especially healthy farm family who is chosen to swim the English Channel in an international event. Carson plays a relentless promoter while Lamas is a wealthy and charming distraction. The story details Williams and her family undergoing the necessary training and preparation for the big swim, encountering a few hurdles along the way. It culminates in a surprisingly strenuous and moving climax in which a badly exhausted Williams can barely move a muscle in the open sea. Several peppy musical numbers occur throughout the movie including an opening number in which the family begins their daily fitness ritual and an ensemble piece featuring the mother (Greenwood) in a bizarre, wacky, but fun dance routine.There's also a lengthy dream sequence (a major highlight of the film) in which a luminous Williams swims with the famous cartoon characters Tom and Jerry and other animated sea creatures based on the other actors in the film. (Hilariously, Lamas is depicted as an octopus, which aptly sums up the man's on and off screen persona of an insatiable ladies man.) Parts of the film lag a bit as it meanders to it's fairly predictable end, but Carson brings a lot of energy and humor to his role and other cast members provide nice work as well. Lamas and Williams display clear chemistry together, though she maintains that they did not have an affair during the film (just one racy ride home from the studio in which she had her hand under his robe most of the way!) They married about 15 or so years later once he had cooled his libidinous jets somewhat and she was free of her deadbeat second husband. Cruelly, Lamas' formidable body is kept under wraps much of the time. Their only major swimming sequence together is filmed entirely above the water.

For those who haven't seen this one there are, perhaps, a couple of mini-SPOILERS to follow:This bit of fluff opens with the Higgins family, Dad, Mom and their three daughters, rising and shining on the family's farm, for an early morning swim. Esther, the eldest daughter, seems to be reluctantly following the parade to the swimming hole, and the audience is in for a bit of a surprise. Each family executes a dive into a rustic backlot pool until Esther is at water's edge. But she dips a toe in the H2O and decides, naw!, opens the book she's been carrying, and curls up at the water's edge, contentedly immersed in her reading material! When I smiled at this clever way of postponing our expectations, I thought we were in for one of Esther's more rewarding vehicles, and it does have some rather good chuckles in store. Overall, though, it's not up to the best that the mermaid was required to do during her reign as one of M-G-M's box office queens.Some of the better moments include Esther slithering from the amorous clutches of Fernando Lamas (whom she eventually married a few years after this one was filmed) as he croons an insistent love song; Tom and Jerry, M-G-M's animated feline/rodent duo, joining Esther for an underwater ballet (this film's only equivalent of the usually extravagant production numbers in Esther's previous efforts); Denise Darcel, all impenetrable French accent and looking far-too-zaftig to ever be credible as Esther's rival in a crossing-the-English Channel swimming contest (Mlle. Darcel IS funny though!); and Jack Carson once again amusingly embodying a con man with a touch of lechery. Charles Walters directs with his usual lack of distinction and the production values aren't as luxurious as are on display in some other Esther aquacades. Several scenes occur at night, lending a rather dark look to a good portion of the proceedings, in contrast to the normally sunny Technicolor that radiates from the screen when Esther flashes her dazzling smile.As for who wins the Channel swimming contest, do you have to ask?!? I enjoyed its modest ninety-five minute running time and you probably will too.