Trivia of Esther Williams

Trivia of Esther Williams (8 August 1921 - 6 June 2013)

*Williams started swimming at an early age and quickly distinguished herself for her speed. By 16 she was winning national championships, and by 19 she had shattered records for breast stroke and freestyle. Williams planned on competing in the 1940 Tokyo Olympics, but the event was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II.

*While working in Aquacade, Williams co-starred with Olympic swimmer and actor Johnny Weissmuller. Later, in her memoir, Williams spilled the tea about her heartthrob co-star. Williams wrote that Weissmuller was constantly trying to seduce her, but the Tarzan portrayer’s ape-like attempts at courtship didn’t impress Williams.She ended up turning him down—repeatedly. Besides, Williams had her eye on someone much more dependable than a Hollywood actor.

*MGM's Louis B. Mayer claims he pursued Esther as an answer to 20th Century-Fox's box-office ice-skating film star Sonja Henie. Esther won her contract after making a screen test with Clark Gable for movie "Somewhere I'll Find You".

*The name of one of her most popular films, Million Dollar Mermaid would stick with her as a nickname for the rest of her life.Williams portrayed Annette Kellermann, a real-life Australian swimming and diving star. Williams co-starred with Victor Mature. The 1952 film was a major hit and earned an Academy Award Nomination for Best Cinematography. The nickname also stuck because as her fame grew in the 1940s and 1950s, so too did her income.

*Many of her MGM films, such as Million Dollar Mermaid and Jupiter's Darling, contained elaborately staged synchronized swimming scenes, with considerable risk to Williams. She broke her neck filming a 115 ft dive off a tower during a climactic musical number for the film Million Dollar Mermaid and was in a body cast for seven months. She subsequently recovered, although she continued to suffer headaches as a result of the accident. Her many hours spent submerged in a studio tank resulted in ruptured eardrums numerous times. She also nearly drowned after not being able to find the trapdoor in the ceiling of a tank. The walls and ceiling were painted black and the trapdoor blended in. Williams was pulled out only because a member of the crew realized the door was not opening.

*Her memoir explains that the time period around 1959 was a dark time for her.She had recently gotten a divorce, she suffered from alcoholism and exhaustion, and she found herself in an increasingly fragile mental state. She eventually retired from film.

*Later in her life, Williams helped to create a line of retro-style swimwear like the kind she wore in her hit films. This business, as well as the pool company named after her, helped to keep her busy until her death.