Bathing Beauty (1944) [Warner Archive Blu-ray review]

Bathing Beauty is an early case of an emerging talent overpowering the assumed lead. What was originally made to be a Red Skelton college comedy was reworked by MGM into being marketed as an Esther Williams vehicle. Even in the 1940s, the idea of a man having to act like a woman was considered passe. Although, there were limited drag incursions, the majority of the film is dedicated to the lead man forcing his way back in Williams’ life. Seriously, Bathing Beauty opens on industry types conspiring to make it look like Red Skelton is a womanizing scumbag. Naturally, this ends up in a Sister Act style adjacent plot involving a women’s college.

Let’s explain Red Skelton to the youth

Red Skelton was a comedian from a different age. Naturally, that will annoy a great deal of people and leave the others indifferent. Like most of his era, he was big on Broadway, Vaudeville and the usual Golden Age films. Then, he started breaking into mainstream attention with a series of comedies. This was all before he had his big famous bow with his own television show. Did I mention he was a famous painter too? Well, this is all a long winded way of saying he didn’t have much to do in Bathing Beauty.

The movie itself wasn’t that complex and basically followed a sitcom premise of trying to get a woman to do what he wants. All the while, his former producer lurks in the wings to make him stick to his contract. While it was fresh in the 1940s, this schtick was old by the time I Love Lucy came to an end. Bathing Beauty might not reinvent the wheel, but it asks you to buy into Red Skelton being capable enough to carry the festivities. And to that I say, kinda.

If the Depression was in the immediate rear view and your relatives were dying in WWII, you’d want a musical too

When discussing classic cinema, I feel it is warranted to frame the work. Bathing Beauty could have easily been forgotten by time. However, the only thing to real stand the test of time in Bathing Beauty is the water ballet finale. After all, there’s a reason why they renamed the movie and put the focus on Esther Williams. You also have to wonder how much the movie impressed Jim Henson and Mel Brooks since “The Great Muppet Caper” and “Blazing Saddles” lifted so much from it.

Bathing Beauty was well received upon release with it becoming a major hit in France after the end of WWII. But, it quickly fell off and Skelton used elements of piecemeal in other movies.

Women were considered talking props in films until about the mid 60s

I love saying stuff like that, because I always get angry anonymous contact forms were some yahoo tries to yell the dissertation back at me. Most female lead roles of this time to the mid 1960s were either melodramatic, matronly or given the same underpinnings as Rin Tin Tin. Now, I said “most” and not “all”. For every actress that couldn’t break through that glass ceiling while others were made to polish it, there were those mavericks. But, you are not going to find them in a swimming picture.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just indicative of the material. Oscar Winners don’t make stoner comedies and pro athletes don’t make Hamlet. Everyone plays to their own strengths.

Esther Williams is not a good actress

Bad movie historians have spent decades dunking on Esther Williams. Honestly, it’s no different than when they got after any athlete trying to branch out of the familiar. Bathing Beauty was a star making role for Esther Williams, while also typecasting her a bit. Most times typecasting feels unfair, but as people who watch most of her work…swimming is her life. Sure, Elvis was allowed to do other things. But even he was treated as a hip swinging Ken doll being moved from location to location.

However, it’s a movie about the power of swimming and industry ties. Solve the marriage issue, the work issue and throw in a swimming sequence and you’ve got a movie. But, Bathing Beauty has to fill in the rest with an attempt to merge Skelton’s jokes with Williams’ lack of acting experience. The result is well…this.

What did Warner Archive do for the Bathing Beauty Blu-ray?

Bathing Beauty comes to Blu-ray from Warner Archive with a stacked release. The TCM Private Screenings feature alongside the classic MGM cartoon are pretty great. Plus, you get an original MGM short from the period and a trailer. I love this stuff, so it’s an instant win for me.

Now, the A/V Quality really pops off with a lush technicolor restoration within that gorgeous 1080p transfer. Warner Archive continues to keep things lively with a DTS-HD 2.0 mono track stays true to the original audio alongside its ability to keep things clean and upfront. I’d recommend this winner from Warner Archive.

Bathing Beauty is now on Warner Archive Blu-ray and available at MovieZyng

88

Buy Bathing Beauty from our friends and partners

MovieZyng