Esther Williams

Esther Jane Williams (born August 8, 1921, although some sources incorrectly cite 1922) is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star. Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records before she turned 20. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, Williams joined Billy Rose's Aquacade, where she caught the attention of MGM scouts. Through the 1940s and early 1950s, Williams made a series of films known as 'aquamusicals,' which featured elaborate performances with synchronized swimming and diving. These films often paired Williams with popular MGM male stars, such as Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalbán and Howard Keel. Williams left MGM in 1956 and appeared in a handful of unsuccessful feature films, followed by several extremely popular television specials, including one from Cypress Gardens, Florida. Since her retirement from film in the 1960s, Williams has become a businesswoman, lending her name to a line of swimming pools and retro swimwear, instructional swimming videos for children, and serving as a commentator for synchronized swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.