I’m a bit late to the party on this one, but I couldn’t leave the occasion unmarked. Last week (on June 6th) swimmer and movie star Esther Williams died in her sleep at the age of 91 in California. I have happy memories of watching re-runs of Esther Williams movies growing up. The first time(…)
Olympic swimmer and later movie star Esther Williams photographed in 1939 “on her way to the 1940 American Olympic Games” aged 17. Just a week before this she broke the national record for the 100 yard breast stroke. She never competed in the Olympics in the end because of the outbreak of World War 2.(…)
The movie-going public adored the image of glitz and glamour presented to them by their favorite Hollywood stars in the first half of the 20th Century, but many of them were hiding dark secrets. The use of illegal (and legal) drugs was widespread and several well-known faces dabbled in narcotics. In some cases drug use(…)
During World War 2 all of the big Hollywood stars posed for pin up photos to raise the morale of the troops. The official US Army magazine was called YANK (is it just me that finds that funny?) Lots of the big silver screen starlets of the time are here: Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Rita(…)
If you’ve never seen an Esther Williams movie, and don’t understand the appeal of a swimming movie – just watch this clip and all will become clear! Wasn’t she wonderful?