Original studio art from the Easy to Love (1953) poster
If there's one channel I want in HD, it's Turner Classic Movies. I often lose hours of my day on the weekends to films I have or haven't seen. Its all the same to me. My affinity for this channel among hundreds explains my "drop everything" attitude when packages that contain new to DVD catalog titles arrive.
The scene from Easy to Love (1953)
I love the westerns, capers, and crime movies, as well as some of the musicals. The bunch of song and dance shows that I've always found most compulsively watchable are what I considered the Desperate Gimmick pack, where all kinds of ridiculous things happen: aerial pyramids on plane wings, skiiing stunts, ice skating, and of course the Esther Williams signature aquatic ballet.
Fiesta (1947) features the great Ricardo Montalban as Esther's Matador twin brother. She has to take his place, since they look so alike!
Depending on the particular one you catch, they're the crazy stunt pictures of the day. Esther rarely if ever used a stunt double, and as a result, injured herself pretty seriously on occasion. The most notable instance of her tempting fate was the 115-foot dive in The Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) that broke her neck and put her in a body cast for the better part of a year.
A favorite shot composition from Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
The TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams Volume 2 set includes six Williams-starring vehicles that have never been on DVD, all notable for one reason or another. Each disc features an animated short coupled with a live action short, one of the things I've been spoiled with on WB vintage titles.
A silhouette dance number from This Time For Keeps (1947)
The kind of dance number (and hips) you never see anymore from Pagan Love Song (1950), which co-stars Howard Keel.
A couple of Tom & Jerry shorts, a Droopy Dog, and three Tex Avery shorts can be found along with some terrific live-action (including three "Pete Smith Specialty" ones) are only the beginning of the extras included. Here's a rundown of the included goodies:
Thrill of a Romance
Passing Parade live-action short The Great American Mug
Wild & Woolfy animated Tex Avery short
3 Outtake (cut) Musical Sequences
Theatrical Trailer
Fiesta
Passing Parade live-action short Goodbye, Miss Turlock
Hound Hunters animated Tex Avery short
Theatrical Trailer
This Time for Keeps
Pete Smith Specialty live-action short Now You See It*
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse** animated Tom & Jerry short
1 Outtake Song
Theatrical Trailer
Pagan Love Song
Pete Smith Specialty live-action short Curious Contests
The Chump Champ animated Droopy Dog short
7 Outtake (cut) Musical Sequences
2 Versions of 2 Songs
Theatrical Trailer
Million Dollar Mermaid
Pete Smith Specialty live-action short Reducing
The Wise Little Quacker animated Tom & Jerry short
Radio Show with Esther Williams and Walter Pidgeon (Audio only)
Theatrical Trailer
Easy to Love
Vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalk Short Romantic Riviera
Cobs & Robbers animated Tex Avery short
Theatrical Trailer
Thrill of a Romance (1945) played Esther's "civilian" husband against the handsome, virtuous soldier returning from WWII
The transfers on the films themselves are all excellent, up to and exceeding the same standard to which Warner has held all of their early Technicolor titles. The trailers and supplemental short films range from SD-TV quality to super-clean. The TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams Collection Volume 2 hit the street on October 6th, and Amazon currently has it for $41.99. For a six-DVD, six-movie set, that breaks down to about $7 a movie.
