The Million Dollar Mermaid

by Esther Williams, Digby Diehl

During Hollywood's heyday, big studios battled over the next box-office attraction. While Gene Kelly danced and Judy Garland sang, Esther Williams swam into the heart of America with her dazzling smile, stunning aquabatics, and whole-some appeal. Hand-picked for stardom by movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, Esther shed her wide-eyed innocence at what she affectionately calls University MGM, a unique educational institution where sex appeal and glamour were taught, a school where idols were born. Once a national swimming champion and struggling salesgirl, overnight she became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. And though fame came quickly, Esther's personal life was often less than joyous. Through troubled marriages, cross-dressing lovers, financial bankruptcy, she shares the ups and downs of her extraordinary career in The Million Dollar Mermaid, a wildly entertaining behind-the-scenes account of one of Tinseltown's classic dream factories.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Film, Womens

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 1999

About the author

Esther Jane Williams was a competitive swimmer and actress. As a teenager, Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records, and had planned to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics but it was cancelled because of the outbreak of WWII. While performing in an aquacade (a swimming and diving show set to music), she caught the eye of Hollywood. She made several "aquamusical" films in the 1940s and 1950s. Williams was also a successful businesswoman; investing in several businesses and lending her name to a line of retro-style swimsuits.

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon watching "That's Entertainment" my then-nine-year-old daughter excitedly called me at my work asking that I check out every book and movie featuring Esther Williams that the library owned. I assured her that I would, wondering if our small town library would have ANYTHING about Esther Williams. To my surprise I found a movie or two and this autobiography. Later that night I asked my daughter how the book was going. She had plowed through the forward and gave me a fairly complete narration of it. At that point I thought to myself, "I'd better pre-screen this book." I began reading it after every one was in bed and couldn't put it down. I was very glad to remove the burden of it's contents from my pre-tween but found it to be very compelling and even hopeful. The author's indominatable spirit, resilience, and sound moral values saw her through the many difficulties and triumphs of her life and career. For those curious about the Hollywood machine of that era it is most interesting. Her films have been re-released in two collector's editions.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me why I don't read many autobiographies, which isn't to say that it's bad. It's actually fairly likeable. I'm a sucker for anything having to do with Old Hollywood (and you really have to use the caps, I'm sorry) and the insider scoop is interesting. Still, sometimes you get a little weary of the running litany of everything that she knew better than everyone else, all the snap-on judgment calls, all the shrewd business moves, the cads she sidestepped on the way to fame...all the requisite autobiographical preening. Some of the conversations feel a bit scripted, though I suppose when you're reflecting on events and interactions from long ago, you're bound to do a little rewriting of the screenplay of your life. Still, if even half of what she says is true, there is more than enough to retain a reader's interest. Also, one has to give her credit--I was only a lukewarm Esther Williams fan before, but now I find myself having a strong desire to go back and watch some of those movies again now that I have an idea of what went into making them. Since swimming movies were really a new concept, a lot of innovative camera and makeup techiques were created as a result of the trial and error from filming them, and since very few people could do what she could do she was basically her own stuntwoman and often took her life in her hands to "swim pretty" as she put it, and carry off some of the elaborate Busby extravaganzas. As someone who has a lot of respect for movie history, I have to appreciate that.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing woman. Easily one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Fascinating insights into that Golden Era of MGM, as well as some of its icons that Esther worked with. I had no idea that Gene Kelly was so rude though. He was very cruel to her. Anyway, I'd recommend this book, hands down, to anyone.

[Scott Fuchs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esther Williams aside, this book deals extensively with behind the camera M-G-M, and the horrors of the studio system,including an amazing story of Joan Crawford on an empty soundstage.
A different kind of fun is in sharing what two of her husbands had in common.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

What kept me reading were the details about Williams's competitive swimming, the logistics of her underwater choreography, and the gossip (of which I believe about 64%).

What irritated me as I kept reading were many: Williams's constant contradictions about herself, MGM, and the world around her (she was constantly painting herself as both the victim and the hero of this story, but I didn't feel she had any real self-awareness to be either, it was only what suited the anecdote); the self-important way she continued to place herself -- her personal struggles and her professional struggles -- alongside other (much) more famous actresses (she really, really needed the reader to know that she kept company with Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly); and the dialogue -- oh, Jesus, the dialogue!

I don't know whose fault the dialogue was, hers or Digby Diehl's, but their editor should have stepped in (and the editor also should have clarified to Williams the definition of "ironic"). But whoever was responsible should be pelted with Crayons because this dialogue is bad. Like, bad.

And of course autobiographies can be embellished with dialogue, and of course the reader is aware that the dialogue in an autobiography is an approximation (who can remember what they said forty years ago? I can't remember what I said ten minutes ago. seriously.) But come on, Esther! She writes herself these bits of dialogue that are stilted and self-aggrandizing, and she always has the last word. I actually laughed out loud during some of her bits.

I wish she'd spent more time talking about her work with the Olympics, and I wish she'd had more than one-note; the voice she uses to tell the story doesn't give her much of a character arc or any real emotional journey. But it's fun to know some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, and you can laugh at how important she thinks she is (but how much of a jerk she is, too: I did not feel okay about her Jeff Chandler anecdote), and then be a bit disappointed that she didn't hire a real biographer instead of trying to write this herself.

[Kiyoko · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that reminded me of an MGM movie: name dropping for promotion, rehearsed scripts on a well-used theme, juicy gossip. All of the photos in the book were staged publicity shots. There were no snapshots of her real life, mirroring the way the book was written. Just chapters of carefully worded publicity fodder.

I enjoyed the details of how the swimming sequences of her movies were made, yet I did not appreciate the continuous ramble about how horrible her relationships became over time. Esther stalwartly remained in them as the heroine victim, passing off responsibility for all her personal and financial woes to the men whom she allowed to control her. Perhaps it was because MGM contracts compelled her to do exactly as they wished, no matter what the price, so the shackles in her mind extended to every aspect of her life. I felt sorry for her, that she could not seem to learn anything from the experiences she went through.

I just didn't like the book. 2 stars.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esther just died this June, and I always wondered what her backstory was. It was interesting. I enjoy old classic movies, and I know some of the stories of the stars during the old studio days. What I found most interesting was that she didn't get the chance to participate in the Olympics because of Hitler and the war. I'm glad her talent was captured on film as she pineered water choreograpy and underwater staging. Like so many other actors, she was continually surrounded by people that siphoned off her money and took advantage of her. Overall, I think she was a good hardworking person, but I'm sorry she didn't have a stronger faith to help her make decisions. ONe last note: I always thought Fernando Lamas was good looking, but now that I know more about him I think I'll stick with Davey Jones. I haven't read his biography yet.

[Candy Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting autobiography. After reading We Came here to Shine by Susie OrmanSchnall, I was fascinated by the Aquacade of the 1939 world’s fair. Learning that Schnall based one of the characters on Esther Williams and made reference to Million Dollar Mermaid I decided to check it out. So very glad I did.
The book tells so many things that Williams went through to produce her swimming movies and her personal life.

[D.M. Dutcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't read this if you have any fondness or nostalgia for the golden age of Hollywood, because this book destroys it and pours salt over the ruins. Johnny Weissmuller, of Tarzan fame? Liked to show off his genitalia and try to repeatedly molest a young Esther when the two of them starred together. Her husbands? All fine at the first, all uniformly terrible at the end. Marlene Dietrech? Shocked a young Esther by showing up in the nude. Lana Turner? Liked to hit herself with a knotted roped and egged her lover to beat her. Virtually every male in this book is some form of insufferable prick when they aren't an alcoholic, lothario, or dead. The women only fare slightly better.

Ordinarily you'd really dislike Esther Williams for this, but her life seems so sad that I found I couldn't. There are times when I think the real woman comes through, times like when she mourns the brother she loved and who died young. Or times when she realizes that she's simply not there to be any kind of real actor; instead, she's showing up to be a swimmer, a pin-up girl, a star in formulaic movies that are just there to make money. There's no shortage of sorrow in her life, and I don't think it's entirely due to Esther's own personality or personal failings.

It makes for a depressing read, especially considering Esther's career centered around light, fluffy, mostly happy films. I don't think I could really watch the titular film, Million Dollar Mermaid, knowing that it nearly killed her by breaking her neck from a wrong dive. Behind all those alluring romantic comedies apparently was a lot of grit, grime, and pain. It makes for a depressing read when you're expecting a light one. Sometimes you wonder if she would have been happier never even bothering with Hollywood.

[Geneil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Julie Andrews' autobiography Home last year, and now this one, and I have decided not to read celebrities' autobiographies anymore. I hoped that stardom fifty years ago wasn't as harsh, indecent, and sad as it generally seems to be now, but I guess that was foolish of me. I started skipping parts about halfway through this book, because I just don't want to know... I have enjoyed the movies these women made for years, and reading their autobiographies only makes me feel so very sad for them! I'm glad that I read the end; she learned a lot and makes some good points about seeing things through, giving life your best, and never giving up.

But I am so glad that I am myself, that I have the gospel, that I'm not an actress living with the people of Hollywood, that I have my family and my life! Reading this book was a good reminder of those things.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do I REALLY think that almost every male who met Esther Williams had the hots for her and tried to rape her? No. Do I really think that MGM BEGGED her to be in their movies? No.

She sure does have a high opinion of herself.

[Allyson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. I cannot believe the way Williams threw her children away for a conceited man who told her point blank that he wanted her all for himself and refused to share her with her children. Ick. I quickly got rid of the book and have not been a fan of her since.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to think that I share some connection with Esther Williams since we have the same birthday... how mystical. So some time ago, I bought her biography, not sure what to expect. I love Old Hollywood and am well aware that underneath its pristine image lurked seriously messed up things, all the more shocking than today because of the wholesome image stars would present to the public. And for the most part, Esther, it seems, did not fall prey to that duality - though don't get me wrong, she certainly had her exploits and affairs, but not as many as some stars. Word to the wise: Hollywood is Hollywood, what do you expect?

From the beginning (doing LSD!) it seemed she had smarts and knew well how to handle bosses that probably had more in mind for her than just a dip in the pool. She comes across as very self assured, even in her moments where she is at her lowest.

Esther had a unique perspective in the fact that she was more of a (for lack of better word) "vehicle" actor and did not necessarily live in the upper echelon of stars, but she frequently travelled through their territory. She could tell stories about them without having had been romantically entangled and therefore biased. As promised, there are several juicy stories in here, but what I enjoyed reading about most was the whole "MGM" system/family of manufacturing stars.

Don't get me wrong - Esther was a good actress and she certainly worked for her fame in and out of the pool. But most of her movies revolved around swimming and most came for the signature spectacle. It was frustrating to hear her describe how she wanted to break free of that and was met with roadblocks. However, as usual , she noted in her book that you don't fix something unless it's broken. Esther had a good thing going, and she milked it for all its worth in a good way.

Overall, Esther portrays herself as an independent woman who worked hard, even through personal and financial difficulties, and that's what I liked the most. She's frequently problem solving and I took her relationships with men as a warning - both parties need to pull their weight, and unfortunately Esther wound up pulling all the weight in most of hers! I would have been interested in a little bit more of her spiritual life - "religious science" wasn't very clear to me? It's not clear what Not only does she have Hollywood gossip, but her involvement in sports is noted, and I wondered towards the end what would have happened had she had the chance to go to the Olympics instead of becoming a movie star.

In short, I think this would be a great book for an airplane read, and definitely for any Old Hollywood buff. Esther's role and effect in the 40s and 50s cinema shouldn't be ignored!

[Sarah Andreotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge Esther Williams fan, but I like her films well enough to be interested in her autobiography when I saw it at my library while searching for books for the summer #classicfilmreading challenge at the Out of the Past blog.
This was probably the most gossipy autobiography I have ever read. So much so, that a lot (most?) of it seems over-the-top made up. By the time I finished the book, I could count on one hand how many people she actually liked in Hollywood. All of the men wanted to sleep with her or disliked her, the women were jealous or disliked her, the directors were awful, and on and on and on. Any time she had a confrontation with someone, she always reported her quick comeback that shut them up, but they didn't sound believable to me. They sounded more like the perfect replies you would come up with after spending 5 years of sleepless nights replaying the scenario over and over in your head- which is likely what they were because by the time she wrote this book, quite a few of these people she didn't like had passed away and couldn't discredit her. Because of the gossip quality and her obvious embellishing of the facts, I couldn't believe much of the book. I'm actually disappointed I spent the time reading it, because I didn't learn as much as I would've liked and I had other books I wanted to get to. The parts about how they set up the swimming shots and how they captured them all on film was interesting, so that was one positive.
I'd only recommend it so you can see what I mean about the un-truthiness level of this book. I wouldn't read this one again and I'm happy to return it to the library tomorrow.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this to read later but the day it came in the mail I started skimming and had a hard time putting it down.
She tried LSD therapy after reading Cary Grant’s praises of it in Life magazine. She saw her body as half hers and half her dead brother’s and realized she was trying to take his place with her parents.
She was a young swimmer who couldn’t go to the Olympics because they weren’t held in 1940 due to W.W.II.
She started in water shows with Johnnie Weismiller that would be considered attempted rape now, let alone sexual harassment.
When the movie industry decided to put on some water spectaculars, they came after her. She wasn’t all that interested in the movies so she drove a hard bargain but eventually relented.
Four marriages: (1) a young medical student who wanted his wife at home, but didn’t mind her paying the bills in the meantime; (2) the father of her children who liked to play and spend her money; (3) Fernando Lamas - a complete male chauvinist pig; and (4) an executive (for Arco) who she met while planning the synchronized swimming event for the 1984 Olympics.
It was an interesting life and later when they had an “Ester Williams Day” on one of the channels, I watched her movies all day. She was right, they were all the same movie with different people playing the same parts with different names.

[Renay · Rating 1 out of 5]

interesting - ish.... i didnt finish it
although i was terribly interested to read it when i picked it up - i got less interested the further into the book i read.
unfortunately i dont think esther williams was much of a writer - she was obviously a way better swimmer than author and perhaps should have stuck to swimming.
the book is written in a very jump - around, informal speaking fashion, almost like an uneducated person's writings... which annoys me asi read it - i want it to be worded preoperly and grammatically correct, and it's not.
and, there is way too much triviality in it.... i kept skipping paragraphs of names and dates and who worked for who on what film in which year.
i'll probably send it back to the op shop from whence it came..... i am sure i wont bother to try read it again.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ms. Williams refers to the fact that people are often guilty of expecting actors & actresses to live out the fairy tale characters they portray on screen and this simply is not the case. While I was not expecting a perfect story, I suppose I am guilty of hoping (anyway) that any actor/actress I admire does find that American dream & fairy tale ending. Sadly, I have more often than not been disappointed with these expectations & this story is no different. From foul language to drug use to (accepted & almost expected) adultery, the life of Esther Williams was an extremely troubled one. I realize these events were part of her life's story but I do not see the need for her to do into the great detail she did. While I still admire her strong spirit & work ethic, I could not recommend this book.

[Hillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book if you have any interest at all in Esther Williams. She is a down-to-earth, funny, and slightly bawdy lady. She tells of stumbling into movies almost by accident after her Olympic dreams for 1940 were derailed by World War II. There are lots of funny stories about her movies and co-stars, including some racy details about some of her sexual exploits. She is definitely not the completely innocent person our parents thought she was when they were watching her movies. She is in her 80s now and seems as if she would be a great person to have over for dinner or drinks. Catch a few of her movies too just to marvel at their sheer spectacle. The scripts didn't win any awards, but that was never the point!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved the fact that Esther was honest and real and didn't care that she might be put in a bad light-she put it out there and lets the reader be the judge. Fernando doesn't come off too well, but when you're blinded by love, you do strange things. She was a bit of a contradiction, storng on the one hand and then allowing herself to be controlled by men on the other hand. But when you look at the times she lived in, that was the norm. I think she tried to be an independent woman, but let love get in the way, and what woman (or man for that matter) can't identify with that?

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess something: I didn't have a clue who Esther Williams is. I'm 26, so I think I deserve a pass, or at least some slack. I can't say for sure why I picked this one up, (although I can tell you for once it was not the cover that drew me in. Not impressed here.) Maybe it was the title? WHo knows? But I loved learning about Esther. I wasn't as hard of a read, but I never really got bored with it. A good solid read. I can't wait to watch some of her movies.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This woman is my favorite person in the world. With everything she's been through and pushed her way through, she always remained humble and polite, yet still managed to be one of the best entertainers in movie history. She's quite the girl next door, but she ended up creating a large business for herself and has inspired me to never give up and never regret.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulously entertaining read! Rarely are autobiographies this good.

The pacing was wonderful, I had trouble putting the book down. Esther speaks with an appealing voice, she seems honest and open and very down to earth.

Anybody who loves the Golden era of film will really appreciate and enjoy this read!

[Natalia Bystrianyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited for this, but unfortunately I only got half way through. Esther quickly went from a undiscovered innocent to a spoiled privileged star who didn't make the best choices. Perhaps it gets better, but I can not muscle through. I know it was a different era, but it is still hard to stomach. Also it is poorly written. I do not recommend.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than some other memoirs I have read from women film stars of this era.
No idea why she put up with the men in her life. Fernando definately would have been told to "sod off", but as she herself admits, she loved him, and that is why she stayed.

[Jono · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a RIOT. Esther spent as much time on her back as she did in the water and tells!

[Kirsten (lush.lit.life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love biographies, and can't get enough of golden-age of hollywood bios. this one was particularly skanky, so i don't really recommend it. but i "learned a lot!"

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still get her mother's saying "What part of the problem are you?" in my head. I no nonscence down to earth gal, with a fun streak, who you would enjoy having over for dinner.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Hannah Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at Goodwill on a whim. It's been sitting in my TBR pile for over a year. After reading the reviews, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy reading this. Honestly? I did not know who Esther Williams was. I sure do now. This was a spectacular look into show business in the mid 1900's (that's weird to write). Esther was both a product of her time while also being a bit progressive. When she talked about the behind the scenes of shooting her films and what she went through... it's hard to believe. I know a lot of women in this industry still have a rough go. Reading the little quips about other famous actresses was very fun. I wonder if mermaids will make their way back into movies and television.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might just need to stop reading the Golden Hollywood memoirs. I love the behind-the-scenes movie magic insider info, but I get so tired of hearing how really terrible these people were. And the egos! There are many things to admire about Esther Williams - mainly her swimming prowess, strength, agility, and courage it turns out, taking her life in her hands to perform these crazy stunts. But I wouldn’t go to her for relationship or business advice. Or to keep a secret - man, the gossip out of her 😂. The pictures were grand though!