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Terms like “pleasant” and “slight” come up a lot when discussing the work of Esther Williams, but they’re the best words to describe her films. No great shakes in directing, writing, or even performing, her films were still wildly enjoyable, even hypnotic in their own strange way. When she was given a role tailored to her strengths, she brought a certain appeal that no one else had in Hollywood, before or since.
Dangerous When Wet plays well within her range, seeing Williams play a spunky, bright farm girl in a health-obsessed family who swims the English Channel to win money for the family farm. What was with MGM constantly having its various musical stars putting on shows to save the family farm? Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland practically had that market cornered in their various Babes films. Williams’ entry is another great star vehicle for her, and one of her best films.
Being one of her best films doesn’t mean it’s not without its share of problems. While she creates a believable erotic chemistry with Fernando Lamas, they would be married sixteen years later, they aren’t given a lot to do besides look attractive, flirt, and swim. This is fine, no really, as it keeps Williams in the water. The script itself is paint-by-numbers in every aspect, and Williams has found her groove as an actress in playing these bits.
And Dangerous When Wet has one of her all-time greatest sequences, a dream in which she finds herself swimming alongside Tom and Jerry in a cartoon undersea wonderland of singing octopi and kooky comedic bits. Granted, Anchors Aweigh did this first, but Tom and Jerry were the major in-house MGM cartoon creations, so seeing them again is highly enjoyable and whimsical. Whimsical and enjoyable are the best descriptors of this film as a whole, with a solid score, amiable supporting cast, Dangerous When Wet is tremendous fun, and one of the better films from its star.
