Esther Williams Net Worth

Esther Williams's Quotes

• I was called America's mermaid, because it appeared that I could stay underwater indefinitely.
• All they ever did for me at MGM was change my leading man and the water in my pool.
• No one had ever done a swimming movie before so we just made it up as we went along. I ad-libbed all my own underwater movements.
• I don't know to this day how I managed to fit into those bathing suits when I was pregnant, but I did.
• The popular "Andy Hardy" series movies were MGM's tests for its promising stars such as Judy Garland, Lana Turner and Donna Reed. If you didn't make it in those pictures, you were never heard from again.

Interesting Facts about Esther Williams

1. Excerpts from her 1999 autobiography in major American magazines revealed that her one-time lover, actor Jeff Chandler, was obsessed about dressing in women's clothing. Williams' revelations about Chandler angered many readers. The book also revealed Williams took LSD under a doctor's supervision, after Cary Grant recommended it.
2. Younger sister of Stanton Williams.
3. In the 1950s, she was known as "America's Mermaid".
4. Filed a lawsuit against MGM for use of some footage in That's Entertainment! (1974).
5. Her movie career played a major role in the promotion of competitive and synchronized swimming, which she is credited with popularizing.
6. In 2003 she co-produced Aquaria, a Las Vegas water spectacle.
7. A mother of three children, two sons and one daughter. Benjamin Stanton "Ben" Gage was born on August 6, 1949. Second son, Kimball was born on October 30, 1950. And only daughter, Susan Tenney "Susie" Gage was born on October 1, 1953.
8. Met fourth and last husband, Edward Michael Bell, at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
9. She lent her name to a brand of swimming pools that are still sold today, Esther Williams Pools.
10. Before her stint in MGM musicals, she had been training as a competitive swimmer, and probably would've participated in the 1940 and/or 1944 Olympics (she would've been 18 and 22 years old respectively) if they hadn't been canceled because of World War II.
11. Her first job was at age eight at a local (Inglewood, CA) neighborhood school's swimming pool counting towels.
12. She and teammate Virginia Hopkins were to take part in the 1940 Olympics, which was canceled due to World War II.
13. Met first husband Leonard Kovner while a student at the University of Southern California. He was a premed student.
14. Received her first screen kiss by Mickey Rooney in Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942).
15. Was inducted into the Swimming Pool Hall of Fame in 1967.
16. Second husband was singer/actor Ben Gage, a "Big Band" vocalist who dubbed Victor Mature, George Montgomery, Dana Andrews and Cornel Wilde in various musical films. They had three children.
17. Born in Los Angeles, Esther was the youngest of five children. Her family had come to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City, where her older brother Stanton Williams was "discovered" by actress Marjorie Rambeau and brought to Hollywood for films. Stanton, who was born in Salt Lake City, died suddenly at age 16 when he developed intestinal blockage and his colon burst.
18. Youngest of five children. The others were Stanton, June, Maurine and David.
19. She was offered roles in both The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974) by Irwin Allen. She turned down both.
20. In Italy, all her films were dubbed by Dhia Cristiani, except Raw Wind in Eden (1958) where the talented Andreina Pagnani lent her voice to Williams.