Esther Williams, swimming movie star, dies at age 91

Esther Williams, a champion swimmer whose skills were utilized by MGM to make her a box office star, has died at age 91.

Her publicist, Harlan Boll, confirmed to CBS Los Angeles that she had been in declining health recently.

Williams was a Los angeles native and made the U.S. Olympic swim team in 1940, but the event was cancelled due to World War II. She did get to swim at the San Francisco World's Fair and, impressed by her skill and beauty, MGM signed her on the spot, notes People.

Like many young MGM stars, she first appeared in an Andy Hardy movie with Mickey Rooney. She appeared in 1942’s Andy Hardy’s Double Life, but didn’t start swimming in films for the studio until Bathing Beauty in 1944. Soon a scene of her swimming to music would be a staple of MGM musicals, including the 1946 all-star revue Ziegfeld Follies and the Gene Kelly/Frank Sinatra starrer Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

Williams’ swimming films were box office hits, but her MGM career wrapped in 1955 with Jupiter's Darling. She did make other films and TV appearances, but she retired by the early 1960s.

Williams was married three times. Her third, to Fernando Lamas, lasted until his death in 1982. She had three children with second husband Ben Gage.

She had been out of the public eye since publishing her 1999 memoir, The Million Dollar Mermaid.

image: Wikimedia Commons