Who was known as 'The Million Dollar Mermaid'?
"Million Dollar Mermaid Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit in the UK) is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical musical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a screenplay by Everett Freeman. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch, the cinematography by George Folsey and the choreography by Busby Berkeley. George Folsey received a 1953 Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, Color. The film stars Esther Williams, Victor Mature, and Walter Pidgeon, with David Brian and Donna Corcoran. In the late 19th"
"her in the resort's fish pond, hijinks ensue. ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" (also known as ""The One Piece Bathing Suit"" in the UK) is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical musical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman, played by Esther Williams. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a screenplay by Everett Freeman. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch, the cinematography by George J. Folsey and the choreography by Busby Berkeley. ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" not only became Esther Williams' nickname around Hollywood, but it became the title of her autobiography (New York:"
"a study of 3,000 women, Dudley A. Sargent of Harvard University dubbed her the ""Perfect Woman"" because of the similarity of her physical attributes to the Venus de Milo. Kellermann's large collection of costumes and theatrical memorabilia was bequeathed to the Sydney Opera House. Today, many of her original costumes and personal items are held by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. She was portrayed by Esther Williams in the film ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" (1952), and Kellermann's name is on a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard. An award-winning Australian documentary called ""The Original Mermaid"", which"
"(1947), ""This Time for Keeps"" (1947), ""Pagan Love Song"" (1950) and ""Easy to Love"" (1953). The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: The movie and its star are referenced in ""Hail, Caesar!"" Million Dollar Mermaid Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit in the UK) is a 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer biographical musical film of the life of Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr. from a screenplay by Everett Freeman. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch, the cinematography by George Folsey and"
"Fox Film Corporation, ""A Daughter of the Gods"" was the first million-dollar film production. Like many of Kellermann's other films, this is now considered a lost film as no copies are known to exist. The majority of Kellermann's films had themes of aquatic adventure. She performed her own stunts including diving from 92 feet into the sea and 60 feet into a pool of crocodiles. Many times she would play mermaids named Annette or variations of her own name. Her ""fairy tale films"", as she called them, started with ""The Mermaid"" (1911), in which she was the first actress to"
"said in ""Million Dollar Mermaid"", ""At that point, I really didn't know who I was. Was I that glamorous femme fatale?... Was I just another broken-down divorcée whose husband left her with all the bills and three kids?"" Shortly after reading the article, she contacted Grant. He called his doctor and made an appointment for her. Williams said LSD seemed like instant psychoanalysis. Esther Williams died in her sleep on June 6, 2013, from natural causes, in her Los Angeles home. She was 91. She was cremated, her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. Of her death CNN quoted"
"star, Johnny Weissmuller. Williams caught the attention of MGM scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, alongside Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and future five-time co-star Van Johnson in ""A Guy Named Joe"", Williams made a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as ""aquamusicals"", which featured elaborate performances with synchronized swimming and diving. In 1952, Williams appeared in her only biographical role, as Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman in ""Million Dollar Mermaid"", which went on to become her nickname while at MGM. Williams left MGM in 1956 and appeared in a"
"Johnny Weissmuller. Williams caught the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer scouts at the Aquacade. After appearing in several small roles, alongside Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy film, and future five-time co-star Van Johnson in ""A Guy Named Joe"", Williams made a series of films in the 1940s and early 1950s known as ""aquamusicals,"" which featured elaborate performances with synchronised swimming and diving. From 1945 to 1949, Williams had at least one film listed among the 20 highest-grossing films of the year. In 1952, Williams appeared in her only biographical role, as Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman in ""Million Dollar Mermaid"", which"
"the base storyline significantly. MGM studio head Dore Schary initially envisioned Esther Williams in June Allyson's role. According to her 2000 autobiography, ""The Million Dollar Mermaid"", Williams objected to Schary's casting suggestion, resulting in her suspension from the studio. Shortly after, on agent Lew Wasserman's advice, she left Metro after fourteen years. Eleanor Parker was later cast as Kay Hilliard but was replaced by June Allyson. Jo Ann Greer dubbed Allyson's ballad ""A Perfect Love"". According to MGM records the film earned $1,735,000 in the US and Canada and $1,025,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $1,513,000. The film was"
"""Miss America."" On September 8, 1921, 100,000 people gathered at the Boardwalk to watch the contestants from Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Ocean City, Camden, Newark, New York, and Philadelphia. The 16-year-old winner from Washington, D.C., Margaret Gorman, was crowned the ""Golden Mermaid"" and won $100. The pageant continued consistently over the next eight decades except for the years 1928–1932, when it was temporarily shut down due to financial problems associated with the Great Depression and suggestions that it promoted ""loose morals."" With its revival in 1933, 15-year-old Marian Bergeron won, prompting future contestants to be between the ages of 18"
"Leona LaMar Leona LaMar (October 26, 1883 - April 22, 1941), billed as ""The Girl with 1,000 Eyes"", was an American stage mentalist and vaudeville headliner in the 1910s and 1920s. LaMar worked with Walter (Hugh) Shannon, who was also her husband, and was billed as having a ""far superior"" act than mentalist Eva Fay. Terry Turner signed the duo, who then earned $2,500 a week. The Shannons began their act in 1910, which featured mind-reading using astrology, and continued until Walter Shannon died in 1930. LaMar was born in Rochester, New York as Leontine DuMar. She died at her"
"indecent to be worn in public. Hollywood endorsed the new glamour with films such as ""Neptune's Daughter"" (1949) in which Esther Williams wore provocatively named costumes such as ""Double Entendre"" and ""Honey Child"". Williams, who also was an Amateur Athletic Union champion in the 100 meter freestyle (1939) and an Olympics swimming finalist (1940), also portrayed Kellerman in the 1952 film ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" (titled as ""The One Piece Bathing Suit"" in UK). Swimwear of the 1940s, 50s and early 60s followed the silhouette mostly from the early 1930s. Keeping in line with the ultra-feminine look dominated by Dior, it"
"it was a box-office failure. Far more popular was a musical he made at MGM, ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" with Esther Williams, a biopic of Annette Kellermann, playing Kellermann's promoter husband. According to William's autobiography, she and Mature had a romantic relationship. Back at Fox, Mature was meant to be reteamed with Betty Grable in a musical, ""The Farmer Takes a Wife"", but the studio instead reassigned him to a comedy with Patricia Neal, ""Something for the Birds"". Back at RKO, Mature was meant to star in ""Split Second"", but instead was reteamed with Jean Simmons in the romantic drama ""Affair"
"you and you will swim in. I don't want you to be in two Dixie cups and a fish line."" She was also the namesake of a company that manufactures swimming pools and swimming pool accessories. She came out with a line of ""Swim, Baby, Swim"" videos, which helped parents teach their children how to swim. She also appeared as a commentator for synchronized swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Williams met her fourth husband as a result of his calling her to coordinate her appearance. She co-wrote her autobiography, ""The Million Dollar Mermaid"" (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999),"
"Mermaids (1990 film) Mermaids is a 1990 American comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder (who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress for her role), and Christina Ricci in her first film role. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name written by Patty Dann. It was shot in and around the towns of Rockport, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lincoln and Pawtucket. The film is narrated by Charlotte Flax, a quirky and awkward 15-year-old girl living in Oklahoma with her single, eccentric mother, Rachel (whom she calls ""Mrs."
"Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, model, and singer. Famous for playing comic ""blonde bombshell"" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and was emblematic of the era's attitudes towards sexuality. Although she was a top-billed actress for only a decade, her films grossed $200 million by the time of her unexpected death in 1962 (equivalent to $ billion in ). More than half a century later, she continues to be a major popular culture icon. Born and raised in Los"
"all ages and genders. Mermaiding practitioners are sometimes called mermaids, professional mermaids, or occasionally, water ballerinas. Within the community, mermaid or merfolk can be shortened to ""mer."" Mermaiding is often seen along with cos play and crafting, due to the nature of the tails and other prosthetics used by practitioners. There are several tail making companies supplying the community with everything from fabric tails to full SFX prostheses costing thousands of dollars. Annette Marie Sarah Kellerman (6 July 1886 – 6 November 1975) was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville star, film actress and writer. She was one of the first"
"over 1.2 million fan letters and by 1924, she had been dubbed ""The Million Dollar Baby"" for her $1.5 million a year salary ($22 million in 2018). Despite her childhood fame and wealth, she found herself poor and working as an extra by the 1930s. Having an interest in both writing and history since her youth, Montgomery found a second career as an author and silent film historian in her later years under the name Diana Serra Cary. She is the author of several books including her historical novel, ""The Drowning of the Moon"", and became an advocate for child"
"grandchildren. On October 10, 1984, an auction of her personal effects, including furniture, artwork, and theatre memorabilia, earned in excess of $120,000 at Christie's East. The 56th Academy Awards, held on April 2, 1984, ended with a performance of ""There's No Business Like Show Business"" in tribute to Merman. ""Courtesy of NPR"" Windows Media Player Required Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her distinctive, powerful voice and leading roles in musical theatre, she has been called ""the undisputed First Lady of the"
"home in Englewood, New Jersey on April 22, 1941, survived by her son Walter and daughter Leona. Leona LaMar Leona LaMar (October 26, 1883 - April 22, 1941), billed as ""The Girl with 1,000 Eyes"", was an American stage mentalist and vaudeville headliner in the 1910s and 1920s. LaMar worked with Walter (Hugh) Shannon, who was also her husband, and was billed as having a ""far superior"" act than mentalist Eva Fay. Terry Turner signed the duo, who then earned $2,500 a week. The Shannons began their act in 1910, which featured mind-reading using astrology, and continued until Walter Shannon"
"they did not see except in silhouette. The competition included a swimwear portion and a question-and-answer portion. The millionaire, ultimately revealed as Rick Rockwell, selected Darva Conger of California and married her on the spot. In addition to the television wedding, Conger also received a three-carat (600-mg) diamond ring and more than $100,000 in prizes. More than 22 million people viewed the show's broadcast. The special's name was a parody of ""Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"", the popular game show that was airing on competing network ABC at the time. Despite the program's high ratings, it was harshly condemned"
"inspired by several different sea creatures, including manta rays and scorpion fish, before Clements finally decided to base the character on an octopus; her number of tentacles was reduced from eight to six for financial reasons. Ursula's appearance was also inspired by American actor and drag queen Divine. When ""The Little Mermaid"" was first released in 1989, Ursula was immediately embraced as one of Disney's best villains, and continues to be ranked highly among the studio's greatest by the media. Praised for being humorous and frightening, the character has garnered positive reviews from film critics, some of whom dubbed her"
"The Little Mermaid (2018 film) The Little Mermaid is a 2018 American live-action fantasy-adventure film inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name. It is directed and written by Blake Harris, co-directed by Chris Bouchard, and produced by Armando Gutierrez and Robert Molloy. The film was released on August 17, 2018, by Netflix and AMC Theatres. The film has grossed over $2.316 million USD on a budget of $5 million. The story begins with an old grandmother telling her two granddaughters the story of ""The Little Mermaid"". Despite their young ages, the girls don't believe in the"
"Mississippi Mermaid Mississippi Mermaid () is a 1969 French romantic drama film directed by François Truffaut and starring Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Adapted from the 1947 novel ""Waltz into Darkness"" by Cornell Woolrich, the film is about a tobacco planter on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean who becomes engaged through correspondence to a woman he does not know. When she arrives it is not the same woman in the photo, but he marries her anyway. Filmed in southern France and Réunion island, ""Mississippi Mermaid"" was the 17th highest-grossing film of the year in France with a total of"
"a samba set to ""Poor Unfortunate Souls"". As arguably ""the most famous example of a direct tie to the LGBT community,"" Ursula has also become something of a gay icon, due in part to sharing Divine's appearance and personality. Ursula (The Little Mermaid) Ursula is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated feature film ""The Little Mermaid"" (1989). Voiced by American actress Pat Carroll, Ursula is a villainous sea witch who tricks a mermaid princess named Ariel into trading her voice for a pair of human legs, at first appearing to be providing the character with"
"Million Dollar Baby (1941 film) Million Dollar Baby is a 1941 romantic comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Released by Warner Bros., the film stars Priscilla Lane, Jeffrey Lynn, and Ronald Reagan, with May Robson and Lee Patrick. When wealthy American expatriate Cornelia Wheelwright (Robson) is informed by her longtime lawyers that her late father swindled his partner, Fortune McCallister, out of $700,000, she acts decisively. First, because James Amory is the only lawyer in the firm to be outraged by the injustice, she hires him and fires the rest of the firm. His first task is to locate all"
"with Harpo Marx, was never published. Fleming outlived Marx by almost forty years during which she was an artist and activist in the Palm Springs area. She died at age 94 on December 22, 2002, of a heart attack at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Susan Fleming Susan Fleming (February 19, 1908 – December 22, 2002) was an American actress and the wife of comic actor Harpo Marx. Fleming was known as the ""Girl with the Million Dollar Legs"" for a role she played in the"
"two films, ""Pagan Love Song"" (also 1950) and later ""Jupiter's Darling"" (1955). They both had cameos in the film ""Callaway Went Thataway"" (1951). In ""Million Dollar Mermaid"" (1952), Williams portrayed Annette Kellermann, a real-life Australian swimming and diving star. Williams co-starred with Victor Mature, who played Kellermann's husband and manager, James Sullivan. The two engaged in a passionate affair during filming. Williams often called this her favorite film, and named her autobiography after it. Williams also won the ""Henrietta Award"" at the 1952 Golden Globes, for World Film Favorite – Female. ""Easy to Love"" (1953), also with Van Johnson, was"
"at great price near Calcutta by a Boston sea captain in 1817. If it wasn't a real mermaid, it was a remarkable fraud: the head of a baboon and the upper half of an orangutan was attached to the lower half of a large fish. On June 18, Barnum and Kimball entered into a written agreement to exploit this ""curiosity supposed to be a mermaid."" Kimball would remain the creature's sole owner and Barnum would lease it for $12.50 a week. Barnum christened his artifact ""The Fejee Mermaid"" and began to ""puff"" her to the skies. By 1843, Kimball and"
"Ursula (The Little Mermaid) Ursula is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated feature film ""The Little Mermaid"" (1989). Voiced by American actress Pat Carroll, Ursula is a villainous sea witch who tricks a mermaid princess named Ariel into trading her voice for a pair of human legs, at first appearing to be providing the character with an opportunity to become human by temporarily transforming her into one so that she may earn the love of Prince Eric within three days. However, Ursula is, in fact, determined to sabotage Ariel's chances at any expense so that"
"A Millionaire for Christy A Millionaire for Christy is a 1951 comedy film directed by George Marshall, and starring Fred MacMurray and Eleanor Parker. The film is a screwball comedy, in which Christy Sloane (Parker) is a legal secretary from San Francisco who is sent to California to inform radio host Peter Lockwood (MacMurray) that he has just inherited $2 million. Christabel ""Christy"" Sloane (Parker) is a legal secretary in San Francisco whose desire for finer things is hampered by her desperate financial straits, causing her to lament to her coworker Patsy (Una Merkel) that she needs to find a"
"The Million Dollar Mystery The Million Dollar Mystery is a 23-chapter film serial released in 1914, directed by Howell Hansel, and starring Florence La Badie and James Cruze. It is presumed lost. A prologue for ""The Million Dollar Mystery"" introduced the characters and groups. After the opening title card shows ""hundreds of hands"" grasping for the money and then a shot of the check for $10,000 the solver of the mystery is shown prior to the beginning of the first reel. Baby Florence is left at a boarding school with a note and half a bracelet instructing that her father"
"made three films with Williams before. A film unit left MGM on 21 August 1948 to shoot second unit at Sun Valley. Ricardo Montalban was announced as the third lead. Filming was pushed back when Williams fell pregnant. Then it was announced Cummings and Janet Leigh would support Williams and Johnson. These roles would be played by John Lund (borrowed from Paramount) and Paula Raymond. In her autobiography, ""Million Dollar Mermaid"", Williams called this a ""re-hash of the Esther Williams formula: the mismatched lovers plot. It was enough to give one a case of cinematic deja vu."" This marked Eleanor"