Neptune's Daughter (1949 film)

Neptune's Daughter
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Edward Buzzell
Produced by	Jack Cummings
Written by	Dorothy Kingsley
Starring	Esther Williams Red Skelton Ricardo Montalbán Betty Garrett
Music by	Frank Loesser
Cinematography	Charles Rosher
Editing by	Cotton Warburton
Distributed by	Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer
Release date(s)	June 9, 1949 (1949-06-09)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Neptune's Daughter is a 1949 musical romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc. It was directed by Edward Buzzell, and features the Academy Award winning song Baby, It's Cold Outside by Frank Loesser.

Neptune's Daughter was the third movie that paired Williams and Ricardo Montalbán together, the other two being Fiesta (1947) and On an Island with You (1948), and the second to co-star Red Skelton (1944's Bathing Beauty).

Production

Williams discovered she was pregnant with her first child with husband Ben Gage early into shooting.^[1]

Williams contracted with Cole of California to appear as their spokesperson before making the film. As a result, the company created the suits that Williams and the aqua chorus wore throughout the film. After filming was done, Williams's doctor ordered her to stay away from activity, and she instead gave swimming lessons to blind children. "Teaching those children how to swim was "one of the most gratifying experiences I've ever had," wrote Williams in her autobiography.^[1]

The movie was filmed partly on location at Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida.^[2]

Williams played a swimsuit designer in this film, and went on to copy several swimsuit designs from this film in the line of swimwear she would later create.^[1]

Cast

• Esther Williams as Eve Barrett
• Ricardo Montalbán as José O'Rourke
• Red Skelton as Jack Spratt
• Betty Garrett as Betty Barrett
• Keenan Wynn as Joe Backett
• Mel Blanc as Pancho
• Xavier Cugat as himself

Musical numbers

• "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett and Red Skelton
  • Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 22nd Academy Awards.^[3]
• "I Love Those Men" - Betty Garrett with Red Skelton and Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra
• "My Heart Beats Faster" - Ricardo Montalbán
• "Jungle Rhumba" - Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra

Release

Critical reception

A 1949 New York Times review of the film called it a "great big beautiful musical, full of slickness and Technicolored plush, models and Xavier Cugat rhythm."^[4]

Home media

On July 17, 2007, Turner Entertainment released Neptune's Daughter on DVD as part of the Esther Williams Spotlight Collection, Volume 1. The 5 disc set contained digitally remastered versions of several of Williams's films including Bathing Beauty (1944), Easy to Wed (1946), On an Island with You (1948) and Dangerous When Wet (1953)^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography, By Esther Williams, Digby Diehl, Published by Harcourt Trade, 2000, ISBN 0156011352, 9780156011358
2. ^ http://www.weekiwacheediving.com/about.htm
3. ^ Loesser, Susan (1993). A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life; A Portrait by His Daughter" p. 79-81. ISBN 1-55611-364-1.
4. ^ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9806E1DA173BE23BBC4852DFB0668382659EDE&scp=3&sq=neptune%27s%20daughter&st=cse
5. ^ http://www.tcm.com/2007/estherwilliams/index.jsp

External links

• Neptune's Daughter at the Internet Movie Database
• Neptune's Daughter at AllRovi
• Neptune's Daughter at the TCM Movie Database
• Review of Neptune's Daughter at www.clown-ministry.com