Dangerous When Wet

IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
edited December 2013 in General Discussion
I found on AMC a few weeks ago a movie being played called Dangerous When Wet, starring Esther Williams. It was filmed in 1953 with Williams playing the swimmer's role. I just got to the part where they announced the rules prior to all the swimmers entering the water (it was a Daily Mail EC race). The race announcer stated, "Do not touch your rowboat. Or your trainer. Or you will be disqualified. When you reach Dover, you must wade ashore unaided."
I'm at the point now where they've been in the water 14 hours. They showed her "taking on nourishment" without touching the boat or her trainer.
Uh-oh, now the French woman was pulled at 14 hours, and now Williams is in the lead for the American women.
This is so exciting, despite it being a corny "aqua-musical"
I will say at least they picked a wonderful actor to play the lead role. Williams was a U.S. national champion swimmer and her stroke looks great.
If you see this movie on the line-up, it's worth some time.

We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

Jaimie

Comments

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    The love interest just jumped in, as she's been swimming for many many hours now, and is being buffeted by the waves. First thing she said as he swam up was, 'Don't touch me. I'll be disqualified." Love it!

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    edited December 2013
    "Get up Katie. Let me help you!"
    "No, don't touch me!"
    She passes some "finish line" which is mostly dry, and wins.

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Cheesy, corny, but at least the producers got the EC channel rules right!

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • sylmarinosylmarino San FranciscoMember
    estherwilliams_swimming.jpg
    Jaimie
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    Rawr!

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    ::smiles::

    One of these days, pre- or post-race, we should do a marathon swimming movie marathon. I would add On a Clear Day, Welcome, and of course Driven.
  • JenAJenA Charter Member
    @heart, I can't believe you didn't mention Heart - The Marilyn Bell Story! :-) Fifty nine years ago, Marilyn Bell, then 16, completed the then-longest (52km) open water swim in the world. It was even reviewed by the NY Times. :-) http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/256770/Heart-The-Marilyn-Bell-Story/overview

    I cry watching the trailer. :-) I tried to find the trailer to post the link here, but could only find the whole movie online instead.

    Marilyn Bell is one amazing and classy lady. This video of her reflecting on her swim and Annaleise Carr's swim makes me tear up, too. :-) http://screen.yahoo.com/marilyn-bell-reflects-swim-164800611.html
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    I'll have to watch the Marilyn Bell movie...

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    I had no idea it existed! I'm adding this to my list right now!
  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    For now, here are a couple of other film reviews:
    On a Clear Day
    Welcome
  • I really loved swimming upstream.

    Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

  • "Don't touch me! I'll be disqualified!" ooooo just that line makes me want to see it!!
    I was so close to completing an "animal set" where I had been struggling to make the intervals that get super hard at the end when one of my love interests that I'd been dying to chat with for weeks said "Hey" in a manner of initiating conversation as he exited the pool....I could barely mutter a hey back to him because I only had 3 seconds before I had to push off....
    Guys will come and go....swimming will always be there. Us swim girls have our priorities straight. :)
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    I was so close to completing an "animal set" where I had been struggling to make the intervals that get super hard at the end when one of my love interests that I'd been dying to chat with for weeks said "Hey" in a manner of initiating conversation as he exited the pool....I could barely mutter a hey back to him because I only had 3 seconds before I had to push off....

    If he doesn't understand that you don't interrupt a person during a set to talk, then it wouldn't have worked out anyway. Even if you are the hottest thing on the planet, he should have just sat by the side of the pool giving you adoring looks and then flattered you shamelessly about completing your set when you were all done.

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • flystormsflystorms Memphis, TNSenior Member
    Aww.. LBJ... I need to find someone just like that! :)
  • Me too!! @LBJ you are right, I should stop chasing after said love interest.
    Actually I got a last minute email about a guy coming in for a 6 hour qualifying swim...I was four hours away at the time but said I could be there for the last 3 or 4 hours. I was trying to find the kayak and ran into a guy in a speedo-type suit, assumed he was a swimmer also looking for a kayak and he turned out to be a smoking hot pro golfer from Europe. He walked with and helped me find the kayak, 30 minutes up the beach...I ended up only being able to swim for 3 hours, but I was mentally prepared that it might take a bit of time to find the kayak anyway....and having a gorgeous guy engrossed in talking about marathon swimming was a pretty good way to spend the time looking for a kayak!!
    Now there is a guy that could work. ;)
  • On a clear day captured a lot of the feelings I had about my Catalina channel swim. I think it is off on how you find a boat for EC though.

    3 seconds between send offs gives new meaning to a speed date.
  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    @JenA, I bought and watched the Marilyn Bell flick you mentioned! It's fabulous! A few things stand out:

    1) They didn't train with goggles in the pool, and their open water goggles were really cumbersome.
    2) They all windmilled their stroke, not focusing on front quadrant.
    3) There's no real cross training, but some of the training methods are familiar, such as tethering and swimming with drag suits.

    Here's a story about Marilyn Bell at 74: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/08/16/marilyn_bell_still_in_the_water_and_loving_it_nearly_60_years_after_her_historic_lake_ontario_swim.html
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