Easy to Love-1953

Director Charles Watson

Starring Esther Williams, Van Johnson

Scott’s Review #86

Reviewed July 2, 2014

Grade: D

Easy to Love (1953) is a romantic comedy from 1953 starring competitive swimmer turned actress Esther Williams.

Williams plays a (surprise!) swimmer in love with her boss who does not return her affections. She also has two other suitors madly in love with her, so it’s a love triangle type of film with Williams having a side-kick, played by Edna Skinner.

They go from Florida to New York on a job adventure.

The main problem with this film is the silly script. It’s a romantic comedy of its day with Williams scampering from one beau to the next. By the end of the film, she has three suitors all vying for her affection, but the viewer hardly cares whom she chooses or which one was meant to be the hero.

The endless scenes of Williams swimming around were necessary since that’s what she was known for, but the film is a dud on almost every level.

Williams, hardly known for her acting ability, spends much of the film jet-skiing and prancing around in swimwear while men lust after her.

That pretty much sums up Easy to Love (1953).

Williams is not a terrible actress, though hardly Katharine Hepburn either. The movie just seems lackluster and quite trivial and not too much fun.