Main Cast: Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund, Paula Raymond, Clinton Sundberg
Release Year: 1950
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
This formula Esther Williams musical casts the star as Midwestern carnival swimmer Christine Duncan, in love with bandleader Dick Layn (Van Johnson). Attempting to smooth the course of romance for her friend Ellen Hallet (Paula Raymond), Christine makes a play for Ellen's wealthy boss Douglas J. Morrissen, Jr. (John Lund). Ellen wants to protect Douglas from fortune hunters, so Christine pretends to be a fortune hunter, so that he'll appreciate anew how much Ellen cares for him. Confused? So is Dick, who can't fathom Christine's bizarre behavior. If for nothing else, Duchess of Idaho is memorable as the "comeback" picture for dancing star Eleanor Powell, who has just as little to do as her fellow guest stars Lena Horne and (unbilled) Red Skelton. Watch for Amanda Gunsmoke Blake and Dick Sergeant Preston Simmons in supporting roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Duchess of Idaho is a lesser Esther Williams vehicle, and while it's certainly painless, it's also a film best appreciated by members of her fan club. Duchess of Idaho finds Williams moving into situation comedy territory, "best friend" division -- meaning that there's a complicated (and fairly far-fetched) plot in which Williams will go through a pointless charade in order to win a man for her roommate and pal. This kind of thing works better on the small screen where it can be condensed into a breezy half-hour; onscreen it takes more precision and invention to pull this thing off for an hour and a half, and the writers fall down on the job here. It's not all their fault, as they have a mandate to find room for a couple of water ballets, a number of irrelevant specialty acts and a bit of Sun Valley scenery, all of which gets in the way of both plot and pacing. Still, those water ballets are certainly something (featuring a bit more "dry land" dancing than is normal) and the cutaway numbers by Lena Horne and Eleanor Powell are keepers. Plus, there's Williams, not a great actress but a pleasant personality, who's fun to be with here and the always entertaining Van Johnson. Duchess is hardly cinematic royalty, but it's genial good fun. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Malcolm Brown - Art Director, Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Jack Donohue - Choreography, Helen Rose - Costume Designer, Robert Z. Leonard - Director, Adrienne Fazan - Editor, George Stoll - Musical Direction/Supervision, Eddie Polo - Makeup, Jack Dawn - Makeup, Charles E. Schoenbaum - Cinematographer, Joe Pasternak - Producer, Arthur Krams - Set Designer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, Dorothy Cooper - Screenwriter, Jerry Davis - Screenwriter
