“This Time for Keeps” is an Esther Williams romantic musical film about a soldier returning from World War II who must decide between his old girl friend from before the war and his new-found love he met while in Europe. Director Richard Thorpe (“Her Highness and the Bellboy” 1945) expertly organized this film’s different segments into one entertaining unit: Water ballet, musicals, comedy, and drama.
The star of the show is Esther Williams, in top form both in and out of the water. Her many talents and good production values make her films wildly entertaining. Co-stars include Jimmy Durante (providing comic relief), Lauritz Melchior (opera singer), Johnnie Johnston (pop music singer), Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra (music), May Whitty (Esther’s grandmother), as well as Sharon McManus, Dick Simmons, Mary Stuart, Ludwig Stossel. Future stars Anne Francis and Kenneth Tobey had small and uncredited roles.
The very watchable “This Time for Keeps” was popular in theatrical release for producer Joe Pasternak and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Great cinematography by Karl Freund includes stunning scenery on location shoots on Mackinac Island in Michigan.
This Time for Keeps (1947)
cinema
My Review
“This Time for Keeps” is an Esther Williams romantic musical film about a soldier returning from World War II who must decide between his old girl friend from before the war and his new-found love he met while in Europe. Director Richard Thorpe (“Her Highness and the Bellboy” 1945) expertly organized this film’s different segments into one entertaining unit: Water ballet, musicals, comedy, and drama.
The star of the show is Esther Williams, in top form both in and out of the water. Her many talents and good production values make her films wildly entertaining. Co-stars include Jimmy Durante (providing comic relief), Lauritz Melchior (opera singer), Johnnie Johnston (pop music singer), Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra (music), May Whitty (Esther’s grandmother), as well as Sharon McManus, Dick Simmons, Mary Stuart, Ludwig Stossel. Future stars Anne Francis and Kenneth Tobey had small and uncredited roles.
The very watchable “This Time for Keeps” was popular in theatrical release for producer Joe Pasternak and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Great cinematography by Karl Freund includes stunning scenery on location shoots on Mackinac Island in Michigan.