"In November 1945, Esther Williams, celebrated for her groundbreaking aquatic roles in Hollywood musicals, married Ben Gage, a former radio vocalist and announcer, during an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles. Williams, then riding a wave of popularity following her star turn in Bathing Beauty (1944), found in Gage a partner who shared her love for sport and performance. The couple became fixtures of postwar California society, often photographed at poolside events and charity galas. Their union,

This unforgettable sequence where Esther Williams swims with Tom and Jerry in DANGEROUS WHEN WET ('53) was directed by Fred Quimby, William Hanna and Joe Barbera, the same team who had first brought the idea to the screen in 1945's ANCHORS AWEIGH with a dancing Gene Kelly. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM