source: On an Island with You

On an Island with You

Typical Esther Williams fanfare where while she is making a movie with Ricardo Montalban, her fiancée as well, technical adviser, navy man, Peter Lawford, enters the scene and carries off Williams to a remote Hawaiian island. You don't have to have a PhD to see where all this is going. There are lovely water sequences and Cyd Charisse adds to the foursome with some great dancing with Montalban. In addition, Jimmy Durante is in fine form as an assistant director recalling his day in vaudeville under the watchful eye of Xavier Cugat's orchestra. It's just too predictable and really inane when you come to think of it.

Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban, Jimmy Durante, Cyd Charisse, Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra, and-before she became the title voice in Disney's Alice in Wonderland-Kathryn Beaumont star in another frothy Joe Pasternak production from MGM called On an Island with You. Since most of the other reviewers have mentioned the plot, I'll just mention some highlights: Durante's wisecracks and musical numbers, that sexy dance scene between Charisse and Montalban, Cugat's numbers, and Beaumont's perfect English diction and later Durante impression. All this and some amusing island banter between Williams and Lawford made the entire movie enjoyable despite such a thin plot for almost two hours! Forget about characterization and just enjoy the Hawaii locations in wonderful Technicolor for fun and dancing!

While Esther Williams never claimed to be a great actress she did well in most of her films. If she had a solid script and good costars her films were usually fun. Unfortunately in this film the script is so weak as to be laughable and Peter Lawford just did not fit the part of the wannabe Romeo. There is no chemistry between them and they just seem to be walking through their parts. Cyd Charisse, as noted by others, is the standout in her dance sequences and Ricardo Montalban is worth watching as well. The usually wonderful Jimmy Durante just rehashes some of his old routines and, while good, is not outstanding. As a final touch even the obligatory water ballet is lackluster. Of all her films this, in my opinion, is the one to miss.

As an Esther Williams fan -- read fanatic -- since I was a pre-adolescent, I have to admit that On an Island with You is one of a few of her films that misfires as entertainment. Admittedly applying contemporary values to a light 56-year-old film, I can't get around the fact that there's something disturbing about the Peter Lawford character's obsession with, stalking of, and eventual kidnapping of the Williams character. This is romantic? Lawford's wooden acting is part of the problem -- more warmth might have mitigated the creepiness of the character's behavior. I have read that Lawford disliked Williams and felt, despite his success in Good News, that he'd been forced into an uninteresting, secondary part in a movie that was clearly hers. That would explain the total absence of chemistry between them. Redeeming elements: the Charisse-Montalban dance numbers and Cugat's music.

Esther Williams fans will love this extremely enjoyable film. Williams plays a hollywood star engaged to her handsome co-star (Montalban) who are making a movie of their own. On set is the lovesick technical advisor (Lawford) who has been in love with her ever since they first met. Only problem is she can't remember him. So he takes her to an island to make she she does, and well you get the picture. Williams and Lawford are wonderful together and matching them are Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse especially during their beautiful dance numbers. They toss in Jimmy Durante for guarenteed laughs to make the cast even better.Its vibrant colors and very attracive stars make it lovely to look at, but the story is very sweet too. If you love happy and romantic musicals you'll love this one. And of course we get to see Esther doing what she does best in the very nice water sequences. Side Note: Who wouldn't want to be on an island with Peter Lawford.

This is truly a great Musical Classic from 1948 with a cast of veteran actors and all at the height of their careers. Esther Williams, (Rosalind Reynolds) is a movie star who gives outstanding performances swimming gracefully with Richardo Montalban, (Ricardo Montez) and Peter Lawford, (Lt. Lawrence Y. Kingslee) who is a U. S. Navy technical adviser on the film who is suppose to fly a plane with Rosalind Reynolds hiding on the plane. Richardo Montez is in love with Rosalind Reynolds and expects to marry her after their filming of their movie. However, Lt. Kingslee met Rosalind a few years in the past and fell immediately in love with her and has every intention to marry her at all costs. Jimmy Durante, (Jimmy Buckley) along with Xavier Cugat and his orchestra gave great supporting roles to this great musical classic.

Musical-comedy vehicle for swimming star Esther Williams set in Hawaii. Peter Lawford has a rather hopeless role as a moony-eyed Lieutenant who becomes obsessed with Esther, playing a movie actress; she's already involved with her co-star (Ricardo Montalban) and is also busy sparring with her unloved movie-rival (Cyd Charisse, in a demeaning part as a girl nobody seems to want). In its day, probably a very acceptable piece of fluff, but in this age of celebrity stalkers, Lawford's intrusive, seemingly off-balanced fan is unintentionally creepy (at one point he even kidnaps Williams, but she stops him from being arrested). Only for die-hard MGM musical buffs, although Esther's swimming sequences are not on their usual grand scale here. *1/2 from ****