R.I.P.: Esther Williams

Esther Williams, whose experiences as a young swimming champion led to a career of Hollywood "aqua-musicals" designed just for her, died on Thursday June 6, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91.

Williams, one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1940s and 1950s. Her aqua-musicals were escapist comedies in lush color, with lavish song and watery dance numbers and lots of footage of synchronized swimming. They were so popular that some credited her with a jump in the popularity of home swimming pools. MORE HERE