Thrill Of A Romance

Newlywed swimming teacher Cynthia Delbar has everything a girl could want for her honeymoon: a posh mountain lodge, glorious weather and a drop-dead trousseau. The only thing missing is her tycoon groom, who chose closing a deal in DC over cuddling with his brand-new missus. A pretty sorrowful situation -- until a good-looking war hero staying at the hotel decides he needs swimming lessons. Van Johnson and Esther Williams headline this frothy Technicolor musical, just the ticket for a World War II-weary nation yearning for laughs, romance and glamour. And that's exactly what they got, plus swinging tunes from Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra and operatic grandeur from famed Wagnerian tenor Lauritz Melchior in his film debut. Sing, swing, swim, swoon to the Thrill of a Romance.

• musical