Customer Reviews

This Time for Keeps [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By 1947, Esther Williams was becoming one of Hollywood's top stars, appearing in a string of lavish, colorful, musical films that usually (but not always!) showcased her championship-level swimming talents.

This Time for Keeps features Esther as the star of a swimming spectacular (what else?) who becomes romantically involved with a young WWII veteran trying to start a career as a popular crooner. (He's played by Johnny Johnston, a former band vocalist, in his only MGM leading role.) Eventually the two travel to Mackinac Island, the famous luxury resort town in the state of Michigan.

Esther has one lavish swim number, following the amusing song "10 Percent Off," during which she parades in true showgirl style. And the supporting cast features three talented scene-stealers: Jimmy Durante, Dame May Whitty, and former Metropolitan Opera star Lauritz Melchoir.

This film may seem a bit slow and sentimental (or even sticky!) to modern audiences. But it makes for a pleasing and enjoyable two hours of entertainment if you're in the mood. Give it a try!

This film is a kind of dual enigma because, while it is a properly light-hearted musical (they all were, but with varying degrees of success), it also boasts a great many oddities- starting with the strange title (exactly what in the film is "for keeps?"). Esther Williams plays a properly likable, properly beautiful, aquacade star whose relationship with Jimmy Durante (a legend whom I've always enjoyed) should've been that of a father and daughter, but instead is something a tad stranger. Thankfully, this isn't ignored in the film, as her actual love interest (Johnnie Johnston), whom Durante relentlessly 'protects' from Williams, challenges his interference in the film's 11th hour. (While Durante seems to have a bothered conscience about this, it is never confirmed or denied.) Another annoyance, as someone memtioned earlier, is the blowhard opera tenor (Lauritz Melchior) playing Johnston's meddlesome father. After getting past all this stickiness, the film's highlights, which are its musical portions (especially the Cugat numbers and the striptease and swim of "Ten Percent Off"), can finally be enjoyed.

If you're a fan of Jimmy Durante or of the Grand Hotel in Mackinack Island this is a film you'll love. Durante plays the manager/protector of Esther Williams and he's in prime form. Esther's OK too if you like that sort of thing.

from the grand hotel in michigan to the wonderful swimming of ms. williams to the great music and comedy of jimmy d. this movie is a warm family treasure that has not found it's way to tv,caable, or dvd so i urge people to find this movie and pop some corn and get ready for a real good time....

I purchased this movie for the singing of Lauritz Melchior.Which as always was wonderful. almost as great as Two Sisters from Boston.
The movie itself was very entertaining, good singing and not a bad plot. and of course Durante is a warm person and very funny.

This is an Esther Williams film, not heard aboutt or shown as often. It's really good, and well worth watching. It's one of her best. It has really nice swin scenes clothes and a pretty good storyline.

i liked this time for keeps it was a good movie i read her book
and it had some infomation in it that help me enjoyed the movie more. like in one part were it was filmed in mich there a place
in upper mich i would not mind go seeing you haved to take a boat
to get there it look like some good fishing up there.

This film has the elements of an entertaining film, but fails largely due to the operatic sequences with Lauritz Melchior. He completely spoiled Esther's THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945) and only Jimmy Durante keeps him from drowning this one, too. I don't mind operatic singing, but it just doesn't belong in a lightweight film like this.