Sportswomen of the Screen
Many famous actresses were also excellent athletes, both on- and off-screen. Here's an appreciation of four of these women. Esther Williams Esther Williams was known as Hollywood's "Million Dollar Mermaid" after the 1952 film she starred in. A competitive swimmer from an early age, she had won three US National championships in breaststroke and freestyle by age 16. Esther planned to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics before it was canceled when World War II broke out. She was discovered by MGM talent scouts while in Billy Rose's Aquacade, a singing, dancing, and swimming troupe. Her career in movies was defined by her starring roles in "aquamusicals" with elaborate synchronized swimming scenes, such as Neptune's Daughter and Dangerous When Wet . Katharine Hepburn Katharine Hepburn was a noted athlete who enjoyed swimming, tennis, running, diving, and golfing. She took frequent golf lessons as a child and made it to the semi-finals of th...