Billy Rose Aquacade Show 1939 New York World's Fair

[lelaleela]

My grandma was in this show! If anyone has any photos to share, I would be thrilled. Thank you so much for posting.

[rockandroll4evermore]

Wow! What great film. Your Dad did a great job shooting this.

[wolfen244]

Bravo

[meherdust]

According to my dad Kurt, who understudied Weismuller, Johnny was unhappy in New York with Holms who was going with Billy Rose, and so in 1940 Buster Crabbe took his place- and Weismuller went to SF.

( BTW my mom and dad met swimming at the 39 Aquacade, married, moved to Miami and swam there for years at hotel shows.

[BernadineMudd]

LOVED the show. Thanks for posting. I was trying to date a pic of my grandmother standing in front of a Billy Rose Aquacade poster at the SF World's Fair, and this was the icing on the cake.

[Hevynly1]

I just finished reading Esther Williams' autobiography. The poor girl and all of her horrible dealings with Weissmuller and the host!! I don't know how she coped. She's a total legend.

This is great to see. Thank you!!

[LanaBanana53]

My mother's cousin, Kurt Neunzig was a swimmer here and an understudy for Johnny Weismuller. Kurt Neunzig just died at 96 on 12/27/2010. RIP

[Ninetybean]

@LanaBanana53 Kurt was my Grandfather. :)

[Ninetybean]

@LanaBanana53 Kurt was my Grandfather. :)

[celephane]

My father's lifetime friend, Ted Wingstrom was a clown and stunt diver at this show. Ted would come and visit us at our home all through my childhood and bring photos and stories along with him. So good to see a video of this finally. Thank you for posting. I believe the clown diver in your video is Ted. He later became a paratrooper during World War ll, and later continued settled in Cora Gables Florida at the Biltmore Hotel. Ted died in 1992, and I saw him last in 1989.

[cherstyler]

Gr8 footage so glad you were able to share it. This the only thing from the 39NY World's Fair that made money....

[GarineFakrajian]

I love it!

[condensedclassics]

This is great vintage footage and has become very relevant to me after reading Esther Williams Auto-Biography. About Billy Rose trying to seduce her & Johnny Weissmuller showing her his "assets". She was part of this show because her coach screwed her out of going to the Olympics, amazing story about old Hollywood.

[ursa41]

As a nostalgia buff, I always appreciate great vintage video clips such as these and it allows me to compare today's society with "the old days". I can see that people really had talent and if you wanted to be your best, you had to WORK HARD at it ! Today, talent is an essential that is rapidly decaying and the standards have dropped to the point of being disregarded (i.e. entertainment industry, "nobodies" receiving Oscars undeservedly,etc.). Verdict? Someone please lead me to a time machine !

[Just4Meeeee]

Very sloppy by todays standards. Funny how they all swim with their heads up out of the water!

Everybody seemed to be having a good time though, and I think that is something we're all missing out on nowadays. TOO serious and not enough fun!!!

[Just4Meeeee]

And did you see the size of the SPLASHES when they were diving? I had to watch it again to makes sure they weren't TRYING to make a big splash! I guess it just shows how incredible the divers of today are!

[thomasuras]

wtf this must have been when ppl first learned how to swim

[tuesgone62]

Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing this piece of history.

[gianmariofelicetti]

Really thanks for joining this document. I see all of you are "experts" in the history of synchro. So I have seom questions... you mey know some "specific" reason why men get out of synchro? Is it due to the hollywood representation of this "attitude" of moving in the water? I read in some newspapers that "artistic swimming" was found in Germany at the end of XVIII century and men founded it. Sounds "strange" but realistic, more than thinking that Annette Kellermann get it out from nothing.Help?

[loislikespie1]

this is amazing, thank you so much for posting it!

[Eltingej]

WOW thanx for sharing !!!!!!!!!

[lauriant]

My mother did too - and she knew Esther Wms as well - this was amazing! her name was barbara farlander spencer

[thomasuras]

think she ever pissed in the pool

[mcjacqui]

My mother was in Billy Rose's San Francisco Aquacades. I've never seen a video! Thank you, it helps me visualize what her life was like at 19. I'm still hunting for video of SF.

[KwautLizard]

Terrific, I was a clown diver in my teens and this brought back some great memories for me. Thanks for this, your father's films are priceless.

[redsadiekins]

Thank you so much for posting this! My great-grandfather did the choreography for all of Billy Rose's shows and this was the first I been able to see footage. It means a lot to me!

[doogie1136]

You're welcome - it is interesting to learn of teh various connections people have with this historical event at the NY World's Fair. Appreciate your note. The choreography of the Aquacade always interested me- especially the swim line on the edge of the pool...

[celephane]

@doogie1136

My father's lifetime friend, Ted Wingstrom was a clown and stunt diver at this show. Ted would come and visit us at our home all through my childhood and bring photos and stories along with him. So good to see a video of this finally. Thank you for posting. I believe the clown diver in your video is Ted. He later became a paratrooper during World War ll, and later continued settled in Cora Gables Florida at the Biltmore Hotel. Ted died in 1992, and I saw him last in 1989.

[kalebird]

@doogie1136 hey, love the footage! do you know the copyright details of it (age & public domain). would really appreciate it. thanks!

[enekesa88]

Was your great grandfather named John Murray Anderson? Just asking because I am reading the autobiography of Esther Williams called The Million Dollar Mermaid, and she mentioned the choreographer's name.

[pickensj2]

That is so cool! It helps now so that I can visualize what Esther Williams was talking about in her book. I wish we still had World's Fairs like that now. They are so fascinating!

[RainJetSprinklers]

Billy Roses's aquacade is what spawned an american generation of business park fountains; and kept the Rain Jet corp. alive! Way to go Billy Rose!

[BerlinLynn]

Wow! I was absolutely stunned to find this. I have just finished re-reading Esther William's autobiography and she described the terrible experiences with Morton Downey (the host) and Johnny Weissmuller during this time. Thanks for sharing this treasure!

[enekesa88]

I KNOW! Shocking isn't it when she describes what really happened backstage during all these shows, yet here everything looks so lively and innocent.

[BerlinLynn]

Yes, absolutely shocking - ! Esther was a pro, even at such a young age - she hid her trauma well!

[JenJennJennie]

Watch this while listening to Patience and Prudence - Tonight You Belong to Me. Wonderful. :D

[CaptainMicrophone]

This video is great!

You should get a youtube award.

Captainmicrophone

[sandiegosinger]

Go watch Streisand's movie "FUNNY LADY" and see the HILARIOUS take off she did on keeping an eye on her then husband, Billy Rose

[MadLizzy1]

Thank you for posting this! Not only is it delightful to see such a quality film, but knowing that it was taken by your father makes it all the more special.

[beepbeepbeeeep]

thank you soo so so so much for posting this. it's simply magical

[ladydi5319]

Wow! What a great piece of history. My daughters LOVE Johnny Weissmuller and read his books where he talks about this Aquacade show. I think he also did one in Silver Springs Florida where I grew up. Thanks for sharing.  It is always a treat to see Johnny Weissmuller!

[doogie1136]

Always interested me growing up that this film was rare for content but also early color footage depicting a form of entertainment that was set in pre World War II times at the Fair in 1939.... There are a few web sites out there that can give context to what was going on in the world during the '39-40 timeframe...in terms of the NY World's Fair.Color film itself was just coming into its own, so we always appreciated the fact this footage was in color, not black and white!

[1234jncn]

Wow! This is historic. Thank you, thank you.

[JimpK]

P.S. The first girl swimming was no doubt Eleanor holm, but the gal diving with Johnny W. is Esther.

[JimpK]

I don't think this is N.Y. I believe the only Billy Rose Aqucade at a World's Fair was in San francisco. I saw it at the age of 5. Esther Williams Was in it, and signed with MGM shortly afterwards. She made several films before "Bathing Beauty: in 1944.

[doogie1136]

Definitely New York World's Fair- this is only a part of his films that were all taken over 1939 1940 at the NY World's Fair.

[condensedclassics]

Eleanore Holm was Jane to Glen Morris' Tarzan in 1935 watch her swim with Tarzan in The Many Movie Tarzans on my channel. Nice video, thanks.

[LahdenVS]

Fascinating video, and how wonderful of you to share it with YouTube viewers.

If it was filmed in New York, then it's Eleanor Holm in this video, as Esther Williams performed in the Aquacade with Johnny Weismuller when it moved to San Francisco (according to her autobiography)

[madman37115]

Fantastic footage! I think it's probably Eleanor Holm instead of Esther Williams ... but I could be wrong. Esther did appear with Johnny is some Aquacade performances. She didn't sign with MGM until 1944 and this is 1939.

[weekendin]

Absolutley fascinating - probably the only record.

Thanks for posting.