Esther Williams: Underwater Rumbera

It's official. With the passing of Esther Williams, the 'Old Hollywood' of legend is all but a memory. It's hard to imagine today, with the infinite possibilities of today's computer-generated imagery (CGI), but from the mid-1940's into the mid-1950's, the sheer novelty of Esther Williams' underwater escapades in glossy musicals at MGM Studios made her one of the worlds most popular film stars. As Latin music figured so prominently in several of her films, Mambo-phoniC takes a look at the rhythmic impact of this underwater rumbera.


Before we even see Esther Williams, the opening sequence of her first staring film, "Bathing Beauty" (1944) features Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra, performing  poolside at a glamorous resort on a sun-drenched day. Performed here by Lina Romay, the song "Bim Bam Bum" by pianist Noro Morales became one of the most popular rumbas of the 1940's.

An appearance in an Esther Williams MGM musical was the equivalent of 'going viral' on the internet today. And most musicologists acknowledge that Hollywood's fascination with Latin music 'flavoring' in films of the 1940's (a direct result of the WWII 'Good Neighbor Policy'), helped 'prepare' U.S. mass audiences for the more 'robust' sounds of Mambo and Cha Cha Cha of the 1950's.



Later in this same film, Esther is serenaded by Carlos Ramirez, performing Maria Grever's exquisite "Te  Quiero Dijiste" ("Magic is the Moonlight"). A beautiful song originally published twelve years earlier, the presence of "Magic is the Moonlight" in this film turned it into a massive crossover hit, that remains an American 'standard' to this day. In an age when interracial casting was nearly unheard of on 'dry-land', Esther Williams underwater fantasy world was considered enough of a 'buffer' that she was paired with numerous Latino leading men such as Cesar Romero, Ricardo Montalban and Fernando Lamas (with whom she fell in love and married in real life).



Yes, there are many great stars of the 1950's and the 1960's still with us: James Garner, Kim Novak, Sidney Poitier and Leslie Caron among them. But these were considered 'newcomers' compared to the stars created during the heyday of the Hollywood 'Studio System' of the 1920's, 30's and 40's - all-controlling,  entities like Paramount, Universal, RKO, Columbia, and Warner Brothers, which literally found and cultivated not only personalities, but helped shape the tastes of the nation from fashion to music. And of course, MGM was the queen of the studios.

How powerful was MGM? Well, they turned a champion swimmer into a household name (Williams was slated to compete in the 1940 Olympic Games, had they not been cancelled due to the outbreak of WWII). A smart and savvy businesswoman, Williams went on to make more millions marketing swimwear and pools for decades after her film career faded in the late-1950's. Perhaps more importantly, in an era when women feared that serious exercise would make them look 'unfeminine', Esther also was among the first female stars to incorporate serious athleticism and health into the conversation of glamour and beauty, decades before the 'health craze'. While there were arguably more 'beautiful' stars in the 1940's and '50's, Williams exuded a radiance that came from being truly healthy (as her mostly active 91 years attest), not the elaborate maquillage painted upon the faces of most other stars of her generation.

Today, when personalities fade into oblivion after a good four of five year run as a 'superstar,' the power of personality created in 1944 out of spandex, sequens and some plaster seahorses makes one realize the massive power of the 'Studio System.' Below are a couple of my favorite Esther Williams production numbers, including including the cheerily-sinister fire & water sequence in "Million Dollar Mermaid" (1952), and the 1953 water skiing extravaganza filmed on-location at Florida's Cypress Gardens for "Easy To Love" (btw... Esther was PREGNANT at the time, and still did her own stunts). Both staged by famed Choreographer Busby Berkley, if you've never seen one of Esther's movies, treat yourself to viewing these clips! Hail and farewell, Esther. You gave us decades of joy. And as for 'Hollywoodland'... R.I.P.

Tito Puente and the Mambo: Sound of the Divine

We've all faced challenges lately, which makes me all the more grateful for this year's  blessings. After exactly two decades, I had the opportunity to reconnect with and present the awe-inspiring 20-member Mambo Legends Orchestra (essentially, the former Tito Puente Orchestra) in a concert glowingly-reviewed by The Huffington Post. That same day, I welcomed the amazing Joe Conzo - Tito Puente's biographer, archivist and best-friend of over 40 years - as my guest panelist for the season three-finale of 'Metro Mambo' - my Latin-jazz lecture series for the Smithsonian Institution.

As a result of that collaboration, Joe agreed to become a regular guest on my radio show for a segment called the 'Metro Mambo Time Machine'. To my delight and astonishment, Joe has generously agreed to share gems from his renowned private collection of ultra-rare vintage recordings by everyone from Tito Puente and Machito, to Orquesta Broadway and Arsenio Rodriguez. Rarest of all are reel-to-reel recordings made live in the 1950's, 60's and 70's at venues such as the Apollo, the Band Box, The Beacon Theatre, Birdland, and the Palladium Ballroom - New York's fabled 'Home of the Mambo'.

The segment debut was on October 28, in tandem with the release of his latest endeavor, as executive producer for Sony Music Latin's boxed-set "Quatro: The Definitive Collection" - a beautifully presented re-mastering of four classic Tito Puente albums of the mid-1950's through early 1960's - appropriately displayed above on the 1961 Webcor Overture Silhouette Stereo console (...and the word 'albums' is correct, as it has been released both on CD and in real, high-quality vinyl). In addition to writing the liner notes, Joe provided the content for a fifth 'bonus album' featuring multiple out-takes from the recording session for Pa' Los Rumberos from Puente's classic 1956 album "Cuban Carnival."

These out-takes and live recordings are a critical reminder of the virtually lost craft of 'live' recording. Today, musicians often record their respective segments individually, only committing the perfect track to the completed whole. Sometimes, the musicians can be hundreds, if not thousands of miles apart from one another. How refreshing to hear the misfires, flubs, and even Puente's exasperation - reminding us not only of the hard work involved, but also of the bonding between 15, 18 or 20 individual artists as they struggle collectively to create the gift of something truly fine.

That level of quality contains another rare ingredient: time. Before hearing the familiar studio recording of Mambo Gozon from Puente's landmark 1958 album "Dance Mania,"we played Joe's un-released live recording of the tune - from two years earlier(!)  It's a little slower, sans vocals - but with the addition of instrumental jazz solos(!).  All of our favorite vamps and breaks are in evidence, but differently ordered or inverted.  Recorded at El Patio Club on Atlantic Beach on Long Island, New York, Joe confirms it as the club at which, Joe confirms, Puente first performed with his own band in 1949 (sharing the bill with a young Tony Bennett). But it confirms that Puente didn't just write a tune and run into he studio.  Actually, he'd been work shopping Mambo Gozon for two years - polishing it to a deep, rich lustre -  before taking it into the RCA-Victor studio's for the then highly-expensive recording process.

At times, hundreds of dancers would just stand in awe, transfixed as the Mambo Legends Orchestra performed a range of new works and Palladium-era classics at Artisphere in Arlington, Virginia back in September. These vintage recordings underscore why. The Band is a direct link to a bygone era of artisanal music, crafted live by musicians committing actual skin, breath, blood and bone to its creation. Without any computerized tricks, the presentation is so perfect as to be almost otherworldly. Just as on Puente's classic albums like "Dance Mania" and "Night Beat," the MLO sounds almost like an Organ - as if the musicians were being manipulated in-unison by one instrumentalist 'playing them' via a keyboard.  Watch and listen....

Hearing the Puente out-takes from "Quatro" - and Joe Conzo's early live recordings allowing us to hear the classics of Latin-jazz literally being born - reminds us not only of the majesty of 'El Rey', but also of the meaning of true artistry.  The synthesised 'perfection' achieved today through computer chips will always sound hollow. Disconnected.  Nothing can compare the sound of artists who take you with them in their passionate pursuit of that perfection - and getting close enough to connect us to the Divine.

P.S.: So where in the heck has Mambo-phoniC been? Ahhhh..., the best laid plans of mice and men - and mambo. How diligent I was going to be, I said back in the Spring, about keeping up with Mambo-phoniC! Well.., one job restructuring, a major car accident, three consecutive surprise interim assignments, a derecho storm, and two home mortgage refinancing's later, and well... I'm still here, and so are you. And we're blessed to be here.  So..., here is the next monthly installment of Mambo-phoniC!

The Oscars and the Mambo - Rock Around The Clock Goes Latin (Scene 3)

As we approach Academy Awards weekend, I turn my 'mid-century modern mambo spotlight' on two of my favorite examples of the use of mambo in Hollywood films:  the rock & roll cult-classic 'Rock Around the Clock' (Columbia, 1956), and it's mostly forgotten (and until recently, unavailable) companion film, the Mambo-centric "Cha Cha Cha BOOM!".

Most people forget that Mambo played a critical role in "Rock Around the Clock," as did pioneering actor and west coast bandleader Tony Martinez. Far from being derided, Mambo is presented by the talent scouts in the film as a popular genre enjoyed by young folks that is already 'established'.  Mambo isn't dismissed as 'old folks music' in Tony Martinez' scenes.  Conversely, the 'kids' on the dance floor all know and love the mambo.  During one critical scene, Martinez is paid by the promoter to have his band play all boleros and ballads, so that the rock and roll band sounds 'hotter'.  Then, after Bill Haley and his Comets play their number, Martinez tells his band to turn on the heat, and the kids jump right up and mambo like mad. 

What's even more telling is that Columbia made a companion musical film called "Cha Cha Cha BOOM!".  Using the same leading lady (Alix Talton), and even the plot of a talent scout seeking to find the next big craze, "...BOOM!" featured Mexican bandleader Luis Arcaraz, West coast charanga pioneer Manny Lopez, and Latin music superstar Perez Prado!  Watching the clip below, you'll even see some of the same sets!  The very fact that the film was even made is a testament to the impact of the Mambo craze in the early 1950's.  The film was produced shortly after Prado had scored one of the biggest hits of the first half of the 1950's with 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" (which held the #1 spot on the pop charts for 10 straight weeks).   "Cha Cha Cha BOOM!" is a great demonstration of the fact that - in mid-1955 - for a film studio to ignore Mambo was leaving potential money on the table.  The original posters proudly proclaim "Made by the producers of 'Rock Around the Clock'!"

However, it soon became clear that the 'easy-money' was following the rock & roll trend.  "Rock Around the Clock" was a huge hit, and soon inspired innumerable knock-offs by producer Fred F. Sears and others.  Meanwhile, despite decent reviews (especially for dancers Dante De Paulo and Sylvia Lewis), "Cha Cha Cha BOOM!" was all but dumped onto the market and soon forgotten.  In fact, it was mysteriously unavailable for years after a brief clip turned up in the PBS documentary "Routes of Rhythm." in the early 1990's, only to suddenly reappear a couple of years ago, much to the delight of fans of Latin music.

Neither of these movies could possibly be considered examples of great film making.  But as historical documents, both contain other layers of information much deeper than one would expect.  Tony Martinez' band in Rock Around the Clock features rare footage of some of the pillars of the west coast Latin-jazz scene: Freddie Aguirre on timbales; Carlos Mejia on bongo; Rafael Vazquez on bass; and the legendary pianist Eddie Cano!  One of the first Latinos with a regular role on a prime time series (the popular 'The Real McCoys'), Tony Martinez originated the role of 'Sancho Panza' in the Broadway hit Man of La Mancha, and appeared in touring productions into the 1980's).  In addition to a rare Hollywood film appearance by Perez Prado, "Cha Cha Cha BOOM!" also features Mexican bandleader Luis Arcaraz, and a rare film appearance by west coast charanga pioneer Manny Lopez, to whom your blogger had the great pleasure of giving a copy of the film to watch for the first time in 52 years. 

Because of the way art and culture are packaged and sold in the U.S., Latin music fans often miss out on some great screen moments of authentic mambo music.  Often, great examples are hidden in plain sight.

The Oscars and the Mambo: Cross Body Leads (Scene 2)

Not unlike a trompe l'oeil painting, many vintage Hollywood films posses their own brand of perspectival illusionism.  At first glance, the film may seem 'one-dimensional' as they deal with Latin music and/or characters.  Sometimes, however, the more you look, the more information can emerge from the confines of the screen.

One good example is "Criss Cross" (Universal, 1949), a rather well-known film noir crime drama by director Robert Siodmak.  The film stars brooding Burt Lancaster and stunning Yvonne DeCarlo, long before her days as ghoulish 'Lilly Munster' of mid-1960's television fame.  The viewer is first introduced to DeCarlo's character, 'Anna', when recent parolee Lancaster spots his old flame doing the rumba in a crowded, smoky little Los Angeles dance hall.  The band, which thankfully received billing in the credits, is led by virtuoso flautist Esy Morales, brother of legendary bandleader Noro Morales. 

Esy was considered among the most gifted flautists of the 1940's.  Adept in classical, jazz and Latin genres, he performed to acclaim at Carnegie Hall (his version of 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' was legendary), and recorded widely on labels such as Decca and RCA-Victor.  The legendary Tito Puente named one of his more memorable early Latin-jazz numbers 'Esy,' upon the 43 year old flautist's premature death of a heart attack in 1950.  For this reason alone, this clip is a treat.

But a dramatic close-up during a relatively lengthy piano solo reveals even more to the astute viewer.  The pianist driving delectable DeCarlo into a dance floor frenzy is none other than the legendary Rene Touzet, one of the greatest Cuban composers of his generation.  Touzet's many hit compositions include "Mi Musica Es Para Ti," "Tu Felicidad (Made For Each Other)", and "No Te Importe Saber" (recorded as "Let Me Love You Tonight" by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and other top pop vocalists of the era).  Touzet relocated to the U.S. in the early 1940's, and by the mid 1950's was among the top Latin bandleaders on the West Coast scene (a staple at promoter/dj Chico Sesma's legendary 'Latin Holiday' dances at the Hollywood Palladium).  As an added bonus in this film, Yvonne DeCarlo's dance partner in this scene is none other than future top 1950's heartthrob Tony Curtis, in one of his first screen appearances.  A decade later, Curtis would be at his peak, co-starring with Marilyn Monroe in the classic "Some Like it Hot."

All too often early Hollywood films are 'written off' by Latin music scholars because they usually didn't contain 'big name' bands (a la Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez...).  However, even the most unlikely films often contain a bounty of information and insight when you look deeper.