NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949)

Neptune's Daughter (1949). Musical/ romantic/ comedy Cast: Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalbán, Betty Garrett, Keenan Wynn, Xavier Cugat and Mel Blanc. Directer: Edward Buzzell. Features the Academy Award winning song Baby, It's Cold Outside by Frank Loesser. Neptune's Daughter was the third movie that paired Williams and Ricardo Montalbán together, the other two being Fiesta (1947) and On an Island with You (1948), and the second to co-star Red Skelton (1944's Bathing Beauty).

At first aquatic ballet dancer Eve Barrett, rejects the offer by Joe Backett to become his business partner at the Neptune swimming suit design company, but changes her mind when she thinks about the publicity she will get out of the job. When Joe learns that a South American polo team will be playing a big match in town, he and Eve begin planning a swim number for the event. Eve tells her love starved sister Betty about the South American team coming to town, Betty comes up with a plan to find herself a husband.

After practice, Jose O'Rourke, the captain of the polo team, goes to see Jack Spratt, a masseur, who tells Jose that he has never been on with a date woman. During the massage, Jose gives Jack advice on how to talk to women, he believes women can not resits him when he speaks to them in Spanish, which he calls the "language of love." While looking for the South American team captain, Betty accidentally mistakes Jack for Jose. Jack keeps his true identity secret and accepts her invitation to have dinner at her house. On their date, Jack secretly plays a Spanish language instruction record while pretending that he is speaking to Betty.

Later, Betty tells Eve about her date, and Eve tries to talk her out of dating any of the visiting polo players. The next day, while giving a tour of the Neptune bathing suit factory, Eve meets Jose and warns him to stay away from her sister. Jose is attracted to Eve, and pretends to understand and agrees to break his date with Betty. Jose asks Eve to go on the date with him, she says "yes" only to prevent him from dating her sister. Eve finds him attractive and enjoys her evening.

The mistaken identities and romantic complications turn this film into a great mix of fun. Garrett and Skelton's on screen chemistry was wonderful. I'm surprised that they did not do more films together..

Soundtracks:
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"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams
also performed by Red Skelton and Betty Garrett




"I Love Those Men"
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Betty Garrett with Red Skelton and Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra

"My Heart Beats Faster"
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed by Ricardo Montalban

"On a Slow Boat to China"
Written by Frank Loesser
Performed as instrumental scoring for bathing suit fashion sequence

"Jungle Rhumba"
(uncredited)
Music by Toni Beaulieu
Performed by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra