Load of rubbish!!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Colorful, breezy musical comedy. If it appeals to the sexist in males, it was meant too. Having Esther Williams strut around in a sarong was clearly meant to bring men in to a movie they would ordinarily avoid like the plague. But Williams showing off her great legs with suggestive costumes no doubt had the desired effect. And those out there trying to judge 1940's morality with the viewpoint of the 2016 PC police are just narrow-minded. There are great over the top swimming montages; and great musical numbers from Xavier Cugat; plus Jimmy Durante for Jimmy Duante fans. Williams (Rosalind Rennolds) is set to marry Ricardo Montalban (Ricardo Montez); but Peter Lawford has a crush on Williams and because he flies off with her he if facing a possible court- martial offense, but is rescued by Williams who defends his actions. Montalban is incensed as he has forbidden his fiancée to have anything to do with the Lawford character. What he doesn't realize is that his dancing partner, Cyd Charisse (Yvonne Torro) is in love with him. Watching Charisse dance with Montalban is painful to watch. Charisse was usually paired with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly and must have found working with Montalban like dancing with an elephant. This is still 1940's Hollywood so things work out. The Navy forgives Lawford, and he and Williams swim off together hopefully happy forever after. And Montalban realizes his true match is Charisse.And some might recognize Dick Simmons (George Blaine) in a role he was much more known for, at least by me when I was nine, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.

Whew! I'm glad I saved this one for last to watch from the Esther Williams Vol. 1 Collection. It's the only one – and only Williams film period – that I think falls flat on its face. The only reason I give it six stars is because the dance numbers, musical and swim scenes are top notch. The acting is quite good for most characters – save one: Peter Lawford. And the plot has two huge faults that seem to be big blunders. I've read some reviews of other films where viewers have said actors in some roles were miscast. Before this, I figured that the producers and/or directors must have known what they were doing, and I didn't agree with those comments. But in this film, I think there's no doubt that Lawford doesn't belong. That, or his acting is the worst of his career; and I have seen a number of films in which he was quite good. Some have commented about conflicts among people in the film. I don't know about those, but any assessment of this film just on its surface clearly spots the Lawford character and role as way out of place. I grant Hollywood its leeway in story plots and scripting. And, I can understand how most films need some fiction or fantasy scenes to improve. But this plot seems to be way overboard to me. Lawford's character is an almost inept, hapless, love struck Navy lieutenant. He kidnaps Esther Williams, who plays a movie star, and flies her to a small island 500 miles away. All the time, during this, before it, and after, he acts like a listless, whimpering, love struck boy. He really acts like a wacko. Esther later pleads for him and says the Navy's everything to him. Huh? He just showed it meant nothing by kidnapping and flying someone 500 miles away, while failing to follow orders, and cutting off his radio so he couldn't be tracked. Even in outright comedies that have fun with the military, such a culprit gets drummed out of the service. But here, Lawford gets off the hook and his CO and whole unit are there to support him to the end. OK, it's Hollywood and it's fantasy and it's supposed to be entertainment. But it really fails with the part of Lawford. One other quirk that is done so poorly. In almost all comedy romances that involve love triangles, the first match is obviously not the right one, and it's clear to the audience. The missing ingredient is real love (at least as we would perceive it). So, everyone cheers when the hero gets the gal, or vice versa. That's not the case in this film though. In all scenes right up until near the end, Esther and Ricardo Montalban are clearly deeply in love. It shows in all their scenes. And, initially, her irritation with Lawford appears obvious and genuine. So, at the end she suddenly finds herself in love with Lawford while Montalban just as quickly finds himself in love with Cyd Charisse. So much for real love as portrayed in the beginning. Where most Hollywood romance fantasies leave us satisfied that the right match happens at the end (happy ending), "On an Island with You" leaves the audience wondering what true love really is – as understood or portrayed in this movie, at least.

This is truly a great Musical Classic from 1948 with a cast of veteran actors and all at the height of their careers. Esther Williams, (Rosalind Reynolds) is a movie star who gives outstanding performances swimming gracefully with Richardo Montalban, (Ricardo Montez) and Peter Lawford, (Lt. Lawrence Y. Kingslee) who is a U. S. Navy technical adviser on the film who is suppose to fly a plane with Rosalind Reynolds hiding on the plane. Richardo Montez is in love with Rosalind Reynolds and expects to marry her after their filming of their movie. However, Lt. Kingslee met Rosalind a few years in the past and fell immediately in love with her and has every intention to marry her at all costs. Jimmy Durante, (Jimmy Buckley) along with Xavier Cugat and his orchestra gave great supporting roles to this great musical classic.

"On an Island with You" offers, as Neil Doyle has already remarked on this forum, escapist entertainment to warm any fan of this genre with the magnificent colors and the music in the film. MGM was the studio that excelled in this type of movies and this Esther Williams vehicle offers a lot of fun. Although predictable, it offers the viewer a nice time at the movies.Directed by Richard Thorpe, the movie takes us to a movie location where a film is being shot. The gorgeous Rosalind Reynolds is the star that combines acting with water ballet and incidental singing and dancing. Rosalind is attracted to a Navy Lieutenant that is serving as technical adviser to the movie. Larry Kingsley, in turn, seems to have fallen head over heels with the beautiful Rosalind.Esther Williams looks ravishingly beautiful in her water scenes as well as in her scenes with Peter Lawford, who plays Larry. Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse play roles in the film and they become involved with one another with the blessing of her mother in a funny scene at the end of the picture.The great Jimmy Durante almost steals the film from its stars. As Jimmy Doyle, the assistant to the director, he plays a key part in the movie and makes it his own. Xavier Cugat and his orchestra are also seen in the picture."On an Island with You" will not disappoint.