review for Dangerous When Wet on AllMovie

Dangerous When Wet is one of Esther Williams' best vehicles, the rare one in which the plot actually counts for something. The basic setup -- Williams must swim the English Channel in order to make money to save her family's farm, but love interest Fernando Lamas keeps getting in the way -- clearly gives the aquatic star plenty of opportunity to show off her athletic ability, most memorably in a lovely dream water ballet with cartoon stars Tom and Jerry. But Williams, never a great actress, does surprisingly well in her dramatic and comedic scenes as well. She's helped by a genuine chemistry between her and Lamas, but even in the sequences without him, she does quite well. The script is by-the-numbers and predictable, but it's enjoyable and the climax still generates more than sufficient suspense. The score is quite enjoyable, if not quite first-rate, and Charles Walters directs with a modicum of flair and a minimum of fuss. William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood, the latter still capable of doing some impressively athletic dance moves, are great fun, and Jack Carson turns in a good performance as the not-so-slick promoter. Dangerous When Wet is great fun, even for those who are not necessarily Williams devotees.