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Romantic melodramas don't come much dumber than Raw Wind in Eden, but that's no reason to not watch the film. It's rare that films of this type, which aim for nothing more than to show off a pair of attractive stars and throw some ridiculous complications into a plot in order to keep them apart, offer great rewards in the script department anyway. The screenplay for this one is pretty average for the genre, until the last third or so, when it just stops trying and settles for being a shambles. Up till then there have at least been a few sharp lines to keep the viewer entertained when his or her eyes decide to stop watching Esther Williams and Jeff Chandler (and the scenery) and his or her ears decide to pay attention to what's actually being said. As co-writer, Richard Wilson makes things difficult for Richard Wilson as director, and the director's response is to shrug and focus on the beauty on display, hoping that viewers will go along with that. Many probably will. Neither Williams (who of course gets to swim) nor Chandler turn in outstanding performances, but they're perfectly fine and they look the parts, which is what's important. Much can be said for the rest of the cast, in their own ways.