#14: MGM’s Golden Ticket

MGM’s debut film with their star swimmer achieved colossal box office success, prompting a fervent production spree for similar hits. They possessed a star, a pool, and, fortuitously, an adaptable script that merely awaited revitalization.

Drawing from Bathing Beauty for their sequel, MGM arguably recycled the concept with minimal changes, as the star herself noted. Despite the repetitive formula, Williams’s aquatic prowess continued to fill MGM’s coffers, a fact she was well aware of.