Thrill of a Romance

Thrill of a Romance (also known as Thrill of a New Romance) is an American Technicolor romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by Tommy Dorsey & his Orchestra and opera singer Lauritz Melchior. The film was directed by Richard Thorpe and written by Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman.

The film tells the story of Cynthia Glenn, who, after a whirlwind romance, marries a rich businessman. However, on the first day of their honeymoon, her new husband is called away to Washington, leaving her alone at a resort. During this time, she meets and falls in love with a war hero, Tommy Milvaine, played by Van Johnson.

This was the second of five films that paired Williams and Johnson together. Made over a period of eight years, those that followed were Easy to Wed (1946), Duchess of Idaho (1950) and Easy to Love (1953).

Thrill of a Romance was a box office success, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1945.

Cynthia Glenn (Esther Williams) is a swimming instructor in Los Angeles, where she lives with her scatterbrained aunt and uncle Nona and Hobart (Spring Byington and Henry Travers). While demonstrating a dive, she catches the eye of an interested stranger, Bob Delbar (Carleton G. Young). Cynthia receives flowers from the stranger. The two court for one month, then get married.

On their honeymoon at the hotel Monte Belva, they encounter the famous opera singer, Nils Knudsen (Lauritz Melchior). Major Thomas Milvaine (Van Johnson), also staying at the hotel, notices Cynthia. A rich colleague, J. P. Bancroft, insists that Bob come to Washington, D.C. to complete a deal. While Cynthia cries over Bob's departure, Tommy, staying next door, comforts her.

Next day by the pool, she and Bancroft's daughter, Maude (Frances Gifford) speculate as to which hotel guest is Major Thomas Milvaine, the decorated war hero, who shot down "16... or was it 26 war planes?" and was stuck on a deserted island for a month. After Maude teases Cynthia about being at the hotel without her husband, Cynthia performs an elaborate dive and runs into Major Milvaine himself, who can't actually swim, so she teaches him how.

For the rest of the week, Cynthia and Tommy continue accompanying each other to dinner and other activities around the hotel, including swimming. On the last day, Cynthia receives a telegram from Bob informing her that he can't return for another week. Tommy is leaving the next morning, and Cynthia is distraught, so she retires to her room. Tommy realizes he loves her, rushes to their adjoining balcony, confesses his love and that he will stay for another week. Cynthia reiterates that she's a married woman, and therefore won't let him hop over the hedge separating their two balconies and make love to her. She calls Bob and begs him to return, but he can't.