This Time for Keeps is a 1947 American romantic musical film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante, Johnnie Johnston and opera singer Lauritz Melchior.

Produced by MGM, it is about a soldier, returning home from war, who does not wish to work for his father's opera company or to continue his relationship with his pre-war lover.

Earlier, as it turns out, after Dick received an injury during the war, he stayed at a hospital where Leonora performed for the patients.

Dick surprises her there, and he reminds her of their previous meeting by giving her a quick kiss, getting his nose twisted as punishment.

At rehearsal the next day, Nora says before she can fall in love, Dick must pass inspection from her family back on Mackinac Island.

Six weeks later, Mr. Herald arrives at an Aqua Capers rehearsal in an attempt to find Nora, but Ferdi will not tell him where she is.

Mr. Herald takes Grandmother to listen to Dick's performance at the hotel, where he convinces Cugat to fire his son and then begins to sing for the audience.

He stops singing "La donna è mobile" and begins "Easy to Love", during which Dick gets up and sits next to Nora, where they hold hands and snuggle.

Johnston and Romay later sing a 'blended' "Un poquito de amor" / "I'll give you all my heart" together in the ending nightclub scene.

[7] To convey the sense of outdoorsy, country small-town life in the film, Irene decided to use a lot of plaid in the costumes.

"Finally, I reached around me, tugged at the zipper, and watched as the suit quickly sank to the bottom of the deep end of the pool."

Williams's assistant had to cut holes in a towel to place around her as she exited the pool, as the set was surrounded by tourists.

[1][10] A 1947 New York Times review of the film called it a "very dull show, consciously cute and embarrassingly cloying for most of its over-extended length.

[11] On October 6, 2009, Turner Entertainment released This Time for Keeps on DVD as part of the Esther Williams Spotlight Collection, Volume 2.