Thin Ice

After the success that Sonia Henie's American film debut, One In a Million, had at the box office, no doubt Darryl F. Zanuck felt better about investing more money in her next film, Thin Ice. The resulting production is obvious for any viewer, the money spigots were left on for Thin Ice.

It's hard to imagine today the world wide popularity of Sonia Henie who the year before had come off her third gold medal in the Olympics before turning professional with the 20th Century Fox movie contract. The public wanted to see her skate and Zanuck gave them what they wanted. Her many routines are nicely staged and the ice dancing got an Academy Award nomination for Dance Direction. Yes, back in the age of musicals they actually had that as an Oscar category.

Zanuck even gave her his lot's most popular leading man in Tyrone Power. This was the first of two films Power did with Henie and while I think that Second Fiddle was a better film, this one isn't bad for what it is, a vehicle to show off Sonia Henie.

Sonia plays a skating instructor at an Alpine resort which is going to host a European conference. Power plays the playboy prince of a small duchy whose romantic escapades get him headlines. Henie gets herself involved with him, but she doesn't know who it is. In the meantime the two of them become tabloid fodder. I think you have a good idea where this plot is leading.

Still Thin Ice is not bad as entertainment. And for comic relief we have Joan Davis conducting the all girl orchestra at the hotel and giving us some comic numbers. She's not bad at all. And Zanuck had such scene stealing character actors as Arthur Treacher, Alan Hale, Raymond Walburn, Sig Ruman, Melville Cooper, and Maurice Cass for support.

None but the best for his Olympic size investment.

THIN ICE (20th Century-Fox, 1937), directed by Sidney Lanfield, stars Olympic skating champion, Sonja Henie, in her second ice skating musical and her first of two opposite the studio's then rising young leading actor by the name of Tyrone Power. With screenplay by Boris Ingster and Milton Sperling, it's basically fluff-type material consisting of mistaken identity between two people highlighted by song and ice skating production sequences that was no doubt back in 1937 to be another sure winner for the One in a Million Sonja Henie.

Plot Summary: Christmas is fast approaching in the Swiss Alps but at 82 degrees, there seems to be no signs of snow in the forecast. With three weeks before the season, Herr Kratz (Melville Cooper), manager of the Grand Hotel Imperial of St. Christoph, prays for a miracle of snow so Christmas will find his empty hotel full of ski going guests. A miracle does happen: Nottingham (Arthur Treacher), the butler to Prince Rudolph (Tyrone Power), makes reservations for 81 rooms and three suites for an upcoming convention shortly before the much needed snow starts falling down from the clouds above. Some time later, Prince Rudolph and Nottingham arrive by train. After coming to the Grand Hotel Imperial on wheelchair pretending to be sick, Rudolph sneaks away with his servant to the quaint Billage Inn where he remains to have his privacy. While on the ski slopes, he encounters Lily Heiser (Sonja Henie), a skating instructor at the Grand Hotel. Unaware of his identity, the prince passes himself off as Rudy Miller, a newspaper man covering the convention at the hotel where she works. After Lily is seen returning to the hotel exiting the prince's royal car driven by her chauffeur boyfriend, Alex (George Givot), rumors spread rapidly throughout the village of Lily being romantically involved with the prince. Feeling this news to be good publicity for his hotel business, Krantz allows Lily to display her skating skills to the guests at the hotel's ice skating musical programs. With Lily is a bit confused by all the attention and gifted presents, she claims to have never even met the prince before. Later Lily finds herself being watched by some elderly gentleman in the audience bearing bushy mustache and glasses during her slating exhibitions, unaware it's Rudy in disguise, leading to a series of complicated events for all. Also in the cast are Raymond Walburn (Lily's Uncle Dornic); Sig Ruman (Prime Minister Ulrich); Alan Hale (The Baron); Maurice Cass (The Count); and Greta Meyer (Martha). Look fast for Lon Chaney Jr., a few years before his Universal horror fame of the 1940s, glimpsed as one of the newspaper reporters.

New songs by Lew Pollack and Sidney Mitchell are as follows: "Over Night" (vocalized over opening credits); "My Secret Love Affair" (sung by Leah Ray); "Olga of the Volga" (by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, sung by Joan Davis); "The Polovetsian Dances" from PRINCE IGOR (skating number with Sonja Henie and ensemble); "My Swiss Hilly-Billy" (sung in comic fashion by Joan Davis); "Tales of the Vienna Woods" (by Johann Strauss/skate number with by Henie); and "Over Night" (finale, sung by chorus, skate number with Henie). Leah Ray offers a beautiful rendition to "My Secret Love Affair," a title tune that might have served better as its movie title considering the royalty meets commoner theme involved. Skating numbers, choreographed by Harry Losee, is well staged with Henie, naturally, as its center of attention.

Formerly broadcast on commercial (1960s) and later public television (1980s, where the closing cast credits was edited), THIN ICE would come to pass again in its entirety on video cassette and DVD, plus cable television availability as American Movie Classics (1992-93, and 2001) and occasionally on Fox Movie Channel where other Henie musicals are shown.

THIN ICE is short (77 minutes), sweet and to the point romantic fairy tale type caper with Henie and Power appearing to be enjoying their assignment together as they would again in the second film together of SECOND FIDDLE (1939). While the plotting may be a bit thin with ice only part of the skating sequences, there's enough entertainment to go around for anyone's enjoyment. (***1/2)

1937's "Thin Ice" served as Sonja Henie's sophomore Hollywood effort, more popular than her debut in "One in a Million," due perhaps to the casting of real life paramour Tyrone Power as her leading man. He delivers as expected portraying the handsome prince come to the Alps for an important peace conference, easily outshining his weak co-star in every way except of course on the ice, where she delivers everything that her acting performances ultimately failed to do. Hardly the naïve innocent she was playing on screen, it's amusing to watch Sonja ply her trade as a skating instructor for a financially strapped Swiss hotel, but as soon as rumors abound of her romance with Power's Prince Rudolph offers arrive swiftly and decisively, though the girl is kept in the dark about his true identity until picture's end. Their off screen chemistry doesn't seem to have translated well on camera, but the strapping young Tyrone Power cements his cinematic rise to superstardom by carrying the lightweight material for his novice leading lady, as well as nervous studio chief Darryl Zanuck, often on the losing end of negotiations with the temperamental Sonja. Among the unbilled extras, Lon Chaney can be spotted as an American reporter on two very brief occasions: at the 10 minute mark, a silent bit as Power's prince makes his first appearance posing as an invalid coming off the train, and again 16 minutes later, rushing in to breathlessly await news of the couple's romance, his dialogue drowned out with the noise of all the other newsmen. Of his numerous uncredited roles during his forgettable two year odyssey at Fox, this probably ranks at or near the very bottom, at least easily recognizable in Sonja's next vehicle, "Happy Landing," where he was granted a few lines to distinguish himself.

The skating instructor at a luxury Swiss hotel finds herself on THIN ICE when she is linked romantically with a handsome foreign prince.

Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 & 1936. Quickly going professional, she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936. Beautiful & talented, as well as being a natural in front of the cameras, she carved out her niche during Hollywood's Golden Age. Although Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions, there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality. Some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her.

The plot of THIN ICE is utterly ludicrous, but this was never meant to be anything but escapist fare. All that's required of Sonja is that she smile & skate, which she manages very nicely. Her routines based on themes inspired by Old Russia & 'The Tales of the Vienna Woods' are particularly pleasing.

Tyrone Power, 20th Century Fox's young prince, plays Sonja's love interest. He exhibits much of the boyish charm which was about to make him a major celebrity.

Supporting the two stars is a flurry of wonderful character actors: stiff-upper-lipped Arthur Treacher, conniving Raymond Walburn, blustery Alan Hale, frantic Melville Cooper, Sig Rumann, George Givot & Greta Meyer. Slapstick comedienne Joan Davis surfaces long enough to sing a couple of wacky songs, most notably 'I'm Olga From The Volga.'

Ultimately, though, this is Sonja's show. She glides into the viewer's heart, while balancing on a thin edge of silver over frozen water.

"On Thin Ice" (1937) is a lackluster film that fails to deliver on any front. The plot is predictable, with weak dialogue and uninspired performances from the cast. The characters lack depth, making it difficult to invest in their struggles or triumphs. The direction is equally disappointing, with sluggish pacing and unimaginative cinematography. Even the attempts at humor fall flat, leaving the audience unengaged. Overall, "On Thin Ice" is a forgettable movie that doesn't live up to the standards of its era, ultimately skating on very thin ice.

It also greatly from its subpar acting. The cast delivers lifeless performances, lacking any spark or conviction. The lead actors, in particular, fail to bring their characters to life, resulting in a dull and unengaging viewing experience. Their stilted dialogue delivery and lack of chemistry make the already weak script even harder to endure. Even the supporting actors seem disengaged, contributing to the overall sense of mediocrity. The film's potential is completely undermined by the uninspired and wooden performances from its cast. Tyrone Power and Sonja Henje's "relationship" offscreen was manufactured by the studio and ended quickly. You can tell why it ended. They're just not compatible or good together as a couple.