Thin Ice

Even in her lesser films, Sonja Henie was always watchable and there was a good deal to like about her weaker outings. The bright spots were often her, the ice skating sequences and the music, while the weak link was often typically the story.

'Thin Ice' is a nice, pleasant film, if not a great one. Its chief let-down is the very threadbare and sometimes ridiculous story, that even feels too thin for the very short length and more an excuse for stringing along the skating sequences, the comedy and the songs.

The ice skating sequences (often a highlight in Henie's films) are beautifully choreographed, adeptly danced and lovely to look at, but there have been more imaginative and memorable ones in a Sonja Henie film. Likewise, the songs are pleasant and fit well, but there are no instant classics here.

However, 'Thin Ice' looks great, the comedy from Joan Davies still stands up as very funny, it's all competently directed and the dance direction for the "Prince Igor Suite" is pretty exemplary.

While stretched ever so slightly in the acting department, Henie is pert and charming with a smile that makes anyone go weak at the knees, and the camera clearly loves her. Her ice skating is also out of this world, and the envy perhaps of even professional ice skaters now. Tyrone Power is a handsome and charismatic partner, their chemistry endearing to watch, while Joan Davies steals scenes in a deliciously riotous performance.

On the whole, a nice if not great film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

It's funny, but after doing well over 4000 reviews on IMDb, I had yet to see a single Sonja Henie film. Although I am a huge fan of Hollywood's Golden Age, I can't stand the odd notion of integrating skating or swimming (such as in the Esther Williams films) into enormous and ultimately silly song and dance spectaculars. While this Henie film was not done by famed choreographer and director Busby Berkeley, it was filled with gobs of song and skating numbers that frankly bored me and looked a lot like the work of Berkeley.

Fortunately, this film was on tape, so I was able to speed through these numbers when they became too tedious. What was left was actually pretty good thanks to some decent writing and a surprisingly nice performance by Henie. She and Tyrone Power did a good job when it came to the story and I really wish Twentieth-Century Fox would have just eliminated or extremely shortened the musical numbers because the romance was very sweet. Apparently folks in the 30s loved these cornball numbers, but they seriously impede the story. If you can look past this, this is a nice little time passer--good enough that I actually might just see another Henie film.

"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.

I've now seen this-Sonja Henie's second feature-online. She seems a little more comfortable on camera as well as with dialogue of which she has to carry more of though with a leading man she was very enamored of off-screen this time: Tyrone Power. He plays a prince trying to go out incognito at night for skiing while Sonja does the same thing as a skating instructor at a swank hotel. There's also comedienne Joan Davis as the bandleader of an all-girl orchestra providing a couple of funny numbers. Among the rest of the supporting cast are Arthur Treacher, Sig Ruman, and Alan Hale Sr.-yes, the father of Alan Hale Jr. who's famous as the Skipper of "Gilligan's Island". Initially hilarious, the plot threatens to run out of steam but ends soon enough with yet another of Ms. Henie's skating routines. Kudos to director Sidney Lanfield for guiding her in both this and her debut in One in a Million.

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.