Thin Ice (1937)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Sidney Lanfield

Writers:

Attila Orbók (play)
Boris Ingster (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 September 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Swiss hotel ski instructor (Henie) falls in love with a man (Power) who goes skiing every morning.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Conference | Skiing | Ice Skating | Chauffeur

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Sonja Henie	...	Lili Heiser
Tyrone Power	...	Prince Rudolph aka Rudy Miller
Arthur Treacher	...	Nottingham
Raymond Walburn	...	Uncle Dornik
Joan Davis	...	Orchestra Leader
Sig Ruman	...	Prime Minister Ulrich (as Sig Rumann)
Alan Hale	...	Baron
Leah Ray	...	Singer
Melville Cooper	...	Herr Krantz
Maurice Cass	...	Count
George Givot	...	Alex
Greta Meyer	...	Martha
Egon Brecher	...	Janitor
Torben Meyer	...	Herman, Prince's Chauffeur
George Davis	...	Waiter

Also Known As:

Der Komet (Canada: English title)
Lovely to Look at (UK)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #3439)

Filming Locations:

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The original play opened in Budapest in 1922. An English translation of the play by Fanny Hatton and Frederic Hatton opened in New York on 23 October 1930 with the title "His Majesty's Car." It starred Miriam Hopkins and ran for 12 performances.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sleep Baby Sleep (Yodel Melody)

Sonia Skates While Ty Plays

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.