Thin Ice (1937 film)

Thin Ice is an American Eisrevuefilm with Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power from the year 1937.

Action

Lili Heiser, a ski instructor in a Swiss hotel. She has fallen in love with the shy young man who takes every morning with her lessons without knowing that it is Prince Rudolph. Both also have no idea that the entire world press takes an active interest in the progress of their romance. The hotel management takes advantage of the publicity and transfers Lili starring in a spectacular ice show. At the end is from Lili Heiser Princess Lili and Rudolph and live happily ever after.

Background

The Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie decided after the end of their unprecedented winning streak with three Olympic victories, ten World Cup titles and six European Championship titles in mid 1936 for a career in film. After tough negotiations to conditions they eventually signed with 20th Century Fox for a fee of $ 60,000 and star billing, conditions that no other Neuschauspieler had been granted yet. The success of her debut in One in a Million led to a new movie deal, which guaranteed their fees to $ 125,000 per film and the assurance of the so-called First billing, stating that its name would be announced before any other actor.

The studio developed for Stephenie has its special shape of the revue film with spectacular show deposits in the form of ice shows. This required a special camera designed to accommodate the extremely fast movements of the skaters without distortion. In addition, it was necessary to prepare the ice for the revue scenes especially. To a top layer was applied by milchfarbenem ice to facilitate recording. Also always had a very thin film of water to ensure there could only be so prevents ice cubes flung around during braking maneuvers and quick turns and recording spoiled.

The studio saved in Thin Ice, Henies second film spared no effort or expense and invested at the end of good U.S. $ 1,000,000 in the project. Sonja Henie, the exact planned each step of their career and monitored, insisted to get put to the side with Tyrone Power the biggest male star of Fox Studios. The tabloids reported extensively about an alleged romance between the two. Since Stephenie spoke English with a very thick accent, was studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck on as little as possible lines of dialogue for the film character of his female stars. Through the action in Switzerland was also able to ensure that all other players were also able to speak with more or less pronounced accent.

The three spectacular revue scenes up to 100 skaters were involved simultaneously. The film should in the meantime maintain the distribution title Lovely to Look At, before then but came into the national cinema under thin ice. The financial success brought for Sonja Henie the choice at No. 8 of the 10 most bankable movie stars of the year 1937. 1939 turned Henie and Tyrone Power again directed by Sidney Lanfield the romantic comedy Second Fiddle.

Awards

Thin Ice received at the Academy Awards 1938 nomination in the category:

  • Best Dance Director ( Harry Losee for Eistanznummer Prince Igor )

Criticism

The film and its star received excellent reviews. So was the New York Times

Variety not to be outdone with the praise:

1937 in film Screenplay Milton Sperling Film score Lew Pollack Sidney D. Mitchell Robert L. Simpson (film editor) One in a Million (1936 film) 10th Academy Awards
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