Starring Sonja Henie, Caesar Romero, Don Ameche, and Ethel Merman
Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Music by Samuel Pokrass; Lyrics by Jack Yellen
With winter gripping the northern hemisphere, we're returning to champion figure skater Sonja Henie and her extravaganzas on ice. This was her third starring vehicle and her second appearance with Don Ameche after One In a Million. It's also a bit topical, given this is the height of the big band era and the public fascination with the men who led the bands and often wrote the songs. How does the story of how one especially glamorous bandleader gets tangled up with a Norwegian lass look today? Let's begin as bandleader Duke Sargent (Romero) is dodging the complaints and blackmail of his most recent paramour, Flo Kelly (Merman), and find out...
The Story: Sargent and his manager Jimmy Hall (Ameche) fly from New York to Paris to get inspiration for Duke's latest songs. They make an unscheduled stop in Norway, where they stay with local lass Trudi Ericksen (Henie) and her family. Sargent dances twice with her and flirts wildly, thinking nothing of it. Trudi thinks it means they're engaged and ends up following them to New York when they leave. Sargent flirts with every woman he meets and means nothing by it.
Jimmy takes her skating in Central Park when it turns out Duke is in Florida with Flo, but is so impressed with her skating ability, he convinces a ice show to take her on. Duke comes running back the moment he hears she's now a big skating star. Flo jealously puts a story in the newspaper that claims both men are after her. Now Jimmy and Duke aren't speaking to each other and Trudi is upset with Jimmy. She says she wants to marry Duke, but there's only one man she's really in love with.
The Song and Dance: The ladies. Henie retains the charm that makes you understand why both men fall for her, with her round cupid face and adorable Norwegian accent. Merman's having almost as much fun keeping Duke in line, especially when she's mad at him over Trudi. There's some lovely skating numbers here, too, and terrific costumes and gowns on and off the ice. Norway is almost comically recreated, with fanciful peasant costumes and sweet little wood houses.
Favorite Number: The first real number is an instrumental chorus number in Norway as Duke and Trudi joins in a town festival. We then get Henie's first huge skating routine, as Trudi and the townspeople dance to "A Gypsy Told Me," with Henie sliding in on a sled in a white fur-trimmed outfit and crown that makes her look like a Norwegian princess from a fairy tale. "Gypsy Told Me" turns up again, performed by Leah Ray with Duke's band as he tosses out a load of malarkey about getting the idea for the song from Rome. (He really got it from Trudy.)
Flo is so thrilled when she manages to snare a European aristocrat, she sings about being "Hot and Happy." Flo also gets "You are the Words to the Music In My Heart" and "You Appeal to Me" later on. Duke also claims he discovered two "Natives" doing "War Dance for Indians." They're really the Condos Brothers doing an elaborate and bizarre tap routine on two drums, dressed in feathers, war paint, and fringe. El Brendel joins Henie at Central Park to explain why his orchestra prefers oompah music to swing in the goofy "Yonny and His Oompah." "Hot and Heavy" returns in instrumental form for the big finale, as Trudi glides to the music in a glittering top half of a tux, surrounded by men in tuxes and flourishing capes.
What I Don't Like: The guys are the problem. Duke is such a jerk and a user, you wonder what either woman sees in him. No wonder Trudi drops him like a stone once she realizes what he's really like. Jimmy's only slightly less of an idiot. And yeah, the story is not only nothing to write home about, real Norwegians may take offense nowadays at how backwards their country is portrayed early-on. There's the Condos Brothers' native dance, too. They look less like natives and more like white hoofers in bad makeup and ridiculous costumes. The music's not terrific, either, with only "A Gypsy Told Me" being even mildly memorable.
The Big Finale: Too abrasive to be one of Henie's better vehicles. This one is mainly for her fans, 30's musical lovers, and figure skating nuts.
Home Media: DVD only from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.
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