1h 30min | Comedy, Musical | 3 March 1945 | Color
Director: William A. Seiter
Stars: Sonja Henie, Michael O'Shea, Marie McDonald, Iris Adrian.
Don Loper ... choreographer
SH's penultimate film, and the only one in color. The last is in '48, and she skates there too. She must have been performing live to still be in shape to skate on film again? Her last Olympics was '36. Her mini-bio says she skated until she retired in '60.
I like this film. SH didn't have a lot of dramatic opportunity in her Fox films, but here she does, even crying in one scene (it could be artificial tears). She also delivers a lot of dialog, and it's all intelligible and doesn't sound simplified. A far cry from learning her lines phonetically for One in a Million ('36).
I wonder why Iris Adrian is raven-haired here. Perhaps the star wanted to be the only blonde? IA plays the skeptic who doesn't believe MO will ever be a suitable spouse.
MO is always an Irish tough-guy. I like him as the comic opposite B.Stanwyck in Lady of Burlesque ('43) and the soldier who organizes the mansion renovation for wives' housing in Something For the Boys ('44). And he's good here as the drunkard who tries to reform. SH is crazy for him in the opening scene, so we don't really learn why she goes for him, just THAT she does.
Skating/dancing (24 chapters with menu):
ch4. 6 beauties (including IA at a far, far distance) skate at intermission of a hockey match, leading to...
ch5. Nobody's Sweetheart, SH solo skating at same intermission
ch14. SH skates at nightclub, replacing indisposed (drunk) husband; magenta outfit, can-can style music
ch19. SH skating success montage, including hula on skates
ch21. Summer Dance, Danced by SH and male dancer (yes, danced, not skated; she's good; he gets to do a lot of lifting)
ch23. Tico-Tico no Fubá, skated by SH & large ensemble
ch24. Romance, Sung by a chorus, skated by SH while ensemble stands and watches
I didn't catch any mention of the war.
This production company only made 9 films ('44-'46), but each one has some star or director to recommend it, and by now they all(?) have a dvd release.
International Pictures, distr. RKO, dir. Seiter; 7
