http://www.sonjahenie.net/ - do make a visit:-)One in a Million
by me
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
SONJA HENIE`S FILMDEBUT, June 27, 2000
One in a Million borrowed a lot from Sonja`s own life. For starters, Sonja`s father Wilhelm was Norway`s first World Champion ever - winning a bicycle race in the late 1890s. He didn`t have to give back his medal like Jean Hersholt`s character in the film though. The dilemma concerning professionalism in the film is also from Sonja`s life. Swedish ice-skater Vivi-Ann Hulten`s mother tried several times to diminish Sonja`s reputation and Papa Henie`s "unethical" methods. Anyway. ONE IN A MILLION is a showcase for Sonja and indeed Darryl F. Zanuck injected a lot of talent including the Ritz Brothers in order to secure the movie at the box-office. He needn`t worry. Sonja became a star of the first magnitude and was Queen at the box-office until 1939 when the skating craze had ended... It is a showfilm really, made like a music video 2 showcase its talents in the film. Not unlike THE GOLDWYN FOLLIES really...
Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows: The Unsuspected Life of Sonja Henie
by me
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A STUNNING BOOK, July 3, 2000
As one of the critics says; this i s indeed a pageturner... However, there are numerous faults facts in this book. Among them includes that the film IT`S A PLEASURE was a Fox film. Wrong, it was produced by International and released by RKO. Several critical comments on her films are stolen from among others Leslie Halliwell, a notable filmcritic and the ONLY bible for moviebuffs until internet movie database came along. Stories of Sonja and Tyrone are also way over the top; the talk they had in the dressingroom - how did Leif Henie and Raymond Strait get hold of t h a t? Leif was still in Norway at the time. However. There are several items that distinguish this biography; the stories by Sonja`s secretary Dorothy Stevens in particular... It is true that in creating the ice-skating star Sonja Henie, her father created a monster. But in the long run Sonja suffered from it. She was never taught to be a normal person. And indeed: She gave Norway a place in the sun and donated with her third husband Niels Onstad the Henie-Onstad ArtGallery near Oslo. U should visit it if u came to Norway. All of Sonja`s medals and trophies are in a well-guarded room and photos etc from her films are displayed in a huge basement. It must never be forgotten that she gave our nation a great deal - indeed giving the community of Bærum a home for retired people. U WILL see this reading this book that she was a trouper - a woman who was taught to fight and be competetive. And everything she tried her hands on - became lucrative.
Happy Landing 1938
Happy Landing (1938)
by me
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4-star-musical, December 21, 2004
This is Sonja Henie`s most extravagant musical; she`s backed by Ethel Merman, Don Ameche and Cesar Romero. Merman steals the scenes she`s in as does "The Wooden Indians!"... The film is nothing more than a series of musical numbers and little mix-ups between the protagonists.... But IT IS done in great style and if u wanna have a musical from the 30s - do SETTLE for this... However... if u want a story in addition to musical numbers - skip it - and settle for Sonja`s other films:-)
Second Fiddle
by me
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
DELIGHTFUL SPOOF OF GONE WITH THE WIND, July 13, 2004
This is fun indeed. Sonja is surrounded by toptalent such as Irving Berlin(but not his best score), Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee and Edna May Oliver. Unfortunately she is not given much to do outside her numbers, but it is apparent that she was on her way to become warm in front of the cameras as an actress. Edna May Oliver stands out as a warm and cynic aunt Phoebe. Sonja`s solo on ice is terrific; u can see she is in great pain because of her heart-aches and how she`s feeling better and throws off her sorrows through her work-out on ice. That`s an actress on ice. They say that no one has ever controlled an audience on ice the way Sonja Henie did it.
Her tango was initially edited, but Sonja demanded it back as a whole and she was the only star to contradict Darryl F. Zanuck. Her temperament and clashes with Zanuck are part of Hollywood-legend. Milton Berle once declared: "I wouldn`t say she controlled - but she had the wip!" hehehe...
My Lucky Star
by me
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1 OF HER VERY BEST, July 13, 2004
This is a real holiday confection, with an all-star cast - Sonja Henie, Richard Greene, Cesar Romero, Joan Davis and Buddy Ebsen. Roy del Ruth is at the helm and naturally delivers plenty. The musicalnumbers are out of this world and the comedy of Joan Davis hilarious and not A BIT DATED. The jet-set aura is perfect and it`s Hollywood at its most Hollywood. No wonder Sonja was Fox`s box-office queen with the young Shirley Temple.
It`s one of the very best musicals of the 30s.
Thin Ice
by me
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
SONJA EMERGES AS HOLLYWOOD STAR, July 13, 2004
After One in a Million 1936, Sonja Henie was fast becoming a Hollywood star in the front rank. In THIN ICE she is teamed with her then-boyfriend Tyrone Power and the chemistry is explosive... It`s a Cinderella-story, but given the full treatment by 20th Century-Fox - it`s almost like an MGM extravaganza :-)
The skating is good and Joan Davis as a comedy relief is a winner. As a matter of fact I can`t understand the fuzz they make about the Astaire&Rogers musicals over at RKO... I much more prefer the Sonja Henie`s at 20th Century-Fox... They are never OVERLONG and never outstays their welcome:-)
The affair with Power never ended in marriage; he was bisexual and Sonja found out... When he married French Annabella she was reportedly deeply hurt though they remained friends up until Power died of a heart-attack while filming in 1958.
reviews by me
Happy Landing (1938)
by me
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4-star-musical, December 21, 2004
This is Sonja Henie`s most extravagant musical; she`s backed by Ethel Merman, Don Ameche and Cesar Romero. Merman steals the scenes she`s in as does "The Wooden Indians!"... The film is nothing more than a series of musical numbers and little mix-ups between the protagonists.... But IT IS done in great style and if u wanna have a musical from the 30s - do SETTLE for this... However... if u want a story in addition to musical numbers - skip it - and settle for Sonja`s other films:-)
Second Fiddle
by me
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
DELIGHTFUL SPOOF OF GONE WITH THE WIND, July 13, 2004
This is fun indeed. Sonja is surrounded by toptalent such as Irving Berlin(but not his best score), Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee and Edna May Oliver. Unfortunately she is not given much to do outside her numbers, but it is apparent that she was on her way to become warm in front of the cameras as an actress. Edna May Oliver stands out as a warm and cynic aunt Phoebe. Sonja`s solo on ice is terrific; u can see she is in great pain because of her heart-aches and how she`s feeling better and throws off her sorrows through her work-out on ice. That`s an actress on ice. They say that no one has ever controlled an audience on ice the way Sonja Henie did it.
Her tango was initially edited, but Sonja demanded it back as a whole and she was the only star to contradict Darryl F. Zanuck. Her temperament and clashes with Zanuck are part of Hollywood-legend. Milton Berle once declared: "I wouldn`t say she controlled - but she had the wip!" hehehe...
My Lucky Star
by me
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1 OF HER VERY BEST, July 13, 2004
This is a real holiday confection, with an all-star cast - Sonja Henie, Richard Greene, Cesar Romero, Joan Davis and Buddy Ebsen. Roy del Ruth is at the helm and naturally delivers plenty. The musicalnumbers are out of this world and the comedy of Joan Davis hilarious and not A BIT DATED. The jet-set aura is perfect and it`s Hollywood at its most Hollywood. No wonder Sonja was Fox`s box-office queen with the young Shirley Temple.
It`s one of the very best musicals of the 30s.
Thin Ice
by me
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
SONJA EMERGES AS HOLLYWOOD STAR, July 13, 2004
After One in a Million 1936, Sonja Henie was fast becoming a Hollywood star in the front rank. In THIN ICE she is teamed with her then-boyfriend Tyrone Power and the chemistry is explosive... It`s a Cinderella-story, but given the full treatment by 20th Century-Fox - it`s almost like an MGM extravaganza :-)
The skating is good and Joan Davis as a comedy relief is a winner. As a matter of fact I can`t understand the fuzz they make about the Astaire&Rogers musicals over at RKO... I much more prefer the Sonja Henie`s at 20th Century-Fox... They are never OVERLONG and never outstays their welcome:-)
The affair with Power never ended in marriage; he was bisexual and Sonja found out... When he married French Annabella she was reportedly deeply hurt though they remained friends up until Power died of a heart-attack while filming in 1958.
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