Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

lugonian THIN ICE (20th Century-Fox, 1937), directed by Sidney Lanfield, stars Olympic skating champion, Sonja Henie, in her second ice skating musical and her first of two opposite the studio's then rising young leading actor by the name of Tyrone Power. With screenplay by Boris Ingster and Milton Sperling, it's basically fluff-type material consisting of mistaken identity between two people highlighted by song and ice skating production sequences that was no doubt back in 1937 to be another sure winner for the One in a Million Sonja Henie.Plot Summary: Christmas is fast approaching in the Swiss Alps but at 82 degrees, there seems to be no signs of snow in the forecast. With three weeks before the season, Herr Kratz (Melville Cooper), manager of the Grand Hotel Imperial of St. Christoph, prays for a miracle of snow so Christmas will find his empty hotel full of ski going guests. A miracle does happen: Nottingham (Arthur Treacher), the butler to Prince Rudolph (Tyrone Power), makes reservations for 81 rooms and three suites for an upcoming convention shortly before the much needed snow starts falling down from the clouds above. Some time later, Prince Rudolph and Nottingham arrive by train. After coming to the Grand Hotel Imperial on wheelchair pretending to be sick, Rudolph sneaks away with his servant to the quaint Billage Inn where he remains to have his privacy. While on the ski slopes, he encounters Lily Heiser (Sonja Henie), a skating instructor at the Grand Hotel. Unaware of his identity, the prince passes himself off as Rudy Miller, a newspaper man covering the convention at the hotel where she works. After Lily is seen returning to the hotel exiting the prince's royal car driven by her chauffeur boyfriend, Alex (George Givot), rumors spread rapidly throughout the village of Lily being romantically involved with the prince. Feeling this news to be good publicity for his hotel business, Krantz allows Lily to display her skating skills to the guests at the hotel's ice skating musical programs. With Lily is a bit confused by all the attention and gifted presents, she claims to have never even met the prince before. Later Lily finds herself being watched by some elderly gentleman in the audience bearing bushy mustache and glasses during her slating exhibitions, unaware it's Rudy in disguise, leading to a series of complicated events for all. Also in the cast are Raymond Walburn (Lily's Uncle Dornic); Sig Ruman (Prime Minister Ulrich); Alan Hale (The Baron); Maurice Cass (The Count); and Greta Meyer (Martha). Look fast for Lon Chaney Jr., a few years before his Universal horror fame of the 1940s, glimpsed as one of the newspaper reporters.New songs by Lew Pollack and Sidney Mitchell are as follows: "Over Night" (vocalized over opening credits); "My Secret Love Affair" (sung by Leah Ray); "Olga of the Volga" (by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, sung by Joan Davis); "The Polovetsian Dances" from PRINCE IGOR (skating number with Sonja Henie and ensemble); "My Swiss Hilly-Billy" (sung in comic fashion by Joan Davis); "Tales of the Vienna Woods" (by Johann Strauss/skate number with by Henie); and "Over Night" (finale, sung by chorus, skate number with Henie). Leah Ray offers a beautiful rendition to "My Secret Love Affair," a title tune that might have served better as its movie title considering the royalty meets commoner theme involved. Skating numbers, choreographed by Harry Losee, is well staged with Henie, naturally, as its center of attention.Formerly broadcast on commercial (1960s) and later public television (1980s, where the closing cast credits was edited), THIN ICE would come to pass again in its entirety on video cassette and DVD, plus cable television availability as American Movie Classics (1992-93, and 2001) and occasionally on Fox Movie Channel where other Henie musicals are shown.THIN ICE is short (77 minutes), sweet and to the point romantic fairy tale type caper with Henie and Power appearing to be enjoying their assignment together as they would again in the second film together of SECOND FIDDLE (1939). While the plotting may be a bit thin with ice only part of the skating sequences, there's enough entertainment to go around for anyone's enjoyment. (***1/2)

TheLittleSongbird Even in her lesser films, Sonja Henie was always watchable and there was a good deal to like about her weaker outings. The bright spots were often her, the ice skating sequences and the music, while the weak link was often typically the story.'Thin Ice' is a nice, pleasant film, if not a great one. Its chief let-down is the very threadbare and sometimes ridiculous story, that even feels too thin for the very short length and more an excuse for stringing along the skating sequences, the comedy and the songs.The ice skating sequences (often a highlight in Henie's films) are beautifully choreographed, adeptly danced and lovely to look at, but there have been more imaginative and memorable ones in a Sonja Henie film. Likewise, the songs are pleasant and fit well, but there are no instant classics here.However, 'Thin Ice' looks great, the comedy from Joan Davies still stands up as very funny, it's all competently directed and the dance direction for the "Prince Igor Suite" is pretty exemplary.While stretched ever so slightly in the acting department, Henie is pert and charming with a smile that makes anyone go weak at the knees, and the camera clearly loves her. Her ice skating is also out of this world, and the envy perhaps of even professional ice skaters now. Tyrone Power is a handsome and charismatic partner, their chemistry endearing to watch, while Joan Davies steals scenes in a deliciously riotous performance.On the whole, a nice if not great film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Neil Doyle SONJA HENIE was always lucky that Zanuck (at Fox) had the good sense to surround her with capable talent so that the film wouldn't depend on her ability to skate, smile dazzlingly (like a dimpled darling), and say as little as possible so her Norwegian accent wouldn't be too hard for Americans to take.Here, he surrounds her with JOAN DAVIS, MELVILLE COOPER, ARTHUR TREACHER, ALAN HALE and SIG RUMAN who keep the tale spinning even though it's the usual boy-meets-girl one that's full of the usual misunderstandings.And for added insurance, Zanuck gave in to Sonja's demands that TYRONE POWER be her male co-star. She and Power were quite an item at the time, although it was rumored that Power was just using her to get one step up on the ladder of success. She was reportedly devastated when he went off in another direction and married Annabella.Sonja does some pleasing routines on ice and Joan Davis is a daffy orchestra leader who occasionally sings a wacky song number--so, it's all pretty much the kind of thing audiences wanted from a Sonja Henie movie. But the best was still to come: SUN VALLEY SERENADE in 1941.

David Vanholsbeeck This is a rather ordinary romantic comedy with Henie and Power as the two lovers and the usual misunderstandings. It's not a great film(and a rather short one too), but the result is very pleasing indeed. Power is good as the young prince and Henie is especially notable for her skating skills. In the supporting cast, Joan Davis stands out as the orchestra leader and sings a couple of rather funny and touching songs. Made to entertain, which it mostly does. 6/10