At a resort in the Alps in the wintertime unfortunately there's no snow so there's no business at the hotel run by the pretentious Melville Cooper. But that all changes when prince Tyrone Power announce if he's coming for a visit and shows up in a wheelchair, supposedly convalessing in his room. Skating instructor Sonja Henie Is unaware that just because she was seen exiting from his town car that she's presumably in a romance with him and doesn't even know that it's him when she meets him on the slopes. Because of that, she gets a contract at the resort which is now filled with curiosity seekers, and somehow has a swarm of skaters who come out of nowhere.
A pleasant time passer. It's elegant and filled with great character performances, including Raymond Walburn as her father, Alan Hale as an aristocrat, Arthur Treacher as Power's butler and Joan Davis as a female orchestra leader. Her gimmicks are somewhat dated, and her "Olga From the Volga" number not as memorable as it was when I first saw this in the 80's on cable. Her yodeling number is funnier.
The skating numbers and skiing sequences are elegant however, with one of the skating numbers including the music that would later be used for the musical "Kismet", and the finale is one of the biggest production numbers of the 30's. Henie is a decent, if not a sensational actress, and certainly deserves a better reputation than just a just a star on ice. She is pleasant but fiery on occasion (especially when she learns about a gossip going around), and has a sweetness with Power that isn't fiery with a spark, but lightly romantic. It's beautifully photographed with a nice snowy setting (once it does start snowing), and certainly charming. The character players really add to the amusements. An advertisement for dancers wanted provides a giggle simply because the adjective slipped by the censors, or perhaps had a different meaning.
A pleasant time passer. It's elegant and filled with great character performances, including Raymond Walburn as her father, Alan Hale as an aristocrat, Arthur Treacher as Power's butler and Joan Davis as a female orchestra leader. Her gimmicks are somewhat dated, and her "Olga From the Volga" number not as memorable as it was when I first saw this in the 80's on cable. Her yodeling number is funnier.
The skating numbers and skiing sequences are elegant however, with one of the skating numbers including the music that would later be used for the musical "Kismet", and the finale is one of the biggest production numbers of the 30's. Henie is a decent, if not a sensational actress, and certainly deserves a better reputation than just a just a star on ice. She is pleasant but fiery on occasion (especially when she learns about a gossip going around), and has a sweetness with Power that isn't fiery with a spark, but lightly romantic. It's beautifully photographed with a nice snowy setting (once it does start snowing), and certainly charming. The character players really add to the amusements. An advertisement for dancers wanted provides a giggle simply because the adjective slipped by the censors, or perhaps had a different meaning.