The Bottom Line
Pros
- This movie gives viewers a glimpse into ice skating show history.
- The film stars Hollywood legends James Stewart and Joan Crawford.
- The last skating scene that is filmed in color shows MGM's creativity.
- Some of the figure skating moves done in 1939 are very unusual and fun to watch.
Cons
- There is no verbal explanation or identification of the figure skating performers.
- This movie was criticized for copying Sonja Henie's ice skating films.
Description
- Directed by Reinhold Schünzel
- Produced by Harry Rapf
- Story written by Leonard Praskins
- Screenplay by Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf
- Stars Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayres, Lewis Stone, and Shiptads and Johnson Ice Follies
- Released on March 10, 1939
- 82 minutes
- Distribued by MGM
- Some of the figure skaters in the film include Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, Oscar Johnson, and Bess Ehrhardt
Guide Review - The Ice Follies of 1939
The movie's plot is a typical old MGM Hollywood movie plot. Larry Burgess (James Stewart) is in love with Mary McKay (Joan Crawford). The problem is that Mary is not a very good skater, but Larry insists upon including her in his ice skating act. Larry and his figure skating ice show partner, Eddie, are fired from their skating job because of Mary's bad skating. Larry tries to keep up their spirits by talking and dreaming about producing a huge and wonderful ice show called Ice Follies.
Suddenly, Mary and Larry get married. Mary tries to help their financial situation by trying to become an actress, and suddenly, she becomes a movie star. Her contract reads that she can't be married, so she keeps her marriage a secret. Both Eddie and Larry are upset about this. They leave to pursue their figure skating dreams. Eventually Larry's Ice Follies idea does become a success.
About mid-way through the movie, the figure skating begins. The skating from the members of the cast of The Ice Follies in 1939 is very different from what we see today, but is fun to watch. There are skating appearances from real Ice Follies figure skaters such as Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, Oscar Johnson, Bess Ehrhardt, and the Ice Follies chorus.
Finally, Mary decides she cannot live without Larry, and announces her retirement at a public radio broadcast. Things sudenly change, and the story ends where Larry and Eddie get to produce a movie with Mary and the Ice Follies cast. The movie suddenly changes from black and white to color for the last ice skating scene. Crawford and Stewart kiss as the story ends and there is a typical MGM happy ending.
