Second Fiddle

She couldn't sing, she didn't dance much, and her acting was, well, evident. Nevertheless, Sonja Henie, "Queen of the Ice," became one of the biggest box office attractions of her time as a result of the 12 movies she made between 1936 and 1948. You owe it to yourself to see at least one of these films, none of which are really musicals but which often include a lot of great music. Arguably the best of her figure skating extravaganzas is "Second Fiddle," the story of a Minnesota school teacher whose talent takes her to Hollywood. Sound familiar? Henie was from Norway and was discovered after winning three Olympic gold medals. The Irving Berlin score and the performances of Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee, Mary Healy, and Edna Mae Oliver are more good reasons to watch this film. And they were right about Henie; you can't keep your eyes off her. If you like what you see, give a try to One in a Million (1936) in which Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Rascals provide the laughs. --Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013