Larry Hall (James Stewart) has a vision for ice shows - he sees them as extravaganzas, that tell stories through ice dancing and music. He has hired Mary McKay (Joan Crawford), a singer with no skating expertise to participate in his show, but is finding it hard to get jobs. No one wants anything more than skaters doing tricks. But Mary and Larry are in love, and when Mary realizes she is part of the problem, she separates herself from the ice show by talking her way into a film contract. But there is another issue - Mary and Larry have to hide their marriage. Her contract will only allow her to marry with the studio's permission. In celebration of James Stewart Day (August 7th) during the 2019 Summer Under the Stars festival on TCM (and as part of the Summer Under The Stars Blogathon), we'll be discussing Ice Follies of 1939 (1939). Louis B. Mayer wanted a skating picture to compete with those of 20th Century Fox's Sonja Henie (Musicals in Film: A Guide to the Genre by Thomas S. Hischak), but was unable to find a skating star of Ms. Henie's caliber. So, he took two of his biggest stars, and threw them headfirst into an ice skating extravaganza. There was, of course, a big issue - neither Joan Crawford nor James Stewart could skate.The solution was avoid showing them on skates - except in the advertisements (see below) - and just talk about them skating.
Given the cast, one would assume that this film from Hollywood's Golden Year would be exceptional. Unfortunately, it's not. The script is so mediocre that it is impossible for the actors to work successfully within it. There are some fun bits (like the running joke about Ms. Crawford's poor skating and a scene in which a doorman calls out the arrival of cars to a variety of MGM stars - great publicity for the studio!!), but by and large, the screenplay is routine, and doesn't capitalize on the skills of the actors.
Why they even bothered to have Lew Ayres as Larry's best friend, Eddie Burgess is one issue. He is such a good and engaging actor, and they give him precious little to do. As Larry's best friend, you would think he would serve as a sounding board for Larry when troubles begin, but the character is shipped out the minute problems begin. He reappears when things are looking up for Larry, and the only function he serves is as a sort of Yes Man for Larry's plan. By having Mr. Ayres in the part, you expect more, and are disappointed when he is gone. Joan Crawford was likely never supposed to skate, but she was supposed to sing. She recorded three songs for the production, but all were cut (AFI Catalog), and when she does sing, her voice is dubbed. Ms. Crawford would later state that the reason for the cuts were Jeannette MacDonald's jealousy of Ms. Crawford's vocal talents (TCM article). The very idea is idiotic; we've heard Ms. Crawford sing (Dancing Lady (1933)), and she's no coloratura.
One shock is the design of Ms. Crawford's appearance in the film (see above) - her hair is darkened and parted in the middle; her makeup is more elaborate. Given how protective Ms. Crawford was of her appearance, it's a surprise she would have consented to this new look! Ms. Crawford was not happy with the production, so MGM gave her a juicier part that same year - Crystal Allen in The Women.
Lewis Stone's Douglas Tolliver Jr. - the head of Monarch Studio - is the image that Louis B. Mayer wanted the public to believe was him, but, of course is not. Tolliver hires Mary because she says she doesn't want to be an actress (after she forces her way into his office, allegedly to collect $20 for damage caused by his chauffeur to Eddie's car). He's sweet, supportive, and a genuinely nice man. Ah, would that life imitated art!
Lionel Stander is also present as producer Mort Hodges. Like Tolliver, he is a good guy, and Mr. Stander plays him as the one person who believes in Larry's dream. Mr. Stander was about to have problems with HUAC (in 1940) that would continue on until he was blacklisted in 1951 (You can read his bold stand before the committee: The McCarthy Hearings by Philip Brooks). He eventually settled in Italy, where he appeared in spaghetti westerns like Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). When the TV series It Takes a Thief was filming in Italy, Robert Wagner asked Mr. Stander to appear in an episode of the show. This would lead to Mr. Stander's casting as Max, the man-of-all-work to the Harts in Hart to Hart. Mr. Stander died in 1994, aged 86, of lung cancer.
Which brings us to our Star of the Day, James Stewart. Like Ms. Crawford, he was unimpressed with the script. He plays Larry as a decent guy, who's trying to be supportive of his wife's carer - even to the point of cooking and cleaning as she supports them financially. But without anyone to bounce off, the character flounders, and it's hard for the audience to get to know him. There's precious little chemistry between him and Ms. Crawford, but he gives as good a performance as he can, given the limits of the script. He too would see better days that same year - he would appear in both Destry Rides Again and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for the latter performance.
The New York Timesreview by Frank S. Nugent was negative ("Far be it from us to rap one of Mr. Rapf's more glittering productions; what we mildly object to is the fact that the glitter does not extend to the dialogue,"); the New York Herald Tribune said Ms. Crawford "should avoid this type of film in future, where she has to buck poor material, a group of specialists and Metro's own lavishness" (Skating on Air: The Broadcast History of an Olympic Marquee Sport by Kelli Lawrence). All in all, The Follies were a folly, but it did give Mr. Stewart the opportunities that would advance his career greatly (leading to his Oscar win for The Philadelphia Story the following year.
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