''Everything's on Ice'' is a 1939 American musical film produced by

Sol Lesser Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961. Biography In 1913, while living in San F ...

for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

, directed by

Erle C. Kenton Erle C. Kenton (August 1, 1896 – January 28, 1980) was an American film director. Kenton was director of B films, with his most famous film being ''Island of Lost Souls (1932 film), Island of Lost Souls'' starring Charles Laughton. Biogr ...

and stars six year old Irene Dare, Edgar Kennedy and

Lynne Roberts Lynne Roberts, also credited as Mary Hart, born Theda May Roberts (November 22, 1922 – April 1, 1978) was an American film actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She appeared exclusively in what were referred to as B-movies. Early ...

. The film was released on October 6, 1939 and is also known as ''Frolics on Ice'' (American video title). A 6-year-old skater is financially exploited in this story, which features "the world's youngest ice figure-skater, Irene Dare." Meanwhile, the girl's older sister "suddenly finds her love-life taken over by a kibitzing uncle ... eading toa succession of laughable situations."

Plot

Felix Miller (Roscoe Karns) has another money making scheme, this time it involves his 6 year old figure skating niece Irene Barton (Irene Dare), and given his history her family doesn't take him seriously. Uncle Felix takes little Irene to skate for a talent scout from Florida and secures not only a job but train tickets for the entire family to Florida for her gig. While on the train Irene's sister, Jane (Lynne Roberts) and Felix meet Leopold Eddington (Eric Linden) who has just inherited a million dollars but Felix assumes he doesn't have any money because Leopold tells them he's staying at an inexpensive hotel. Irene's dad Joe Barton (Edgar Kennedy) stays behind in New York to continue working at the barber shop he's trying to buy. Uncle Felix wastes no time spending the paycheck that results from little Irene's skating performances at the Silver Palms Café, he checks them into the finest hotel in the area and spares no expense on clothing, jewelry and food. Leopold attends Irene's first performance hoping to talk with Jane again, but Felix brushes him off and makes fun of him. Later Felix meets Harrison Gregg (George Meeker) in the steam room and assumes he's very wealthy when in fact Harrison can't even pay for his hotel bill. Meanwhile, Leopold and Jane are spending time getting to know each other, later Felix convinces Leopold to stay away from Jane and enjoy the rest of his vacation. Unable to secure another advance on Irene's pay, spendthrift Felix sends a telegram to his brother-in-law Joe asking for $200 and promises him that the family will be "fixed for life". Joe does not believe him for a minute and travels to Florida to find out for himself what's really going on. Meanwhile Felix is trying to arrange a marriage between reluctant Jane and Harrison. Joe arrives to discover that Felix is throwing an expensive cocktail party and has taken several advances on Irene's pay. Felix is trying to get either Joe or Harrison will pay their outstanding expenses. Joe also discovers that his wife Elsie (Mary Hart) has been a willing partner to Felix's spending, and they argue. Joe meets Leopold and finds out that he intended to marry his daughter, and Joe encourages him to go after "Janie". Felix and Elsie find out that the barbershop that Joe had wanted to buy has been sold to someone else, but they're more worried about themselves than they are about Joe. Meanwhile Irene has been fired from her skating gig because there is no one to finance her performances. Joe arranges for Leopold to see Janie one last time before leaving Florida although Felix has arranged for her to see Harrison at the side entrance (he's trying to skip out on his hotel bill). Joe insists his wife return everything she's bought, and the manager of the hotel tries to collect the money owed for the cocktail party and the other expenses. Felix claims that Harrison will be paying for it, but the hotel manager lets Felix know that Harrison can't even pay for his hotel bill, plus he's nowhere to be found. Irene announces that Leopold will be financing her next performance although Felix doesn't believe it. Irene's governess confirms that Leopold is a very wealthy man, and both Felix and Elsie are speechless. Meanwhile Jane and Leopold have not only eloped but have bought the barbershop for Joe as a birthday present. Felix and Harrison are now working in the hotel kitchen to pay off their expenses.

Cast

* Irene Dare as Irene Barton * Edgar Kennedy as Joe Barton * Roscoe Karns as Felix Miller *

as Jane Barton * Eric Linden as Leopold Eddington *Mary Hart as Elsie Barton *

George Meeker George Meeker (March 5, 1904 – August 19, 1984) was an American character film and Broadway actor. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Meeker made several films such as ''Crime, Inc.'' (1945) and ''A Thief in the Dark'' (1 ...

as Harrison Gregg * Bobby Watson as French *Mary Currier as Miss Tillifer *Maxine Stewart as Hat Check Girl *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as White *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the b ...

as Hotel Manager *Larry Jackson as Papa Penguin *Kenny Williams as Dr. Penguin

Songs

*"Birth of a Snowbird, music by

Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...

and Paul Webster *"Everything's on Ice", music by

Milton Drake Milton Drake (August 3, 1912 - November 13, 2006) was an American lyricist and performing rights administrator. As a child, he performed in vaudevilles, in films and on radio. Later he wrote special material for theater and nightclub revues, includ ...

and

Fred Stryker Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rodr ...

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Everything's on Ice 1939 films American black-and-white films 1939 musical films RKO Pictures films Films produced by Sol Lesser American musical films Figure skating films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films