''Lake Placid Serenade'' is a 1944 American

musical romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by

Steve Sekely Steve Sekely (February 25, 1899– March 9, 1979) was a Hungarian film director. Born István Székely, he was known by several names, based on his changing professional and immigration status, including Stefan Szekely. He directed films in Hun ...

and starring

Vera Ralston Vera Ralston (born Věra Helena Hrubá; July 12, 1919 or 1920 or 1921 or 1923 February 9, 2003) was a Czech figure skater and actress. She later became a naturalized American citizen. She worked as an actress during the 1940s and 1950s. Ear ...

Eugene Pallette Eugene William Pallette (July 8, 1889 – September 3, 1954) was an American actor who worked in both the silent and sound eras, performing in more than 240 productions between 1913 and 1946. After an early career as a slender leading man, ...

and

Barbara Jo Allen Barbara Jo Allen (born Marian Barbara Henshall; September 2, 1906 – September 14, 1974) was an American actress. She was also known as Vera Vague, the spinster character she created and portrayed on radio and in films during the 1940s and 19 ...

.Martin p.103 Following the

German invasion of Czechoslovakia German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law ** ...

a Czech ice-skating champion goes to stay with her Uncle in the United States. It was made by

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City a ...

as a slightly higher-budget production than most of the studios'

B Movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

Russell Kimball Russell Kimball (November 1, 1903 – June 29, 1979) was an American art director who worked on more than a hundred and fifty films and television series during his career.Darby p.267 Selected filmography * '' In Old California'' (1942) * '' The ...

Plot

Vera Haschek (

), training for the Czechoslovak national figure skating championship, is given a pair of hand-made skates by her Grandfather (Lloyd Corrigan). She wins the contest, impressing the Countess (

), an ice show impresario. She tries to sign Vera to a long-term contract, but Vera resists. The Countess puts Vera in a show at the Ice Carnival in

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh ...

, and Vera becomes an audience favourite. When Vera learns that

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

has invaded

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, she is worried about her grandfather. She learns she has a rich uncle, Carl Cermak (Eugene Pallette), living in the United States. She seeks him out at his

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

home, and is welcomed into his family. Her cousin Susan (Ruth Terry) is happy to see her, but her cousin Irene (Stephanie Bachelor) snubs her. Vera meets Paul Jordan ( obert Livingston), her uncle's business partner. The two fall in love, but Paul leaves the next day for a business meeting—neither having told the other their name. Meanwhile, Irene, who is infatuated with Paul, gives him a pipe for Christmas. When Paul meets Vera again a week later, she sees the pipe and believes she is stealing Paul from Irene. She flees the Cermak home and returns to Lake Placid. Susan, realizing that Paul and Vera are in love, arranges for Paul to go to Lake Placid and tricks him into meeting Vera. She again flees the meeting, leaving one of her special skates behind. Vera now agrees to sign the contract with the Countess; her one condition is that her real name never be used. She goes on tour, and is a huge hit. Meanwhile, Uncle Carl has located Vera's grandfather and brought him to the United States. Uncle Carl sees Vera's photo in an advertisement for an ice show, and brings Grandfather and Paul to the show. Paul returns Vera's skate. Irene admits that Paul doesn't love her, and Vera and Paul are happily reunited.

Cast

as Vera Haschek *

as Carl Cermak *

as The Countess * Robert Livingston as Paul Jordan *

Stephanie Bachelor Stephanie Bachelor (May 23, 1912 – November 22, 1996) was an American film actress. During the 1940s, Bachelor briefly achieved leading status in supporting features such as Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held unde ...

as Irene Cermak *

Walter Catlett Walter Leland Catlett (February 4, 1889 – November 14, 1960) was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards. Career Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in S ...

as Carlton Webb *

Lloyd Corrigan Lloyd Corrigan (October 16, 1900 – November 5, 1969) was an American film and television actor, producer, screenwriter, and director who began working in films in the 1920s. The son of actress Lillian Elliott, Corrigan directed films, usually ...

as Jaroslaw 'Papa' Haschek *

Ruth Terry Ruth Mae Terry (born Ruth Mae McMahon, October 21, 1920 – March 11, 2016) was an American singer and actress in film and television from the 1930s to the 1960s. She claimed her stage name came from Walter Winchell, who combined the names ...

as Susan Cermak *

William Frawley William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) was an American vaudevillian and actor best remembered for playing landlord Fred Mertz in the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', "Bub" O'Casey in the television comedy ser ...

as Jiggers *

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Ba ...

as Walter Benda * Ferdinand Munier as Kris Kringle *

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

as Himself *

John Dehner John Dehner (DAY-ner) (born John Dehner Forkum, also credited Dehner Forkum; November 23, 1915February 4, 1992) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor. From the late 1930s to the late 1980s, he amassed a long list of performan ...

as Radio Announcer (uncredited) *

Frank Mayo Frank Mayo may refer to: * Frank M. Mayo (1839–1896), American actor and comedian * Frank Mayo (actor) Frank Lorimer Mayo (June 28, 1889 – July 9, 1963) was an American actor. He appeared in 310 films between 1911 and 1949. Biograp ...

as Reporter (uncredited)

References

Bibliography

* Len D. Martin. ''The Republic Pictures Checklist: Features, Serials, Cartoons, Short Subjects and Training Films of Republic Pictures Corporation, 1935–1959''. McFarland, 1998.

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0037003 1944 films 1940s romantic musical films American romantic musical films Films directed by Steve Sekely Republic Pictures films Films set in the Czech Republic Films set in the 1930s Figure skating films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

Bibliography

External links