User reviews

When seen today, Sonja Henie films are incredibly strange and the notion that this Norwegian skating champion could be one of the biggest stars at Twentieth Century-Fox is just baffling. After all, Henie was cute--but not exactly a big star due to her looks. And, in each of her films, they SOMEHOW contrived to get her onto the ice SOMEWHERE!! The films really make no sense...though I must admit that most are still entertaining if you see them today. You just need to be sure to suspend all disbelief, otherwise your brain will nag you with 1001 questions!

The film revolves around a slick publicity agent, Jimmy (Tyrone Power). He's an amazingly good liar--even for a P.R. man and his routine is pretty funny. However, when he gets the smart idea of creating a fake romance between two new studio stars, Roger (Rudy Vallee) and Trudi (Henie), things get complicated. Roger is already in love with another woman and he's apprehensive to play like he's in love with Trudi. Worse, however, is that slowly Jimmy is falling for Trudi himself...but when the plan backfires and Trudi learns that Roger is only PRETENDING to love her, she is furious as well as hurt and leaves Hollywood. What is that weasel, Jimmy, to do?!

In addition to the strange plot, the studio cast Edna May Oliver as Trudi's aunt. This is ridiculous, as Oliver seems about as Norwegian as pizza! And, there are LOTS of ridiculous songs and skating numbers that make the whole thing a bit on the silly side. BUT, the leads try there best and despite all the silliness, it IS enjoyable.

By the way, the studio head who you hear but never see is played by Charles Lane--the old familiar character actor.

Fox certainly knew what kind of material to give their skating star, SONJA HENIE--a light but diverting plot, lots of musical interludes, a few skating sequences, a handsome co-star, some comedy relief and as many Sonja close-ups as possible.

They scored on every point with SECOND FIDDLE. It's light entertainment for the masses who came to see Sonja skate with everyone else playing second fiddle to her in importance. But TYRONE POWER manages to be impressive as her leading man, more charismatic than usual and spirited, suggesting that there was a lot more to him than the kind of roles he was getting at the time. It doesn't hurt that he's at his handsomest in this early film. And EDNA MAY OLIVER had no peer when it came to stealing the spotlight on an almost regular basis whenever she could.

Furthermore, RUDY VALLEE gets a chance to warble a couple of Irving Berlin tunes. He's part of a scheme by Power, a publicity agent for a Hollywood studio, to revive Vallee's fading career by getting a phony romantic buildup pairing him with Henie. Henie, of course, knows nothing of the scheme and therefore she and Power have romantic misunderstanding until the final reel.

It's a diverting piece of entertainment, one of the better Sonja Henie films produced by Fox and well worth seeing for the skating sequences alone, if you're a Henie fan. Her graceful routines are well choreographed for the camera.

Surprisingly good teaming of the two fox stars in tale of Hollywood publicity man bringing Minnesota school teacher to test for role in epic "Girl of the North Country." the film is a satire of the "gone With the wind" search that had plagued the country a year before.Sonja is very appealing as a real type person instead of a potential Olympic star waiting to be discovered.Tyrone Power surprises as a lovesick publicist after Sonja.it was nice change of pace from the he=man hero roles he had been doing.Rudy Vallee,Mary Healy are fun as other couple. Edna Mae Oliver steals scenes as Sonja's aunt Phoebe.Mary Healy socks across a couple of Irving Berlin songs with gusto,proving she should have had bigger career.Rudy Valle has a couple of nice songs,too.It's niether prime Power or Sonja but it's fun and lively with its inside look at Hollywood publicity schemes and the like.

Darryl F. Zanuck's number one star at 20th Century Fox Tyrone Power had to yield first billing in Second Fiddle to Sonia Henie, a very different kind of star than Zanuck was used to dealing with.

Sonia Henie as movie star could probably best be compared to Esther Williams. Both were female sports stars in their chosen area. Henie's prestige was backed up by the fact that she had taken home the gold in three Olympics in figure skating before going to Hollywood. Esther unfortunately never got to compete in the canceled Olympics of 1940. As stars in their fields they could command big salaries and unlike other stars could make a bundle marketing themselves professionally. Sonia made plenty of money off the Ice Capades, she didn't need to be a film star and Zanuck well knew it.

With that kind of leverage, you'd better make sure you give her the right material and plenty of support. Henie was not an actress, she never claimed she was. Yet Zanuck found stories suitable for her.

Case in point is Second Fiddle, 20th Century Fox's satire on the search for Scarlett O'Hara. Woman of the North is a blockbuster best seller like Gone With The Wind and the studio that bought the rights decides a fresh face is needed. A nationwide talent search is on and Sonia Henie, a fresh faced school teacher from Minnesota, has her picture sent in by her oaf of a boyfriend, Lyle Talbot.

The studio sends young publicity man Tyrone Power out to the frozen north of the continental USA to fetch Sonia back to Hollywood. Going along for the ride is her aunt, Edna May Oliver.

Sonia gets the usual star buildup, but she can't quite understand things in Tinseltown as she's fresh off the farm. Case in point, the publicity inspired romance between her and Rudy Vallee. That gem of an idea will bite its creator Mr. Power right in the hindquarters. It also doesn't sit well with Vallee's main squeeze, Mary Healy.

Irving Berlin wrote the score for Second Fiddle. It was the last of a three picture deal he had with 20th Century Fox that included On the Avenue and Alexander's Ragtime Band. One of the songs of the score, I Poured My Heart Into A Song was garnered for Second Fiddle it's only Academy Award nomination. Unfortunately Judy Garland went Over the Rainbow that year of 1939.

As part of the publicity campaign Power gets to write I Poured My Heart Into A Song and you see him composing it at the piano and singing a bar or two of the lyrics Irving Berlin wrote that he just made up. When you hear Ty sing, you can understand why 20th Century Fox hired John Payne for musicals. Among the things Power was not blessed with was a good singing voice.

Second Fiddle is good entertainment, it's got a nice Irving Berlin score, some well choreographed figure skating routines for Henie, Tyrone Power, and of course Edna May Oliver who brings up the quality of any film she's in.

Well, it's just all pretty boring. We get ice skater Sonja Henie (Trudi) blatantly under-used when it comes to demonstrating her actual talent of ice-skating and she performs some bland routines. She is also not a babe that someone like agent Tyrone Power (Jimmy) would fall in love with. He is too good-looking for her and would be better suited to a Marlene Dietrich type. Henie really belongs with someone like singer Rudy Vallee (Roger) which makes up another of the plot elements. She is plucked from obscurity to star in the smash-hit film of the year and is given a false romance with up-and-coming singer Vallee to keep up appearances and help propel his singing career. Of course, Vallee has a girlfriend and Henie has a boyfriend who just gets written out of this film! It's a comedy and so a very unrealistic love outcome resolves itself by the end of the film.

Yep, it's boring. Edna May Oliver (Phoebe) as Henie's aunt provides some knowing comedy and Vallee is a good singer. The most memorable thing about the film is a song in the diner with some fat girls singing. I prefer the thin girls dressed as waitresses singing a la Andrews Sisters in the same number. The film is a let-down and Power is miscast even though he is fine in the role. Sonja Henie is a funny looking thing so it is quite amusing to look at her whenever she is on screen.

Tyrone Power is a publicist who does his job too well in "Second Fiddle," also starring Sonja Henie. Power plays Jimmy Sutton, who is helping in the search for a star of a movie being made from a best-selling book. This was perhaps inspired by the search for Scarlett. When they find their girl, she's a Norwegian schoolteacher living in Minnesota. Power sets up a publicity stunt, which is a fake romance between her and another star (Rudy Vallee). He then is responsible for the flowers, the love poems, and finally writes her a song. By now, of course, he's madly in love with her, and she's in love with Rudy. This is much to the consternation of Rudy's girlfriend, played by Mary Healy.

The two stars are delightful, but of course, some of the best lines are from Edna May Oliver, who is hilarious as Henie's aunt. One line not Oliver's that certainly got a laugh in theaters is from Henie to Power: "You'd be handsome if you took care of yourself." He's pretty dazzling as is.

The Irving Berlin music is okay, but I have to admit my favorite is "Back to Back" which I found lively and fun.

Though skating styles have changed a great deal over the last 66 years, Sonja Henie's skating holds up. She was a graceful, fast skater who could dance and spin magnificently. Back then, the jumps were all singles and landed low, but it's obvious that if she were a young skater today, she would still have what it takes.

Very entertaining.

'Second Fiddle' with a good cast and one of the greatest song-writers in Irving Berlin had a lot going for it. It isn't completely successful, but a vast majority of it does work very well.

Its weak link is the story, which, as well as thin structurally, does jump about all over the place in parts giving it a rather strange feel. Berlin's songs are pleasant enough, with the Oscar-nominated "I Poured My Heart Into a Song" and "Back to Back" being the standouts, but generally it is not one of Berlin's better song scores.

However, it's exquisitely photographed and sumptuously designed. The skating sequences (almost as good as the ones in 'One in a Million) are a joy and brilliantly choreographed, making one's jaw drop with their imagination and verve, with Sonja Henie and Stewart Reburn more than doing them justice. The script is fun, especially Edna May Oliver's, and there is an exuberant energy throughout.

The cast fare very well. Henie is pert and charming, and the camera clearly loves her. Her ice skating is also out of this world, and she forms a great partnership with Reburn. Tyrone Power is a more than worthy partner with his handsome looks and appealing charisma. Edna May Oliver steals scenes in a hilarious performance, while Rudy Vallee and Mary Healy sing Berlin's songs beautifully.

Overall, a good film, despite the story, that is not first rate but a long way from second fiddle. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A publicity agent finds himself playing SECOND FIDDLE when he fabricates a phony romance for a lovely new movie star he secretly adores.

Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 & 1936. After going professional, she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936 with her American film debut, ONE IN A MILLION. Beautiful & talented, as well as being a natural in front of the cameras, she carved out her own special niche during Hollywood's Golden Age. Although Miss Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions, there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality. In this regard, some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her.

As her career progressed, it became increasingly difficult for Fox to find decent stories for Miss Henie and the excuses for the lavish ice dancing numbers were often implausible. No matter. Audiences did not flock to her films to watch Sonja recite Shakespeare. The movies were meant to be pure escapist fantasy, plain & simple.

SECOND FIDDLE is no exception and its story is often quite silly. Also, Sonja is not given nearly enough skating time to really satisfy her fans. However, Sonja's costars do offer some compensation.

Although the role was certainly not one of his best, Tyrone Power is a lot of fun as the agent who must sublimate his own desires for the good of the Studio. Consequently, he has almost no romantic time with Sonja whatsoever, so instead he makes his somewhat unappealing role as charming as possible. His best moments are with marvelous character actress Edna May Oliver, playing Henie's sharp-tongued aunt, watching rather helplessly as she steals her every scene.

Rudy Vallee is onboard mostly to sing a few songs, but he deftly underplays what could have been a boring good guy character and makes him standout well in contrast to the much more manic Power.

Lyle Talbot has the small role of Sonja's Minnesota suitor. Movie mavens will recognize the voice of Charles Lane as that of the Studio Chief.

Irving Berlin composed the songs, all of which are pleasant, but none of them come close to being counted among his best.

Notice the sly script reference to 'Ferdinand.' This would be an allusion to Ferdinand the Bull, the somewhat less than masculine hero of Munro Leaf's 1936 story (and made into an Academy Award winning cartoon by Walt Disney in 1938). Since the line is spoken to Power, it could be that the scriptwriter had more than one inference in mind...

Ultimately, though, this is Sonja's show. She glides effortlessly into the viewer's heart, while balancing on a thin edge of silver, suspended over frozen water.

This is the first Sonja Henie movie that I've seen in my entire life and I love her ever since. This excellent movie portraits the 1930's Hollywood film-making system having Tyrone Power as a "Consolidated Pictures" agent who discovers skating teacher Henie and makes her a "Hollywood Star". Excellent musical and well-acted movie. Lots of musicals and skating numbers performed by Rudy Vallee, Mary Healy and Sonja Henie.

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

SECOND FIDDLE (20th Century-Fox, 1939), directed by Sidney Lanield, reunites Olympic skating champion Sonja Henie with Tyrone Power (her previous co-star from THIN ICE (1937)), for the second and final time. A Hollywood story (which should have been titled MY LUCKY STAR, a title already used for Heinie's college musical), with original new score by Irving Berlin, which oddly enough did not produce any song hits, is probably one of the main reasons for this being overlooked and forgotten through the passage of time.

The story starts in 1938 with the best selling novel "Girl of the North" acquiring the screen rights by Consolidated Pictures for a movie version. A nation-wide talent search is formed with countless screen tests going on to 1939 to which actress is the right choice for the leading role of Violet Jasen. None seem to be just right until Jimmy Sutton (Tyrone Power), a smooth-talking publicist working under George "Whit" Whitney (Alan Dinehart), discovers Photo No. 436 of Trudi Hovland, a schoolteacher from Bergen, Minnesota, to be the girl with possibilities. Taking the next airplane to Minnesota, Jimmy meets with Trudi (Sonja Henie), unaware that Willie Hogger (Lyle Talbot), her boyfriend of three years whom she does not love, to be the one who secretly submitted her photo to the studio. Feeling she's no actress to assume an leading role major motion picture, Trudi turns down the offer to come to Hollywood for a screen test. However, the fast-thinking Jimmy talks her into going, accompanied by her protective Aunt Phoebe (Edna May Oliver), to take her leave of absence from school to see how it goes. Much to her surprise, Trudi wins the leading role as "Girl of the North." In order to keep her in Hollywood to finish the movie, Jimmy creates a staged romance between her and Roger Maxwell (Rudy Vallee), a singer and leading man, whose girlfriend, Jean Varick (Mary Healy), finds herself taking second fiddle to the man she loves. During the course of time, Jimmy finds himself playing second fiddle to Trudy as he slowly begins to realize his love for her. Also in the cast include: Minna Gombell (Jenny, the columnist); Spencer Charters (Joe Clayton); George Chandler, Irving Bacon and Maurice Cass. Specialties include The Brian Sister, the King Sisters, along with Stewart Reburn as Henie's skating partner and Dick Redman as Freddie, the little boy skater. While character actor Charles Lane is credited in the cast, only his familiar voice as the studio chief is heard numerous times via intercom.

Songs include: "An Old-Fashioned Tune" (sung by Rudy Vallee); "The Song of the Metro Nome," "The Song of theMetro Nome" (reprise/skating number); "Back to Back" (sung by Mary Healy); "When Winter Comes," and "I poured My Heart into a Song" (both sung by Rudy Vallee); "I'm Sorry for Myself" (sung by Mary Healy); and "I Poured My Heart into a Song" (skating sequence by Sonja Henie). Though the score by Irving Berlin didn't produce hits as "Cheek to Cheek," he did come up with a lively tune of "Back to Back" along with an interesting balled "I'm Sorry for Myself" sung in great voice by Mary Healy, a tune that makes one think of Ethel Merman had she sung this particular song herself.

Those seeing SECOND FIDDLE in 1939 would notice similarities to this story along with producer David O. Selznick's notable search for the role of Scarlet O'Hara in the Civil War epic of GONE WITH THE WIND (1939). Around the same time when 20th Century-Fox studio would acquire services of legendary singer, Al Jolson, past his prime, for a couple of secondary roles (ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE and SWANEE RIVER), the studio also contracted former vagabond lover, Rudy Vallee, in support singing a few songs as well. With Sonja Henie also playing a skating teacher would be an excuse for a couple of skating production numbers thrown in. Tyrone Power shows his flare for comedy as a publicity man, yet not performing in a fast-talking, speedy performance of Pat O'Brien of Warner Brothers.

With some star quality and lively story, it seems odd SECOND FIDDLE did have limited television revivals over the years. Other than distribution on video cassette in 1994, it did have its cable television broadcasts only so briefly as Cinemax (1986) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: February 9, 2012). Maybe not the classic as Henie's other films as SUN VALLEY SERENADE (1941), but worth viewing considering the assortment for its time a great number of "movies about the movies," and fine lighthearted comedy spoofing itself along the way. (***1/2)

Previous Sonja Henie pictures tended to have some songs meant to possibly be on the Hit Parade, some comedians doing their shtick, with a ridiculous story meant to emphasize the over-the-top-ness of it all. This one has a score by Irving Berlin of which one of his songs mentions not caring if it's a hit or not, humor coming from characterization, with a satiric story that believably turns a bit dramatic. Based on the publicity surrounding the search for the leading lady of Gone with the Wind, Tyrone Power plays a studio executive who finds Ms. Henie in Minnesota and whisks her off to Hollywood for her film debut. Along for the ride is Edna May Oliver as Ms. Henie's aunt. She's quite a hoot here. There's also Rudy Vallee as the studio's musical star who's given a publicity stunt of dating Sonja to the consternation of Mary Healy. I'll stop there and just say that I quite enjoyed this second teaming of Henie and Power and the Irving Berlin songs provided. Also enjoyed, as usual, Ms. Henie's skating numbers. So that's a recommendation of Second Fiddle. P.S. Since I like to cite when someone from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-is in something else, here it's Charles Lane-that guy in IAWL who told Mr. Potter that he may someday work for George Bailey-using only his voice as the studio head. And it was a nice surprise to find out that Mary Healy was from New Orleans which is only a two-hour drive from my current residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

I don't believe this is a movie that needs serious content evaluation. It was served up as a fun showcase for two of Hollywood's most popular stars and as a celebration of the tuneful talents of Irving Berlin. It delivers on all counts as far as I'm concerned. Henie is always enjoyable with her sparkling skating routines, fresh, unstudied acting approach and lively, dimpled face. In '39, the year Second Fiddle was released, Tyrone Power was by popular vote named "King of Hollywood." He also starred in 2 out of the top four highest-grossing films in that Magic Movie Year, 1939. Power created quite a PR storm having just married Suez co-star Annabella after a string of red-hot PR-promoted affairs with among others, Sonja Henie. Second Fiddle, on the one hand is a send up of the over-the-top publicity surrounding the search to find the perfect Scarlett O'Hara, while equally on the other hand it skewers Golden Era Hollywood's overheated PR habit. I would imagine that for audiences fed on gossip columns and fan magazines of the time you couldn't have done better than to star Henie and Power in a vehicle about "the big Hollywood build up." Viewed from that perspective it is a very funny inside joke indeed. Tyrone plays Jimmy Sutton,the PR wiz, in an easygoing and charming way. He is a natural and partners superbly with the excellent veteran character actress, Edna Mae Oliver. Both are consummately professional yet they really seem to be having fun with each other. Which is why, IMO, their comedic scenes together are as delightful as any put on film. Second Fiddle is full of great Berlin tunes that are imaginatively staged. Co-stars Rudy Vallee and Mary Healy do nicely and contribute to this fun golden oldie. Bubbly and light as air, King Lear it surely was never intended to be!