ΙΤ'S A PLEASURE

It's a Pleasure
International, 1945, Color, 90 minutes, ***
Released March, 1945

Sonja Henie always wanted 20th Century-Fox to feature her in a color film, but they never did. So when she left Fox, the first thing she did was to finagle a color production from International Pictures. It's a slim story about an alcoholic hockey star (Michael O'Shea) who ends up getting kicked out of the league for excessive fighting and drinking. But not before Sonja falls in love with him and becomes engaged to him. O'Shea leaves Sonja and slips into oblivion, but eventually he pulls himself up and finds a job as a coach for a boys hockey team. In the meantime Sonja has become a big skating star. Eventually, they are reunited. Though the story is slim, seeing Sonja do her thing in color, and her above-average skating and dancing numbers (in addition to being a superb skater, Sonja was a great dancer!) more than make up for the weak story.

Produced by: David Lewis
Associate Producer: Don Loper
Directed by: William A. Seiter
Assistant Director: Art Black
Screen Play by: Lynn Starling and Elliot Paul
Musical Director: Arthur Lange
Song: "Romance" Lyrics by Edgar Leslie, Music by Walter Donaldson
Choreography: Don Loper
Art Direction: Wiard Ihnen
Set Decorations: Julia Heron
Makeup by: Mel Burns
Hairdressers: Nina Roberts, Ann Barr
Sound by: C. J. Jowett, Arthur Johns
Director of Photography: Ray Rennahan
Filmed in Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Morgan Padelford
Film Editor: Ernest Nims

Cast: Sonja Henie [Chris Linden], Michael O'Shea [Don Martin], Marie McDonald [Gale Fletcher], Bill Johnson [Buzz Fletcher], Cheryl Walker [Loni], Gus Schilling [Bill Evans], Iris Adrian [Wilma], Arthur Loft [Jack Weimer], Don Loper [Specialty, Sonja's Dancing Partner], Peggy O'Neill [Cricket], Alice Fleming [Maid], George Brown [Hockey Referee], Jack Chefe [Canadian Hockey Star], Tom Hanlon [Announcer], Lane Watson [Photographer], Edward Earle [Manager of Jewelry Store], Nelson Leigh [Waiter], Jimmy Conlin [Messenger], Kenneth Scott [Card Shark], Donald Kerr [Hoofer]

Musical Program: [0:07] unidentified instrumental number (skated by the "Crystal Sextettes"); [0:10] unidentified instrumental number (skated by Sonja Henie); [0:52] unidentified instrumental number (skated by Sonja Henie); [1:10] Sonja Henie skating montage with background instrumental accompaniment; [1:19] Summer Dance (instrumental danced by Sonja Henie and Don Loper); [1:25] Tico Tico (instrumental skated by Sonja Henie and Skating Chorus); [1:29] Romance (sung by chorus, skated by Sonja Henie)