Wintertime (film)

Wintertime is a 1943 Twentieth Century-Fox musical film directed by John Brahm and starring Sonja Henie and Cesar Romero. It also features Woody Herman and His Orchestra.[2][3]

For other uses, see Winter time (disambiguation), Winter (disambiguation), and Wintertide (disambiguation).

Wintertime
Directed byJohn Brahm
Produced byWilliam Le Baron
Written byE. Edwin Moran
Jack Jevne
Lynn Starling
Based onstory by Arthur Kober
StarringSonja Henie
Jack Oakie
Cesar Romero
Music byLeo Robin
Nacio Herb Brown
CinematographyJoseph MacDonald
Glen MacWilliams
Edited byLouis R. Loeffler
Distributed byTwentieth Century-Fox
Release date
  • September 17, 1943 (1943-09-17)
Running time
82 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.1 million (US rentals)[1]
Advertising display for Wintertime at an Australian conference of theatre managers in 1944

Plot

Norwegian millionaire Ostgaard (S.Z. Sakall) and his niece Nora (Sonja Henie) believe they will be staying at a posh resort in Canada, but it turns out owner Skip Hutton (Jack Oakie) and partner Freddy Austin (Cornel Wilde) are in debt and barely holding off foreclosure.

Nora schemes to get her uncle to invest in hotel improvements. She also falls for Freddy, although he's busy spending time with magazine photographer Marion Daly (Helene Reynolds), trying to gain publicity for the resort.

When more money is needed, Nora is offered a chance to skate in New York in a revue. But due to a legal technicality, she cannot enter the United States unless she is married to an American citizen, so handsome Brad Barton (Cesar Romero) gladly volunteers.

Cast

Production

In December 1941 Fox announced that Felix Jackson was writing Quota Girl as a vehicle for Sonja Henie which was meant to be made before Iceland. It was about a Norwegian girl who wants to emigrate to the US.[4] The intention was to film it after Henie's appearance at Madison Square Garden in January.[5] Filming was pushed back. In July Fox announced it would be made in October with H Humbertson directing, in color from a sccipt by Francis Wallace.[6] In August Arthur Kober was signe to write the script.[7] In September Fox announced that filming would start in January.[8]

In October Woody Herman and His Orchestra were signed to appear in the film, replacing Glenn Miller who had joined the Army.[9]

In November Cornel Wilde was cast her Henie's leading man.[10]

In January 1943,the film was retitled Wintertime.[11] William Goetz, who was running 20th Century Fox in the absence of Darryl F Zanuck, announced the film would be made as part of a 13-picture slate.[12]

Cornel Wilde was cast in February 1943.[13] The following month Carole Landis joined the cast.[14] Filming started 8 March.[15]

Songs
  • "I Like It Here"[16] ... (performed by Cesar Romero and Carole Landis)
  • "Jingle Bells" ... (performed by Woody Herman and His Orchestra)
  • "Wintertime" ... (performed by Woody Herman and His Orchestra)
  • "We Always Get Our Girl" ... (performed by Woody Herman and His Orchestra)
  • "Dancing in the Dawn" ... (performed by Woody Herman and His Orchestra)
  • "Later Tonight" ... (performed by Woody Herman and His Orchestra)

Reception

The New York Times said the film "not only lacks originality. It lacks humor, verve and color as well."[17] Filmink called it "good fun" with "great work" from Landis and Romero.[18]

gollark: You have exactly 39 picoseconds.
gollark: … sure?
gollark: Or just finite but very big.
gollark: It could be infinitely tall, wide, armchair-like, deep, fractally, etc.
gollark: This is left as an exercise for the reader.

References
  1. "Top Grossers of the Season", Variety, 5 January 1944 p 54
  2. "NY Times review". New York Times. September 30, 1943. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  3. Wintertime Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 10, Iss. 109, (Jan 1, 1943): 127.
  4. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times ]25 Dec 1941: 32.
  5. Of Local Origin New York Times 08 Jan 1942: 29.
  6. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 31 July 1942: 11.
  7. Metro to Release Pictures in Blocks of Eight Because of 'Escape Clause' New York Times 15 Aug 1942: 14.
  8. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 25 Sep 1942: 24.
  9. News From Hollywood By Telephone to THE NEW YORK TIMES. 29 Oct 1942: 19.
  10. DRAMA Los Angeles Times 2 Nov 1942: 18.
  11. DRAMA: Sheehan Will Produce Life of Rickenbacker Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 29 Jan 1943: 23.
  12. Thirteen Top Productions On the Fire at Twentieth: The Washington Post 12 Jan 1943: B6.
  13. Wilde Wins Cinema Lead Los Angeles Times 26 Feb 1943: 9.
  14. SCREEN AND STAGE: Hedda Hopper LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD Los Angeles Times 11 Mar 1943: 23.
  15. ' Constantinople' Will Be Made by Columbia -New York Times ]26 Feb 1943: 17.
  16. "Wintertime at SonieHenie.net". Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  17. THE SCREEN: 'Wintertime,' New Sonja Henie Skating Picture, With Jack Oakie and Cesar Romero, Makes Appearance at Roxy By BOSLEY CROWTHER. New York Times 30 Sep 1943: 27.
  18. Vagg, Stephen (April 24, 2020). "I saw every Sonja Henie film so you don't have to". Filmink.
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