A Sonja Henie-centered musical romance. There's little music in the first portion, until Sonja becomes a combo student and undercover model for George Cabot's(George Babier) clothing department store at Plymouth College. Thereafter, music and the occasional skating scene become prominent. The music often features a chorus, with or without one or two lead singers. The 2 biggest musical/skating productions come at the end. The first of these emphasizes a fashion show, with singing by Arthur Jarrett, later by Buddy Ebsen and Joan Davis, who constitute one of several romantic pairs featured. The featured song is "I've Got a Date with a Dream", composed by the team of Harry Revel and Mack Gordon, as are all the other songs, except those for the last major production number, which features the skating of Sonja and others. Alice in Wonderland is the theme of this number. The music is mostly from Victor Herbert's "The March of the Toys", and the "Alice in Wonderland Ballet". Skaters dressed in various childhood story characters or toys skate around with Sonja, in one portion. Surely could have used color for this portion and the fashion show!......Every musical needs some comedy. for balance. In this film, George Barbier , as the blustery owner of the Cabot department store, and Cesar Romero, as his playboy son, supply much of the humor, interacting with each other, or separately..... In a cameo performance, .Billy Gilbert provides a classic comedy routine, in which Sonja and boyfriend Richard Greene are the straight 'men'. Greene tells Billy that they each want a chocolate sunday. But, in his distinctive manner, Billie describes a list of alternatives, which usually include pistachio nuts. Finally, they give in and accept one of his suggestions. Later, he returns with the news that he is out of pistachio nuts...... After his stroke of genius in thinking up the student/undercover model trick, Cesar had another brainstorm: Combine the winter carnival with a fashion show at the Cabot department store! Cesar took advantage of his fathers absence on a Cuban holiday to implement this undertaking. The highlight is the last two musical productions I previously described. A major purpose of this show is to hopefully make $50,000. to give to Cesar's estranged wife(played by Gypsy Rose Lee) so that she will withdraw her claim that Cesar was having an affair with Sonja. When George Cabot Sr. returns from Cuba, he has a fit when he finds out about the Carnival being housed in his store, and demands that the participants leave immediately. They have to tie him up and gag him to keep him from ruining every thing....... In summary, parts of the screenplay are not too realistic. Otherwise, it's generally entertaining, with lots going on besides Sonja's occasional skating. Richard Greene is a bit undertalented as Sonja's new boyfriend.......Despite his handsome looks and interesting personality, Cesar Romero hardly ever wound up with the leading lady. Perhaps his Latin heritage was a problem? See this film at YouTube. Other films featuring Sonja currently available at YouTube include "One in a Million" and "Sun Valley Serenade": the last also featuring the Glenn Miller orchestra.

20th Century Fox has never been MGM, even on its best day, and Sonja Henie is no Dorothy Hamill. Nevertheless, 1933's MY LUCKY STAR is worth a look if for no other reason than historical value. The plot is paper-thin, as the movie is just a vehicle for Henie, who before the advent of triple-lutzes, was the golden girl of female skaters. She also was cute in an adorable and wholesome, mountain girl way. Here, she plays a department store clerk who is sent off to college by the store's owner and ends up becoming an ice skater. Department store heir Caesar Romero puts on an ice extravaganza starring Henie, but has to convince his blustery old dad that it's worth the money, as it will encourage more store business. The big finale is a patchwork, with none of the smoothness or assuredness of those classic MGM musicals, which themselves got off to a shaky start before finding their footing. . Bits of this gigantic ice show are clumsily edited together. But Henie looks adorable, attired in a Little Bo Peepe costume. The revue's theme is "Babes in Toyland," with music from the legendary Victor Herbert operetta), and Henie skates her little Scandanavian heart out. No athletic lutzes in her day, but plenty of spins and one small leap. Plus she sports the most adorable frilly panties under an abbreviated, flared skirt. The bonnet she wears is a trifle much, making her look more like Baby Snooks, but when she smiles at the camera, nothing else matters. A young Buddy Ebsen, he of the Ray Bolger-ish rubber-limbs, is along for the ride -- er, I mean skate. And Richard Greene of "Robin Hood" fame is Henie's love interest. The film's sound is horribly tinny, which is typical of 1933 movies. This one's for early talkie fans -- and, of course, Henie fans.

I bought this movie because I am a huge Richard Greene fan and I have always wanted to watch Sonja Henie.I was not disappointed.This movie is definitely worth seeing and/or buying. It has wonderful, catchy swingy tunes and a great cast. Sure, the story is cliché, but weren't most musicals like that back then? Well, it is actually a little bit more original than others, because Sonja wraps packages at a department store, and after meeting her, and to keep her away from his jealous wife (Gypsy Rose Lee a.k.a Louise Hovick), Caesar Romero, the son of the big department store Sonja works for, sends her to fictional Plymouth University as a "living mannequin" to promote their store's women's' sporting goods section. While there, Sonja befriends student Buddy Ebsen and his girlfriend Mary Dwight (Joan Davis), does some enjoyable skate routines (best one is COULD YOU PASS IN LOVE? first sung by Buddy and Joan, then skated by Sonja and a chorus of skating guys in bowler hats), gets tricked by a nasty Southern girl who is a bad ice skater (played nicely by Patricia Wilder) gets accused of being involved in a scandal (courtesy of Gypsy Rose), and falls in love with super-duper handsome senior Richard Greene. They and others sing a very lovely ballad on a hayride. (I don't know the name.) But it's very charming, and it was stuck in my head for a week after I watched it. The musical numbers are fun, though they come nowhere near MGM or early Busby Berkeley musical splendor. Sonja dos live up to her name as great ice skater, though. In the big production "Alice in Wonderland" finale, she shines, and the costumes and music and charming. The other big musical number, I'VE GOT A DATE WITH A DREAM, showcases a myriad of showgirls wearing beautiful furs and evening gowns, and other fashionable outfits, and a tenor who sings the song admirably. Later into the number, Buddy and Joan do a short, comedic rendition of the song.In all, MY LUCKY STAR is a good way to pass the time and a good film to start with if you want to explore the works of Sonja Henie.

A pretty Norwegian coed finds plenty of romantic complications while working as an undercover campus mannequin at old Plymouth University.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 ONE IN A MILLION, which was her American film debut. Beautiful & talented, as well as being a natural in front of the cameras, she carved out her niche during Hollywood's Golden Age. Although 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 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.MY LUCKY STAR is no exception and its story is often quite silly - relying a bit heavily on impromptu singing from its middle-aged college student cast, and borrowing too much from its predecessor, HAPPY LANDING. However, the moments on the ice never bore (especially the Alice in Wonderland sequence -with music from Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland - which closes the film) and the co-stars are rather interesting.Stalwart Richard Greene is fine as Sonja's romantic interest, while Cesar Romero once again gets to display his comedic talents as a zany Romeo. Joan Davis grabs a lot of the laughs as Sonja's rubber-limbed roommate; Buddy Ebsen is her slow-talking, fast-dancing beau.George Barbier is enjoyable as an apoplectic tycoon, as is laconic Arthur Treacher as his factotum. Miffed minx Gypsy Rose Lee and gung-ho student Elisha Cook Jr. are given little to do, but Billy Gilbert easily steals his few scenes as a soda jerk besotted by pistachio nuts.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.