''Iceland'' (1942) is a

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

directed by H. Bruce Humberstone set in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

, starring skater

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champio ...

and John Payne as a U.S. Marine posted in

Iceland during World War II At the beginning of World War II, Iceland was a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state. Iceland officially remained neutral throughout World War II. However, the British invaded Iceland on 10 ...

. The film was titled ''Katina'' in Great Britain and ''Marriage on Ice'' in Australia. Fox reteamed their two leads and director from the previous year's musical '' Sun Valley Serenade'' and set the story in the then contemporary American

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

landing and occupation of Iceland in 1941. Payne had previously played a Marine in Fox's '' To the Shores of Tripoli'' also directed by Humberstone. Among the songs are " There Will Never Be Another You" and "You Can't Say No to a Soldier". Some Icelanders protested against the film for its depiction of Marines winning away the local women. Henie's on-ice partner during the filmed skating sequences was 1940/41 U.S. Champion

Eugene Turner Eugene Turner (November 26, 1920 – January 14, 2010)"U.S. Hall of Fame Member Eugene Turner Passes Away", U.S. Figure Skating (websit/ref> was an American champion figure skater who competed in single skating, pair skating and ice dancing. He ...

Cast

as Katina Jonsdottir * John Payne as Capt. James Murfin *

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (194 ...

as Slip Riggs *

Felix Bressart Felix Bressart (March 2, 1892 – March 17, 1949) was a German-American actor of stage and screen. Life and career Bressart (pronounced "BRESS-ert") was born in East Prussia, Germany (now part of Russia). His acting debut came in 1914 as Malvo ...

as Papa Jonsdottir *

Sterling Holloway Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in '' Dumbo'', A ...

as Sverdrup Svenssen *

Osa Massen Osa Massen (born Aase Madsen Iversen, 13 January 1914 – 2 January 2006) was a Danish actress who became a successful movie actress in Hollywood. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941. Background and early career Bo ...

as Helga Jonsdottir *

Joan Merrill Joan Merrill portrait Joan Merrill (January 2, 1918 – May 10, 1992) was an American singer and actress. Career Merrill began her career in the 1930s on radio and later sang at nightclubs across the United States, including at the Copacabana ...

as Adele Wynn *

Fritz Feld Fritz Feld (October 15, 1900 – November 18, 1993) was a German-American film character actor who appeared in over 140 films in 72 years, both silent and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a "pop" s ...

as Herr Tegnar *

Sammy Kaye Sammy Kaye (born Samuel Zarnocay Jr.; March 13, 1910 – June 2, 1987) was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era. The expression springs fr ...

and His Orchestra as Themselves *

Louis Adlon Louis Adlon (7 October 1907 – 31 March 1947), also known as Duke Adlon, was a German-born film actor. Biography Adlon was the grandson of Lorenz Adlon, founder of the famous Adlon Hotel in Berlin, where he spent much of his childhood. Adl ...

as Valtyr Olafson (credited as Duke Adlon)

Reception

Reviewer Dennis Schwartz gave the film a C+ rating, describing it as "entertaining but superficial" while giving credit to its direction and its songs.http://homepages.sover.net/~ozus/iceland.htm

Notes

External links

''Iceland'' at IMDB
* 1942 films Films set in Iceland Films about music and musicians 20th Century Fox films Films directed by H. Bruce Humberstone Films about the United States Marine Corps American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Figure skating films 1942 musical films American musical films 1940s American films {{musical-film-stub