Customer Reviews

Second Fiddle [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I find this little film utterly charming. It is very much of its time as it was made and released in that Golden Hollywood year of 1939 when so many wonderful classics were released. In particular this film homes in on the exhaustive search that David O. Selznick undertook to find the perfect Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind" as the source for its own storyline of the search for just the right girl to star in a fictional movie called "Girl of the North".

At this time Sonja Henie despite a limited range as an actress had very quickly become a top Box Office attraction and was one of the great stars at Twentieth Century Fox just behind Shirley Temple. She combined supreme skating talents with a sweet persona that won audiences over and made her films for Fox huge money makers.
Sonja was often teamed with the biggest leading men at Fox like Don Ameche, Richard Greene and of course as here, the wonderful Tyrone Power. The two had already had a great success together in 1937 in "Thin Ice" and the two not only looked splendid together on screen but also had a really great screen chemistry.
In "Second Fiddle" they play antagonists who of course eventually fall in love. Being of the time of course no expense was spared on the production which even now has a special glow about it. The production numbers are lavish, and while the Irving Berlin score is not the most memorable it still compliments the overraul production.
Tyrone Power is as always a delight as the male lead showing the right combination of cheekiness and charm as the press agent trying to get Henie's school teacher character to come to Hollwood with him. The always excellent Edna May Oliver lends her usual great presence to this film as Henie's no nonsense aunt and she has a surprisingly wonderful screen rapport with Tyrone and some of the most delightful scenes in the film are when these two "square off' against each other.
If you enjoy musicals from this golden era of Hollywood or are a big fan of Tyrone Power or Sonja Henie like I am you will enjoy "Second Fiddle' Not the greatest musical of this era but an enjoyable hour and a half nevertheless.

This is fun indeed. Sonja is surrounded by toptalent such as Irving Berlin(but not his best score), Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee and Edna May Oliver. Unfortunately she is not given much to do outside her numbers, but it is apparent that she was on her way to become warm in front of the cameras as an actress. Edna May Oliver stands out as a warm and cynic aunt Phoebe. Sonja`s solo on ice is terrific; u can see she is in great pain because of her heart-aches and how she`s feeling better and throws off her sorrows through her work-out on ice. That`s an actress on ice. They say that no one has ever controlled an audience on ice the way Sonja Henie did it.

Her tango was initially edited, but Sonja demanded it back as a whole and she was the only star to contradict Darryl F. Zanuck. Her temperament and clashes with Zanuck are part of Hollywood-legend. Milton Berle once declared: "I wouldn`t say she controlled - but she had the wip!" hehehe...

This is propably Sonja Henie`s best film. In this, her skating is at its best. The music by Irving Berlin however is not on par of what we are used to from that composer, but the lines,c costumes, set decorations, photography and supporting cast(TYRONE POWER, RUDY VALEE and EDNA MAY OLIVER) makes this one of the best 20th Century-Fox musicals of the 30s.

Okay, Sonia Henie may not be the best actress ever, but I think she does a plenty adequate job here. After all, she's playing a midwest school teacher who is caught unawares that she has been entered into a nation-wide talent search for "The Girl of the North". Given this is the role she's playing, the role of a school teacher who is suddenly thrust into the limelight, what kind of acting experience do you need? I felt her portrayal was realistic! I mean, one day you're a school teacher, the next day, your acting in movies? Of course you are going to be awkward, not to mention scared out of your wits.

Ty was just outstanding. He was funny, charming, and a bit of Cyrnao De Bergerac thrown in (when he's writing love songs for the other guy to sing to the girl who he loves).

*****Spoiler Alert*****

I LOVED the last scene, where Sonia's character has just been married to the wrong man, and at the last minute, we find out the minister's license has expired, and Ty jumps right in between the unhappy 'groom' and the bewildered but happy 'bride'. Perfect comedic timing! This was the kind of role I could imagine Jimmy Stewart playing, although I can't imagine Jimmy doing more justice to the role than Ty did.

The only way this movie could be better would be for a dvd release to emerge (no foreign bootlegs, please - Fox Studios, are you listening?). Oh, and with the original theatrical trailer, please! Thanks!

"Second Fiddle" is a winter tradition at my home. This is yet another film that proves how well Tyrone Power could act and carry a film.
It's fun, full of romance, and fantastic!
Tyrone never looked better.
Twentieth Century Fox needs to release this film in a box set that includes other Tyrone Power treats such as "Lloyd's of London","Thin Ice","Suez","Alexander's Ragtime Band","Rawhide" etc, etc.!
This guy deserves ALL his films to be released in DVD format!

Forget Scarlett O'Hara! The big question in Hollywood is who'll play Violet Jansen in "Girl of the North". Studio press agent Jimmy Sutton (Tyrone Power) stumbles across the slim resumé belonging to Trudi Hovland (Sonja Henie), a Minnesota schoolteacher with absolutely no experience in acting. Despite her protests, Trudi and her wisecracking auntie (Edna May Oliver) are packed off to Hollywood. You can pretty much guess the rest...

Despite a second-rate Irving Berlin score ("The Song of the Metronome", "I'm Sorry for Myself", "I Poured My Heart into a Song"), SECOND FIDDLE comes alive mainly thanks to the chemistry of Henie and Power--who indeed were romantically involved for a short while during production of the movie.

SECOND FIDDLE is available (along with the other big Sonja Henie favourite SUN VALLEY SERENADE) on DVD in the United Kingdom. Currently, the only Henie film available in the domestic United States is her second-to-last one, IT'S A PLEASURE.

Forget Scarlett O'Hara! The big question in Hollywood is who'll play Violet Jansen in "Girl of the North". Studio press agent Jimmy Sutton (Tyrone Power) stumbles across the slim resumé belonging to Trudi Hovland (Sonja Henie), a Minnesota schoolteacher with absolutely no experience in acting. Despite her protests, Trudi and her wisecracking auntie (Edna May Oliver) are packed off to Hollywood. You can pretty much guess the rest...

Despite a second-rate Irving Berlin score ("The Song of the Metronome", "I'm Sorry for Myself", "I Poured My Heart into a Song"), SECOND FIDDLE comes alive mainly thanks to the chemistry of Henie and Power--who indeed were romantically involved for a short while during production of the movie.

SECOND FIDDLE is available (along with the other big Sonja Henie favourite SUN VALLEY SERENADE) on DVD in the United Kingdom. Currently, the only Henie film available in the domestic United States is her second-to-last one, IT'S A PLEASURE.

If you're looking for typical Irving Berlin song hits, skip this one ("The Song of the Metronome" is one of the deathless ditties here). But if you're in the mood for an agreeable musical show, there are engaging vocals by Mary Healy and The King Sisters, and Sonja Henie's skating is impressive. The plot parodies Hollywood's "search for Scarlett O'Hara," with schoolteacher Henie brought to the movie capital by press agent Tyrone Power. Good supporting cast, especially Edna May Oliver as Henie's maiden aunt. The picture and sound quality are excellent.