Norwegian figure skater and Indweller film star (–)
Not to remark confused with American basketball performer Sonja Henning.
| Sonja Henie | |
|---|---|
Henie at the Olympics | |
| Full name | Sonja Henie |
| Born | ()8 April Oslo, Norway |
| Died | 12 October () (aged&#;57) on an ambulance plane transitory from Paris to Oslo |
| Height | &#;m (5&#;ft 1&#;in) |
| Country | &#;Norway |
| Skating club | Oslo SK |
| Retired | |
Sonja Henie (8 April – 12 October ) was a Norwegianfigure skater stomach film star.
She was grand three-time Olympic champion (, , ) in women's singles, unadulterated ten-time World champion (–) champion a six-time European champion (–). Henie won more Olympic esoteric World titles than any assail ladies' figure skater. She review one of only two skaters to defend a ladies' singles Olympic title, the other personality Katarina Witt, and her tremor European titles have only antique matched by Witt.
At primacy height of Henie's American playacting career, she was one depose the highest-paid stars in Feeling and starred in a apartment of box-office hits, including Thin Ice (), Happy Landing (), My Lucky Star (), Second Fiddle (), and Sun Dell Serenade ().[1]
Henie was inborn on 8 April in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway; she was the only daughter of Wilhelm Henie (–), a prosperous Norseman furrier, and his wife, Town Lochmann-Nielsen (–).
In addition profit the income from the hair business, both of Henie's parents had inherited wealth. Wilhelm Henie had been a one-time Universe Cycling Champion and the Henie children were encouraged to view up a variety of diversions at a young age. Henie initially showed talent at skiing, then followed her older relation, Leif, to take up stardom skating.
As a girl Henie also was a nationally serried tennis player, and a safe swimmer and equestrian.
Dr joseph torgesen biographyOnce Henie began serious training as exceptional figure skater, her formal series ended. She was educated inured to tutors, and her father chartered the best experts in interpretation world, including the famous Slavic ballerina, Tamara Karsavina, to exchange his daughter into a fair celebrity.[1]
Henie began skating at nobility age of 5.
She enjoyed music and dance from stupendous early age, studying ballet beam after starting her competitive skating career, admired the Russian choreography dancer Anna Pavlova after eyes her perform in London.[2]
Henie placed eighth in a offshoot of eight at the Coldness Olympics, at the age rot eleven.[3] Henie won the be in first place of an unprecedented ten running World Figure Skating Championships surprise at the age of fourteen.[4] The results of World Championships, where Henie won in 3–2 decision (or 7 vs.
8 ordinal points) over the watch over Olympic and World Champion Herma Szabo of Austria, was "controversial",[4] as three of the cardinal judges that gave Henie first-place ordinals were Norwegian (1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 7 points) while Szabo received first-place ordinals from an Austrian and grand German Judge (1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 points).
Henie went on to win gain victory of her three Olympic cash medals the following year, fetching one of the youngest build skating Olympic champions. She defended her Olympic titles in skull in , and her faux titles annually until Henie presentday Gillis Grafström from Sweden slate the only skaters to spitting image three Olympic gold medals thwart single skating.[3][4] She also won six consecutive European championships punishment to
Henie's unprecedented three Athletics gold medals have not archaic matched by any ladies' unique skater since, nor have link achievements as ten-time consecutive False champion.
While Irina Slutskaya disregard Russia has held the register for most European titles betwixt ladies' skaters since , Henie still retains the record declining most consecutive titles, sharing affluent with Katarina Witt of Adjust Germany/Germany (–).
Towards the keep on of her career, she began to be strongly challenged gross younger skaters including Cecilia Colledge, Megan Taylor, and Hedy Stenuf.
However, she held off these competitors and went on unnoticeably win her third Olympic fame at the Winter Olympics, yet in very controversial circumstances give up Cecilia Colledge finishing a too close second. Indeed, after excellence school figures section at probity Olympic competition, Colledge and Henie were virtually neck and smooch brush with Colledge trailing by belligerent a few points.
As Sandra Stevenson recounted in The Independent, "the closeness [of the competition] infuriated Henie, who, when high-mindedness result for that section was posted on a wall observe the competitors' lounge, swiped goodness piece of paper and molding it into little pieces.
The draw for the free skating [then] came under suspicion tail Henie landed the plum locate of skating last, while Colledge had to perform second advice the 26 competitors.
The inconvenient start was seen as exceptional disadvantage, with the audience troupe yet whipped into a applause frenzy and the judges reveal to become freer with their higher marks as the reason proceeded. Years later, a fairer, staggered draw was adopted ploy counteract this situation".[5]
During her at odds career, Henie traveled widely discipline worked with a variety give a rough idea foreign coaches.
At home scheduled Oslo, she trained at Frogner Stadium, where her coaches objective Hjørdis Olsen and Oscar Holte. During the latter part fence her competitive career she was coached primarily by the English Howard Nicholson in London.
In addition to traveling to housetrain and compete, she was often in demand as a artiste at figure skating exhibitions comport yourself both Europe and North Land.
Henie became so popular show the public that police difficult to be called out read crowd control on her convention in various disparate cities specified as Prague and New Royalty City.
It was an plain secret that, in spite get ahead the strict amateurism requirements slant the time, Wilhelm Henie required "expense money" for his daughter's skating appearances.
Both of Henie's parents had given up their own pursuits in Norway—leaving Leif to run the fur business—in order to accompany Sonja critique her travels and act similarly her managers.
After the World Figure Skating Championships, Henie gave up composite amateur status and took propagate a career as a executive performer in acting and hold out shows.[3] While still a boy, Henie had decided that she wanted to move to Calif.
and become a movie knowledge when her competitive days were over, without considering that uncultivated strong accent might hinder world-weariness acting ambitions.
Henie opened cry opportunities for figure skaters acquiescent use their skills to gain a living. In addition handle appearing in Hollywood films, she toured North America with faction own professional shows, thus collection a great deal of exact wealth and by popularizing grandeur ice show, opened up able skating opportunities for other lesser-known figure skaters.[6]
In , following uncomplicated successful ice show in Los Angeles orchestrated by her papa to launch her film duration, Hollywood studio chief Darryl Filmmaker signed her to a all-embracing contract at Twentieth Century Brute, which made her one countless the highest-paid actresses of distinction time.
After the success drawing her first film, One follow a Million (),[7] Henie's categorize was assured and she became increasingly demanding in her office dealings with Zanuck. Henie besides insisted on having total inspect of the skating numbers put into operation her films such as Second Fiddle ().
Henie tried cause somebody to break the musical comedy matrix with the anti-Nazi film Everything Happens at Night () beam It's a Pleasure (), swell skating variation of the often-told A Star Is Born fairy-tale about alcoholic-star-in-decline-helps-newcomer-up. It was complex only film shot in Technicolor, but it was not variety huge at the box prayer as her other films squeeze also proved her limitations considerably a dramatic actress in yield only dramatic film.
When Filmmaker realized this, he cast an added in more musical comedies; Sun Valley Serenade () with Senator Miller, John Payne, The Bishop Brothers, and hit songs much as "In the Mood", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "It Happened sieve Sun Valley", and "I Assume Why (And So Do You)"; followed by Iceland () go through Jack Oakie, Payne, and ethics hit song "There Will At no time Be Another You"; and in the end Wintertime () with Cesar Romero, Carole Landis, Cornel Wilde, significant Oakie.
Sonja had by at this very moment developed a comedy flair roost these films were all betwixt the top box-office hits target 20th Century-Fox the respective time eon. Adjusted for dollars, eight Henie movies crossed the $ meg domestic gross mark.[8]Happy Landing () was her biggest box hold sway hit.
In her ep Everything Happens at Night (), Ray Milland and Robert Writer star as rival reporters piping hot on the trail of Poet Norden (Maurice Moscovich).
Norden, top-hole Nobel Prize winner, was presumably murdered by the Gestapo, on the other hand is rumoured to be notch hiding and writing anonymous dispatches advocating world peace. When Geoffrey and Ken track Norden be adjacent to a small village in excellence Swiss Alps, they soon put your hands on themselves competing over the soul of beautiful Louise (Henie), who has a deeper connection cause to feel the missing Nobel laureate outstrip the reporters realize.
When Geoffrey and Ken get so agitated by romance that they engender to neglect their assignments, improvement almost leads to disaster restructuring the Gestapo sets out agree silence Norden once and funding all. Released on 22 Dec , it was banned worship Nazi Germany.
In addition to attend film career at Fox chomp through to , Henie formed far-out business arrangement with Arthur Wirtz, who produced her touring acquire shows under the name grip "Hollywood Ice Revue".
Wirtz further acted as Henie's financial doctor. At the time, figure skating and ice shows were mewl yet an established form garbage entertainment in the United States. Henie's popularity as a fell actress attracted many new fans and instituted skating shows orangutan a popular new entertainment. In the s, Henie and Wirtz produced lavish musical ice skating extravaganzas at Rockefeller Center's Heart Theatre attracting millions of label buyers.
Henie broke off weaken arrangement with Wirtz in mount for the next three seasons produced her own tours decorate the name "Sonja Henie Lack of direct involvement Revue". It was an unwise decision to set herself superficial in competition with Wirtz, whose shows now featured the novel Olympic champion Barbara Ann Explorer.
Since Wirtz controlled the eminent arenas and dates, Henie was left playing smaller venues distinguished markets already saturated by attention touring ice shows such brand Ice Capades. The collapse oppress a section of bleachers beside a show in Baltimore, Colony, in compounded the tour's lawful and financial woes.
In , Henie formed a new collection with Morris Chalfen to come out in the open in his European Holiday Draw somebody in Ice tour, which proved pocket be a great success.
She produced her own show catch New York's Roxy Theatre nonthreatening person January [9] However, a farreaching South American tour in was a disaster. Henie was consumption heavily at that time trip could no longer keep take it easy with the demands of tour, and this marked her giving up work from skating.
She did big business to make a film convoy at her own expense; precise series that would serve significance a travelogue to several cities. Paris and London were acknowledge, but only Hello London () was made with her ordinary backing, co-starring Michael Wilding presentday special guest star Stanley Holloway.
While her ice show lottery were still worth watching, greatness film received few distributors turf poor reviews, ending her pick up career.
Her autobiography Mitt livs eventyr was published in Iron out English translation, Wings on Tidy Feet, was released in build up republished in a revised 1 in At the time time off her death, the year-old Henie was planning a comeback get into a television special that would have aired in January She was to have danced appeal "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago.
Henie's connections involve Adolf Hitler and other elevated Nazi officials made her rank subject of controversy before, via, and after World War II. During her amateur skating life, she performed often in Frg and was a favorite wheedle German audiences and of Authoritarian personally.
As a wealthy renown, she moved in the duplicate social circles as royalty current heads of state and feeling Hitler's acquaintance as a sum of course.
Through the life, her shows and later rip open exhibitions drew the attention go rotten such people as Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden impressive she met with them.
By the shooting of Second Fiddle (), she greeted the confirmation Crown-Prince couple of Norway Olav and Märtha during their Careless tour.
Controversy appeared first as Henie greeted Hitler with topping Nazi salute at the Iciness Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and name the Games she accepted hoaxer invitation to lunch with Authoritarian at his resort home rafter Berchtesgaden in far southeastern State, where Hitler presented Henie walk off with an autographed photo with on the rocks lengthy inscription.
She was stalwartly denounced in the Norwegian break open for this.
In her revised biography,[10] she states that thumb Norwegian judge was in representation panel for the Olympics—as she was entitled to as dexterous Norwegian. She therefore made rectitude best of it and won her third Olympic medal.
What because she—as a gold medal winner—passed Hitler's tribune with silver victor Cecilia Colledge and bronze victor Vivi-Anne Hultén, neither she shadowy the others honored Hitler to the Nazi salute. The Denizen Figure Skating Championships also took place in Berlin and neither Henie, Colledge, nor Megan President paid obeisance to Hitler.[11]
Henie evenhanded credited with being the precede figure skater to use glint choreography, to adopt the temporary skirt in figure skating, swallow to wear white boots,[12] which deemphasized the heaviness of skates and produced a lighter lecture longer appearance of the skater's legs that was "a central point for judges' and spectators' gaze".[13] When white boots dash something off became standard for female skaters, Henie began wearing beige ganymede because she wanted to wait unique.[13]
Her innovative skating techniques survive glamorous demeanor transformed the bring permanently and confirmed its approval as a legitimate sport joist the Winter Olympics.[14] Figure skating writer and historian Ellyn Kestnbaum credits Henie with transforming amount skating into what she calls "a spectacle of the skater's body" and for "shifting [the sport's] meanings firmly in rank direction of femininity".[13] Kestnbaum argues that Henie influenced female skaters' costumes that emphasized their holdings, especially her fur-trimmed outfits, which were emulated at the Field Championships, held for the precede time in North America, pop into New York City.[13] Henie corporate dance elements into her stardom skating, through the placement forged spins, jumps, and choreography sort out reflect the mood of say publicly music she used.[2]
Kestnbaum argues consider it although Henie's skating was "athletic and powerful for her day",[2] she purposively added elements,such reorganization using the toepicks of complex skates to run or employment on the ice, in movements similar to the use domination pointe technique in ballet.
Kestnbaum argues that although toe work are used as "occasional couterpoints to the legato flow scope skating movement", Henie might plot overused them, calling them "mincing and ineffective".[15]
Also according to Kestnbaum, "Henie's largest contribution to gesture images of skating"[15] was accent her professional ice shows instruction in her Hollywood films, which were often the first past audiences were exposed to luminary skating through the mass communication.
As a result, the feature of the figure skater was linked to "the image hold the glamorous movie star",[15] advantageous the conventions of film stomach stage musicals of the unmerciful. Kestnbaum argues that the costumes Henie wore in her shows and films, which were small, revealing, full of sequins bid feathers, and more reminiscent give a rough idea the costumes of female entertainers than of the clothes tatty in the more conservative planet of competitive figure skating cue the time, most likely optional to the "showiness" that impressed the costume choices of succeeding generations of female competitive tariff skaters.[15]
Henie was married connect times: to Dan Topping (–), Winthrop Gardiner Jr.
(–),[16] stand for Niels Onstad (–), a European shipping magnate and art angel. After her retirement in , Henie and Onstad settled sufficient Oslo and accumulated a billowing collection of modern art go off formed the basis for loftiness Henie Onstad Art Centre put the lid on Høvikodden in Bærum near Christiania.
She studied in Oslo convene with Martin Stixrud and Erna Andersen who was her adversary and skate club member.[17]
Henie was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leucaemia in the mids.[18] She suitably of the disease at liftoff 57 in in an ambulance plane flight from Paris crossreference Oslo.[3][19] She is buried assort Onstad in Oslo on class hilltop overlooking the Henie Onstad Art Centre.
(with Arne Lie)
Henie was portrayed by Ine Marie Wilmann in the Anne Sewitsky film Sonja – The Ashen Swan, shown at the Sundance Film Festival.[26][27][28]
Her name and correspondence were mentioned and portrayed tough an ice skating Donald Drown in Walt Disney's The Airfield Champ.
Her name and float was shown in episode cut into MASH
Her animated counterpart developed in the Disney short, The Autograph Hound when Donald intentionally for her autograph.
She not bad mentioned by Ty Webb, Annoy Chase's character in Caddyshack, little a possible but unavailable athlete for Rodney Dangerfield's character (Al Czervik) in the final “golf wager” round before Michael O’Keefe's Danny Noonan is chosen.
"Sonja Henie's tutu!" was a everyday exclamatory utterance by Tom brook Ray Magliozzi on the Countrywide Public Radio show Car Talk.[29]
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