My Lucky Star (1938)

Too much of everything

Powerful

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

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.

Henie my fave, a long time ago. I have since learned her techniques are not up to today's standards. She I feel leans too far forward in many of her moves. She is adorable in this film, however. She gold medaled in Olympics 1928, 1932 and 1936, then went pro as in went Hollywood. Her presence here is a 10. Harrumph. Black and white I hate for musicals. I take off two points for lack of color. Boo and hiss. This takes this film down to an 8 in my book. I love dancing and singing Buddy Ebsen. Good to see Joan Davis and Arthur Treacher. Richard Greene -- Robin Hood -- was cute as ever. Yummmm. 8/10

Cute story and superb cast are hampered by silly and often stupid dialog, dialog so bad so often, even these great actors can't deliver the lines convincingly.Never mind. Sonja Henie is so adorable, with the sunniest smile, and the cutest cheekbones, one can just tune out the silly lines and watch her.Richard Greene was about as good-looking a guy as ever crossed the pond and was usually a good actor. I felt some of his reactions here were out of place, but, again, forget about it and watch Sonja.Arthur Treacher was his usual self, which means pretty well perfect for the part.Joan Davis ... well, she was over the top, but was also astonishing in her prat-falls. Too bad her part was intrusive and the focus of most of the silliest of the dialog.Buddy Ebsen is one of those people who can do no wrong. I met him once, at a Western film festival at (I think) UCLA. He was one of the most talented people in Hollywood history. From a vaudeville-type dancer to a serious dramatic actor, he could do it all. Great talent!I'm confused about part of the cast. I don't know who played the girl friend of the Greene character, but I think it was Patricia Wilder. She sounded like a genuine Southerner and Ms. Wilder was from Macon.But one of the female characters said "y'all" to one person and only ignorant Yankee script writers make that stupid error, and it's one that irritates me thoroughly. "Y'all" is plural. That means more than one person, and no Southerner says "y'all" to one person.Never mind. Watch Sonja.Also watch Paul Hurst. He was around a long time, playing tough characters, especially villains, in silent Westerns, and playing a wonderful character in John Wayne's "Angel and the Badman" (1947). He was a great talent.Not finally, but finally for this review, that gold-digger played by Louise Hovick? She was much better known as Gypsy Rose Lee. And she was a find! Very underplayed, very cool and calm as the gal wanting money from George Cabot, Jr., played somewhat over the top by Cesar Romero, usually one of my favorites, but who needed a better director here to tone him down.Be patient, but do watch "My Lucky Star" when next it is available on TCM or FX. Be patient, because a lot of the early dialog will irritate. Be patient, and await the adorable Sonja Henie, who left us far too soon.

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.