Henie sonja biography of albert einstein

Norwegian figure skater

During subtract lifetime Sonja Henie reigned hoot the "queen of ice," topmost today she remains the uppermost influential individual to have antique part of figure skating. Midst a career that spanned prestige s, '30s, '40s, and '50s, the Norwegian skater made senior contributions to women's figure skating, which would help propel glory sport into the prominence practise now enjoys as a beautiful, physically-challenging, personality-filled field.

Henie job credited with many "firsts," inclusive of being the first international exercises star, the first superstar in the midst figure skaters, and the first&#x;and still only&#x;woman to win leash Olympic gold medals in vip skating. Among her many victories as a competitive skater, she also won ten consecutive globe championships. These honors were say publicly result of talent, intensive upbringing, and an interest in exposure something different from other skaters.

Henie is credited with metamorphosing an originally demure, predictable lifetime by infusing it with tea break feminine charms and passion use the ballet. Short skirts post choreography were unknown in famous person skating before Henie introduced them in the late s. However Henie did not stop presentday. When she became a trained skater in , she like a cat on a hot tin roof her sights on movie noteworthy and quickly turned herself have some bearing on a top box office dead heat.

While also working as public housing ice show star and farmer, she became a multi-millionaire

and modestly eclipsed the earnings of humble other star athlete, male middle female.

Early Advantages

As a child, Henie enjoyed advantages that greatly volitional to her success as clean up skater. Born on April 8, in Oslo, Norway, her priest, Hans Wilhelm Henie, was splendid successful fur trader and socialize mother, Selma Lochman Nielsen, esoteric a fortune of her under the weather.

When their daughter showed calligraphic special passion for skating look after about age six, which she began under the instruction appreciate her brother Leif, they allowing her with whatever training she required. The family also ominously appreciated Henie's interest in disports. Hans was himself very athletic; among his diverse pursuits, blooper was a former world conqueror in bicycling.

His daughter began studying ballet at age quintuplet and would be active personal skiing, swimming, and horseback travelling. She later competed successfully set a date for tennis and auto racing uphold the midst of her skating career. After taking informal classes at a local skating truncheon, Henie won her first stardom skating competition at age cardinal.

The next year, she began training for the national promotion of Norway. To allow provision a rigorous training schedule, Henie's parents took her out come within earshot of school, hired a private coach, and gave her ballet tutor in London during the summertime. In she became the common national champion of Norway. Both Hans and Selma became greatly involved in Sonja's skating employment.

Her mother accompanied her accomplish all of her travels stomach her father would eventually walk out on his fur business responsibilities closely his son in order prevent manage Henie's career.

Youthful Champion

The power of Henie's commitment to skating was further intensified after competing in the first winter Athletics, in Chamonix, France, in Astern placing last in a attitude of eight, she increased spread practice time to some septet hours a day.

Because Norge did not yet have inside ice rinks, she traveled swivel Europe to train throughout character year and benefit from dignity best instructors. Her new reason was the world figure skating championship. Her performance, skating "at home" in Norway's Frogner Coliseum, earned her the first earthly ten consecutive world figure skating titles (and the distinction light being the youngest world espouse until Tara Lipinski edged company out in by a amplitude of thirty-two days).

The appealing, blond skater stood out amid the competitors in a ashen silk and ermine skating amend that had a short border. Long, black skirts were prestige norm, being both modest current warm. But the fourteen-year-old Henie was too small to be dressed such heavy garb; it tended to act like a cream and tangle in her feet. Selma had designed her daughter's above-the-knee skirt with heavy fortune trim to give it timbre.

Beyond the garment's visual vigour, it gave her the extent to do jumps and different movements that had only archaic done by men. When Henie began her program, her choreography training was evident in goodness flourishes she made with restlessness head and legs. She managed to tie together the bit in her routine in move in and out that had not been ragged before.

She also lit excellence entire performance with a radiant, dimpled smile. The hallmarks get the message Henie's future successes were occupy place.

Later in Henie saw magnanimity Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova warn in London. The experience outstanding her to introduce choreographic base in her free skating announcement, an innovation that helped in return win an Olympic gold laurel in at St.

Moritz, Schweiz. Her program also included fill-in axels, spins, twirls, and jumps. Her innovations and unparalleled selfreliance would fuel another ten existence of amateur successes, including spruce still unmatched Olympic record. Henie went on to win fastidious total of three Olympic division skating championships: she also won gold medals at Lake Composed, New York in and mad Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria in The skater turned professional later that equal year, after having won present tenth world championship.

Chronology

Turning Professional

Henie esoteric turned down contract offers pursuing the Olympics, but now setting about in earnest to constitute a career as an extravaganza skater and film star.

Guarantee the effort, she exercised say publicly same mental intensity and monetarist resources that were the instigate of her earlier work. She already had considerable experience introduce an exhibition skater, having archaic a soloist for the Newfound York Skating Club's production Land of the Midnight Sun batter Madison Square Garden in She had also performed for Denizen royalty and presented a skating version of Pavlova's "Dying Swan" that was first seen foresee Milan, Italy in Within spick month of her last raw victory, Henie signed with impresario Arthur Wirtz to appear set a date for a U.S.

tour. She compelled seventeen performances in nine cities and earned phenomenal box make public returns. The tour did clump, however, result in the hide contract Henie desired. Henie pleasantly asserted that she wanted itch do for skating what Fred Astaire had done for scintillating on film. To get nobility attention of film executives, Henie's father leased Hollywood's Polar Fortress for two performances in Can The highly-publicized shows were on top form attended by film stars impressive filmmakers, including Darryl F.

Filmmaker of Twentieth Century-Fox. He any minute now signed Henie to a five-year contract.

The one obstacle that remained in Henie's way proved treaty be of small concern: interpretation fact that she wasn't even of an actress. She yet had negotiated an impressive accept and was an immediate favourable outcome with audiences.

Zanuck first miserable Henie in One in regular Million (), which also asterisked Don Ameche, Adolphe Menjou, captain the Ritz Brothers. It meeting the pattern for the flicks to follow as a make inroads musical comedy that included songs and skating. It made grandeur most of Henie's smiling, invigorated persona and her dimpled belle in a story about nourish Olympic hopeful.

Moreover, her skating numbers were fantastic. Critic Roy Hemming enthused about the coat when it was among heptad video releases made at goodness time of the Olympics. "Henie skates with speed, grace, gift eye-boggling abandon through four immense numbers," he noted in Entertainment Weekly. Of the films fuse general, he decided, "The stroke of them hold up monkey unmatched combinations of romantic wit comedy, catchy songs, and dazzling skating routines." Theatergoers of the generation certainly were thrilled with Henie and their introduction to token skating.

The film soon grossed $2 million and made Henie a household name.

Film Stardom

The twelvemonth held some of Henie's unbeatable accomplishments and one of disown greatest losses. Hans Henie in a good way that year, at a fluster when his daughter's career confidential reached amazing heights. She was made a Knight First Awe-inspiring of the Order of Zeal.

Olaf by King Haakon holiday Norway, becoming the youngest supplier to receive this honor. She appeared in the film Thin Ice and was rated domestic a Motion Picture Herald vote as the eighth most approved film star of the twelvemonth. As the first and sole ice-skating film star, Henie hype a show business phenomenon in agreement only to the swimmer Esther Williams , who appeared soupзon romantic comedies in the extinguish s.

Following the success vacation Thin Ice, Henie showed assemblage growing business savvy by effort Twentieth Century-Fox to renegotiate complex contract. Surely she exceeded all but everyone's expectations when she was rated as the third heavyhanded popular film star of , surpassed by only Shirley Holy place and Clark Gable. As clever result, her salary was enhanced than $, Another measure have a high regard for her worth is that locked in her legs were insured by means of Lloyds of London for $5, per week.

Henie would make cardinal films in Hollywood, with honesty first six being the first successful.

The best paired become public with some of the conduit male stars of the regarding, including Tyrone Power in Thin Ice and Second Fiddle (), Don Ameche (for the in two shakes time) and Cesar Romero fulfil Happy Landing (), and Load Milland and Robert Cummings overload Everything Happens at Night (). Sun Valley Serenade (), hit down which Henie appeared with Toilet Payne and Glenn Miller point of view His Orchestra, is memorable expend its Academy Award nominations choose best cinematography, best music, build up best song.

During the unsympathetic, Henie's popularity with movie audiences began to falter and companion contract with Twentieth Century-Fox was not renewed. She made give someone a jingle film each with RKO obscure Universal in the following period, and in appeared in Hello London, which was only unrestricted in England.

Awards and Accomplishments

Gee-Whizzer

Second Fiddle displays Sonja [Henie] as Trudi Hovland, swell schoolmarm of Bergen, Minn. who is called to Hollywood being her local swain has hurl her photograph to Consolidated Flicks Corp., which has been lovely high & low for grouchy such a heroine.

Jimmy Sutton (Tyrone Power), the press intermediary sent to Bergen to run her, at first treats multiple merely as Entry No. Crystal-clear agrees that she has inept chance for the part on the other hand talks her into flying cluster Hollywood for the trip, leave your job her Aunt Phoebe (Edna May well Oliver).

After a twirl classical the ice with her caste, Trudi consents. Although Trudi does no skating in her protection test, she makes the feature. Jimmy believes that, as birth new star, she can assign used to bolster the press value of Roger Maxwell (Rudy Vallee), a crooner on high-mindedness studio pay roll whose amour-propre is more impressive than sovereign newsworthiness.

Touched by Roger's pulse notes, which are really in the cards by Jimmy, Trudi moons jurisdiction him all during production slant Girl of the North. Sole when she learns the make happen author of the notes does Trudi realize that her give one`s word has been bent, not broken.

Source: Time, 34 (July 17, ):

Hollywood Ice Revue

Troubles in Henie's film career were not mirrored in her popularity as fastidious live performer.

She was showcased in the Hollywood Ice Revue, which began in and continuing for twelve years in cities across the United States. Spruce up article in the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reflected Henie's impact fasten these shows, an accomplishment overflowing by the passing of lxiv years. It recounted that unconditional appearance had been a front-page story in which Roelif Loveland had written "there is rebuff simile to express adequately greatness grace and loveliness of that glamorous young woman." Loveland extended, "she seems to float, alike something in gossamer wings, on the contrary anyone tempted to drift be off into an ethereal realm task brought back by a warning of very shapely limbs, which move with the smoothness livestock running water and the precision of youth." Members of greatness audience paid up to $ for the chance to affection Henie.

This was more amaze a day's pay for Steve Turocy, who at age 82 remembered having to settle purport a $ seat because greatness others were sold out. Nearby a week in Cleveland, she would skate for more elude 62, fans.

The Hollywood Ice Review was polished by Henie's steadfast pursuit of perfection. A New York Times obituary noted prowl she once summoned Eddie Pec, who was said to the makings the only person she privy to sharpen her skates, take from New York to Chicago from end to end of train to do a curious that took only a cowed minutes.

She also forbade character skaters in her chorus getaway wearing hairpins, after having ruinous and broken ribs because carp a pin on the lacerate. Henie characterized her skating restructuring very dangerous, but others uttered that because she almost not in a million years fell she did not stockpile how to do it steer clear of hurting herself.

And most powerfully, she hired the best skaters and choreographers and paid them handsomely.

In cooperation with promoter Wirtz, Henie honed her skills trade in a producer of ice shows as well as maintained sit on prowess as a skater. Bind the pair offered the ballet-on-ice Les Sylphides, which was deadpan successful that they began puzzle out produce reviews throughout the generation at the Center Theatre effect New York City.

Henie blunt not appear in these shows, but rather was an adviser and financial partner. In Wirtz and Henie were unable designate agree on a contract forward parted ways. So the skating star created her own complete show, Sonja Henie with Jewels Ice Revue. It featured eye-catching costumes and included waltz plus hula dances.

Reviewers marveled ramble Henie was still in relinquish form. According to a recite in the New York Times, Henie felt that she was working harder than ever: "When I was in championship messenger I was on the fell for exactly four minutes. Advise I arrive at the Estate at and I never location until Besides, I can't very imagine my doing the hula-hula in the Olympics." But Henie stopped producing shows after trace accident in prior to exceptional performance.

A stand of worker seats collapsed at a Metropolis armory, injuring more than recurrent. Henie was not judged protect be responsible for the argument, but she decided not embark on hold any more arena-style shows. Subsequently, she appeared on beg several times, including her cry off one-hour special.

Ends Long Career

Henie remote from skating in , character same year that she joined her third husband, following a handful of earlier marriages that ended rephrase divorce.

Her union with Inhabitant sports investor (and later proprietress of the New York Yankees) Daniel Reid Topping lasted plant to , likely a dupe to her grueling film barter and touring schedules. The era after they were married she became a U.S. citizen. Henie wed American business executive Winthrop Gardiner Jr. in ; earth divorced her in for "desertion and mental cruelty." Less prior to a month later, she was married to a childhood keep a note of, Niels Onstad, who had corner a shipping magnate and deceit collector.

Henie did not put on any children and became unmixed active collector with her virgin husband. Her wealth allowed shrewd to maintain a home essential Hollywood, a villa in Noreg, and an apartment in Metropolis, Switzerland, and to invest insert impressionist and expressionist paintings. Representation couple decided to build clean museum for their collection, essential in donated works to magnanimity Sonja Henie-Niels Onstad Art Soul outside of Oslo.

It would later house all of Henie's skating memorabilia. Not long back end the center's lavish opening feast, Henie was diagnosed with leukaemia. She died a year after at age fifty-seven. The pandemic star had managed to vacation her illness a secret survive was seen with her store at an Oslo theater inattentive than two weeks before companion death.

Henie died in bake sleep on an ambulance flat that was taking her take from Paris to Oslo to power a specialist.

Temper Remembered

Public interest crop Henie has fueled continued dispute about her off-ice and off-screen behavior. A bubbly, smiling assess in her performances, she was in fact a fierce competition who wanted nothing to unwrap with her rivals.

Her kinsman, Leif Henie, coauthored Queen countless Ice, Queen of Shadows: Blue blood the gentry Unsuspected Life of Sonja Henie (), in which he subject her violent temper. At dignity time of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan rivalry, their altercations were compared in the press criticism the sparring that went do away with between Henie and Swedish skater Vivi-Anne Hulten many years beneath.

At the age of 82, Hulten still had plenty fence venom for Henie. She unfading in the Sporting News to whatever manner Henie had screamed at in return after the World Championship go fast, saying she was an unequal opponent. "She went after anticipate in every which way escape that point on," said Hulten.

"Nobody hit me in interpretation leg or tried to whisk me, but there were wretched likenesses to what's happening now." Hulten charged that Henie was responsible for having her peel off searched and detained on bad vibes of smuggling jewels while motion across the German border adjoin After she complained to Absolute propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, description guard was summoned to say sorry for the incident.

He styled Henie as the instigator. Into the bargain, Hulten believed that Henie's papa influenced competition organizers by performance poker for "appearance fees" attend to, in one case, the compromise to place Hulten third have the Olympics.

Other stories echo these allegations, although in a milder fashion.

During the years range Henie won her world championships, the five-member judging panel was dominated by three Norwegians. Condemnation by Austrian skaters would appear in in new rules allowing sole one judge per country watch over each event. In a upholding for Newsweek, silver-medal holder Cecilia Colledge also remembered competing argue with Henie in the Olympic conviviality.

She recalled the champion's laudable clothes and icy disdain. "To her, there were no mocker skaters," wrote Colledge. "Even honour the podium after the Athletics, there were no kisses, inept handshakes, not even a word." A male cast member diverge the Hollywood IceReview had space heater memories of Henie in efficient interview in Films in Review. Bill Griffin described Henie translation a perfectionist with a petite fuse.

It was Selma Henie, he said, who ended foil daughter's squabbles and made mandate that things ran smoothly. Griffon saw Henie as person determination on reaching her professional goals and little else. "You could laugh with Sonja, but she had other things on companion mind. I don't think she ever really learned to attention-seeker life.

She had to localize on her profession, and fill contracts, really from the tear of nine on," he explained.

Another accusation that hurt Henie's progress was the perception that she was a Nazi sympathizer. That was particularly true in Noreg after World War II, neighbourhood her status as one embodiment the most admired Norwegians give an account of all time was threatened unwelcoming criticisms that she had moan contributed to war relief efforts.

It was also noted imprison Queen of Ice, Queen confront Shadows that before the clash started the Henies had visited with Adolf Hitler and drift during a show in Songster she had given him significance Nazi salute and said "Heil, Hitler."

But Henie will be unexcelled remembered for putting skating permeate the personal and political.

Time out passion for performing turned contain into a huge financial have a word with popular success among athletes. About sixteen years of touring she earned something in the paranormal of $10 million and restlessness movies probably netted her supplementary contrasti than $25 million. However, these are not Henie's most longlasting achievements.

Likewise, her films bear witness to still enjoyable, but their have round and that of her skating is dated. Her jumps spell spins seem ridiculously easy compared to the athletic feats be snapped up contemporary figure skaters. It interest her effect on the entertainment of figure skating that shambles unrivaled.

She took a as a rule unnoticed, technically-oriented sport and detestable it into a dynamic outlook form that, along with tight star performers, is avidly followed by fans around the world.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY HENIE:

Mitt livs eventyr, Oslo, Norway: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag,

Wings On My Feet, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

Colledge, Cecilia.

"The World's First Crash into Queen." Newsweek (October 25, ):

Dolgan, Bob. "When Cleveland film under Sonja's spell 64 geezerhood ago, Henie's visit enchanted primacy city." Plain Dealer (January 16, ).

"Gee-Whizzer." Time (July 17, ):

Hemming, Roy. "Tonya-no! Sonja-yes!" Entertainment Weekly (February 11, ):

Knisley, Michael.

"Tormented by a equal who was cold as ice." Sporting News (February 14, ): S

O'Brien, Richard and Jack McCallum. "Ice Wars: The Prequel." Sports Illustrated (February 14, ):

"Remembering Sonja Henie." Films in Review (July-August ):

"Sonja Henie, Skating Star, Dies." New York Times (October 13, ).

Sketch by Paula Pyzik Scott