Iceland is a 20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

 musical film

Musical film

The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...

 directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

H. Bruce Humberstone

H. Bruce 'Lucky' Humberstone was a movie actor , a script clerk, an assistant director, working with directors such as King Vidor, Edmund Goulding and Allan Dwan and, ultimately, a director.One of twenty-eight founders of the Directors Guild of America, Humberstone worked on several...

 set in Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, starring skater Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...

 and John Payne

John Payne (actor)

John Payne was an American film actor who is mainly remembered as a singer in 20th Century Fox musical films, and for his leading roles in Miracle on 34th Street and the NBC western television series The Restless Gun.-Background:Payne was born in Roanoke, Virginia...

 as a U.S. Marine posted in Iceland during World War II

Iceland during World War II

The state of Iceland during World War II was that of a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state....

. 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

Sun Valley Serenade

Sun Valley Serenade is a 1941 musical film starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, and Lynn Bari. It features The Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by The Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge, performing "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which was nominated for an Academy...

and set the story in the then contemporary American Marine landing and occupation of Iceland in 1941. Payne had previously played a Marine in Fox's To the Shores of Tripoli

To the Shores of Tripoli

To the Shores of Tripoli is a Technicolor 1942 film starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly and Minor Watson. The film was directed by H...

also directed by Humberstone.

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

Eugene Turner was an American champion figure skater who competed in single skating, pair skating and ice dancing, and coached professionally. He was born in Los Angeles, California....

.

External links

• Iceland at IMDB
• New York Times review http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F05EFDA1339E33BBC4D52DFB6678389659EDE