I See Ice

I See Ice
Directed by	Anthony Kimmins
Written by	Austin Melford Anthony Kimmins
Produced by	Basil Dean
Starring	George Formby Kay Walsh Cyril Ritchard
Cinematography	Gordon Dines Ronald Neame
Edited by	Ernest Aldridge
Music by	Ernest Irving
Production company	Associated Talking Pictures
Distributed by	Associated British
Release date	10 February 1938 (1938-02-10)
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

I See Ice is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring George Formby, Kay Walsh and Betty Stockfeld. ^[1] The film depicts the adventures of a photographer working for a London newspaper. It features the songs "In My Little Snapshot Album", "Noughts And Crosses" and "Mother What'll I Do Now". ^[2]

Plot

The farcical adventures of a prop man (George Formby) with a touring ice ballet. Inventing a new sort of candid camera in his spare time, and concealing it in a bow-tie, our hero gets into a mess of trouble when he takes an incriminating photo of an important man; pulls a communication cord; winds up in jail; referees a hockey match; finds himself in a stage show dressed as a cossack; woos an attractive young ice skater (Kay Walsh); and eventually wins a job on a newspaper. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Cast

• George Formby as George Bright
• Kay Walsh as Judy Gaye
• Cyril Ritchard as Paul Martine
• Betty Stockfeld as Mrs. Hunter
• Garry Marsh as Galloway
• Frederick Burtwell as Detective
• Ernest Sefton as Outhwaite
• Gavin Gordon as Night Club Singer
• Ernest Jay as Theater Manager
• Andreas Malandrinos as Lotus Club Manager
• Gordon McLeod as Lord FeiMead
• Archibald Batty as Colonel Hunter
• Elliott Mason as Mother on Train
• Roddy McDowall (age 9) uncredited - Child on train

Box office

Kinematograph Weekly reported the film was a "winner" at the British box office in July 1938. ^[5]

Critical reception

• Hal Erickson wrote in Allmovie that although the film is "well directed and exceptionally well cast (Kay Walsh and Cyril Ritchard appear in support), I See Ice wouldn't amount to a hill of beans without the presence of the ebullient Formby, who halts the action every once in a while for one of his unsubtly risque comic songs. Not surprisingly, the film was infinitely more popular as a "regional" than as a big-city attraction"/ ^[6]
• Halliwell's Film Guide wrote, "fair star comedy with good production". ^[2]
• TV Guide wrote, " wild little comedy with Formby performing uproariously as usual." ^[4]

References

1. "BFI | Film & TV Database | I SEE ICE! (1938)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
2. "I See Ice". Georgeformby.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
3. "I See Ice! | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
4. "I See Ice Trailer". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
5. Billings, R.H. (12 January 1939). "Films which won the box office stakes last year". Kinematograph Weekly. p. 61.
6. Erickson, Hal. "I See Ice (1938) –". AllMovie. Retrieved 13 March 2014.

Bibliography

• Low, Rachael. Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985.
• Perry, George. Forever Ealing. Pavilion Books, 1994.
• Wood, Linda. British Films, 1927–1939. British Film Institute, 1986.

External links

• I See Ice at IMDb