Wednesday, February 27

Wings on their feet

While we were visiting in England Molly and I got to talking about one of her heroines: Sonja Henie.

Molly has admired Henie, a Norwegian figure skater and film star, for years. Henie has won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater.


Henie gave up her amateur status after the 1936 World Figure Skating Championships and became a professional skater and actress which made her one of the highest-paid actresses of the time.

Henie became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941. Like many Hollywood stars, she supported the U.S. war effort through USO and similar activities. Unfortunately, Henie's connections with Adolf Hitler made her controversial before, during, and after World War II.


Thankfully for Henie's Norwegian family, occupying German troops saw Hitler's autographed photo on their piano so none of Henie's Norwegian family or property was hurt by the Germans.

Henie is credited with being the first figure skater to adopt short-skirted figure skating costumes and wearing white boots.

Molly didn't want to interrupt Henie's practice, so she skated nearby so I could get a quick photograph.

Aren't they elegant? 

 

1 comment:

  1. They are indeed elegant! Molly was so excited to have been on the same ice as one of her favorite celebrities. She'll have to add this photo to her celebrity scrapbook.

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