Three years later, in 1927, when she won her first world title, her uniquely choreographed free skate was delivered in a svelte costume of white velvet, its bell skirt hemmed to just above the knee. She was 57 years old. It was so cold, says Don Watson, she was doing her hula number with one of those Norwegian sweaters on.. Miss Henie, ill . For the next ten years, the theater found success with ice skating shows, made popular by Olympic skater and actress Sonja Henie. Hromszor nyert olimpiai aranyat ( 1928, 1932, 1936 ), tzszer vilgbajnoksgot (1927-1936) s hatszor Eurpa-bajnoksgot (1931-1936). 01 ! Connie's story was highlighted in one season finale on Biographys. She had become an American citizen in 1941. Stone floors and oak cabinets anchor the space. Joan couldnt even walk on ice.. He not only kept the bookings and travel running smoothlyon its own train, no less, the Sonja Henie Specialbut also helped Sonja to invest in real estate, restaurants, even Black & White scotch, according to Dick Button. Sonja had innate musicality, which gave her skating numbers a feeling of well-being. Connie Stevens bought that Henie house from Sonja's last husband - it's a famous Paul Williams designed home - it sits on a nice piece of at least 1 acre on Delfern Dr. in Holmby Hills, but I had heard it was at the time she bought it, in bad need of massive repairs. She appeared on several television shows in the next few years, including a one- hour special of her own. It would later house all of Henie's skating memorabilia. Leif would later paint his sister as promiscuous, but as one male skater of the era says, she was a lusty, healthy, happy woman. In the skating world, it was common knowledge that Sonjas skating partners often partnered her in bed. Sonja started ballet lessons when she was five years old. For this, she was condemned by many Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans. The fact is, Sonja could be extremely generous and often was, though quietly. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (19271936) and a six-time European champion (19311936). She feared the wrath of those who couldnt forget her Heil Hitler, or who hadnt forgiven her for not helping, with all her millions, to fund the Resistance. She bought the house from Sonja Henie's estate. Stevens awoke one night to see Henies ghost standing near her bed. George is trying to pay off cabaret singer Marcelle La Verne, who wants to annul their brief elopement. Besides, I can't quite imagine my doing the hula in the Olympics.". What Fox copied were RKOs black-and-white Art Deco sets, the nimble pace, the stock characters, the silly plots, and the big production numbers that got more inventiveblack ice, special effects, dream sequenceswith every movie. Photo: Carlos Marques, Marcott Studios, The sunny living room She put figure skating on the map and got everyone heading for the ice. Sonjas biggest project of the 60s was the one she shared with her husband. The majority of the audience stood. Henie's combination of grace, style and hard-headed business acumen saw her build a glittering . She defended her Olympic titles in 1932 and in 1936, and her world titles annually until 1936. She was also a ten-time World champion as well as a six-time European champion. Not to be confused with American basketball player, 1936 European Figure Skating Championships, "Cecilia Colledge: Champion figure skater", "AFI's 100 Years 100 Stars America's Greatest Legends", "Nektet pne festspill hvis Flagstad skulle synge", "International Women's Sports Hall of Fame", "Sonja Henie Joins 508th Regt. Sonja Henie ( 8. april 1912 i Kristiania - 12. oktober 1969 p en flyrejse mellem Paris og Oslo) var en norsk skjtedronning, OL-vinder, filmskuespiller og kunstmcen. In 1927, she won her first world figure skating championship in Oslo, and retained that title for the next nine years. Sonja Henie was a figure skater. Former Los Angeles Times reporter Neal J. Leitereg covered celebrity real estate for the Business section. The median sale price for the area in March was $1.11 million, based on 40 combined single-family home and condo sales, according to CoreLogic. Sonja also toured in her own ice show called, She was married three times. The Stevens' family often hears loud footsteps and music coming from this area, as well as Windows being slammed shut. [14] She died of the disease at age 57 in 1969 in an ambulance plane flight from Paris to Oslo. The only thing not included here is a guest house, but with 27 acres at your disposal, theres plenty of room to build one or two. OSLO, Oct. 12 (AP)--Sonja Henie, ice-skating queen and film star, died tonight on an ambulance plane flying from Paris to Oslo. She is mentioned by Ty Webb, Chevy Chases character in Caddyshack, as a possible but unavailable substitute for Rodney Dangerfields character (Al Czervik) in the final golf wager round before Michael OKeefes Danny Noonan is chosen. Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fragile Snowflake Donald Trump for Allegedly Trying to Censor Him, The Love Story of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall. Sonja Henie (April 8, 1912 - October 12, 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. When Geoffrey and Ken get so distracted by romance that they begin to neglect their assignments, it almost leads to disaster as the Gestapo sets out to silence Norden once and for all. Henry Winkler, Nancy Meyers, and Ron Howard have paid tribute to the star, who died after a brief illness last week. Her first picture, One in a Million, was a hit that premiered in December 1936 at New Yorks Roxy Theatre, where Sonja arrived on the arm of the beauteous Fox actor Tyrone Power, thought to be the love of her life. Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 - 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. Henie was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the mid-1960s. I mean, youd have to have a constitution of iron to be so strong. Furthermore, what Winnie hadnt known when he sewed the seeds of discontent was that bookings were done two years in advance, and Wirtzs revue, now starring Barbara Ann Scott, was already scheduled in all the stadiums Sonja had played through the years. Public House Konzert - Musik und Unterhaltung im Wharncliffe Hotel, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England . Henie was married three times, to Dan Topping (19401946), Winthrop Gardiner Jr. (19491956),[12] and the Norwegian shipping magnate and art patron Niels Onstad (19561969) (her death). He started boxing when he was twelve. Released on 22 December 1939, it was banned in Nazi Germany. Twenty years after Johnson lost the heavyweight title to Jess Willard, a talented young boxer from Detroit named Joe Louis began to rise up the ranks of black fighters. She had already delighted in dancing, and--with her brother Leif giving her her first lessons--enjoyed What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. Then came the worst blizzard Oslo ever sufferedand me. The date was April 8, 1912, and although the Henies had a handsome son, four-year-old Leif, the new daughter had a special lock on their hearts, especially Wilhelms. LCminiatures. Additionally, he was one of the most prominent boxers []. She said her greatest hope was to become a movie star, and she soon did. Buoyed by a Strong Dollar, NYCs Luxury Housing Market Surpasses Londons, Home of the Week: This $56 Million Glass Villa in Frances Cte dAzur Is Like Living in a Luxury Greenhouse, This $14 Million Modern Manse Was Built Into the Bel-Air Hills for Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living, Historic Villa in Saint-Jeannet in Photos. The Henies were in a position to satisfy Sonjas every desire. Sonja Henie 1945 It's a Pleasure magnificent brief program superb skating with beautifully sinister Marie McDonald Theres an elevator that connects all floors, motion-detection lighting throughout and a central heating and cooling system thats been wrapped in soundproof materials for quiet. Now It Can Be Yours for $3.8 Million. The property abuts conservation land and links up with the Greenwich horse-riding trail system. He hopped on a train, reached Chicago the next day, rushed to her hotel, and sharpened the skates with a hand stone--a few minutes work. Photo: Carlos Marques, Marcott Studios, The cozy family room In the primary bedroom suite, the views to the lake can be seen from the balcony. Obviously the sibling of a superstar is going to have grievances, but Sonjas peers in the skating world, all that Vanity Fair spoke to, found the book unfair., Dick Button: Siblings fall out. Hun vandt guld ved tre Vinter OL. And she built an elegant estate just outside of Oslo. She recently paid $2.036 million for a ranch-style house in the city named for the silent film era of the 1920s. I told her at the time it was an extraordinarily bad business decision, says Tom King, who was then the publicity director for all Wirtz concerns, and who later married Barbara Ann Scott, the Olympic gold medalist in 1948. Sonja Henie was born in Kistiania--now known as Oslo, Norway. Henie initially showed talent at skiing, then followed her older brother, Leif, to take up figure skating. 1932 The daughter of a fur wholesaler in Norway, Sonja Henie received her first pair of ice skates when she was six. Founded by the world-famous figure skater Sonja Henie and her husband Niels Onstad in the 1960s, . Henie's unprecedented three Olympic gold medals have not been matched by any ladies' single skater since, nor have her achievements as ten-time consecutive World champion. She had a way of doing several strokes, says Don Watson, a young virtuoso she hired in 1952, who went on to an illustrious career in skating. She was among 250 female stars who were nominated for "50 Greatest Screen Legend" status by the American Film Institute. We post on luxury real estate and celebrity homes on our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. And just as movies like 1948s The Red Shoes inspired a generation of girls to become ballerinas, so Sonjas moviesalong with her ice showslaunched a generation of figure skaters. At 14 she was the Norwegian Skating Champion. The audience was shocked . I never dreamed Id end my career with her., Into the first flush of her celluloid-and-ice-show stardom came the greatest loss of Sonjas life, the death of her father in May 1937. Say her name to anyone under 40, and they wont know that she was the first teen phenom of modern timesthat in 1928, months before Shirley Temple was even born, this dimpled imp of 15 was already a child star on the worlds stage. Holmby Hills Celebrity Houses Golden Age Of Hollywood Memoriam Old Master Recognition Haunting Beautiful Homes Gallery Wall More information . At home in Oslo, she trained at Frogner Stadium, where her coaches included Hjrdis Olsen and Oscar Holte. What began as film star and Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie's estate in the 1940s has been preserved and developed into a hidden gem where celebrities, Palm Springs residents, and visitors alike have found a private getaway to relax in the warm desert weather. Sonja spent her earliest years begging, yearning, for skates. Neils Onstad never told his wife about her leukemia diagnosis, he instead told her that her tiredness was from anemia. The couple decided to build a museum for their collection, and in 1968 donated 250 works to the Sonja Henie-Niels Onstad Art Center outside of Oslo. She grew up in a very wealthy family and was encouraged to play sports. Ghostwriting Gloria Swanson: The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of a Legendary Autobiography. Skating Champion. In her first entrance in the show, the boys, 24 in gold tails and top hats, they went down on one knee and made a sort of passageway. Sonjas liberation from those old-crow skating skirts showed off spins and spirals to better advantage, and allowed her to perform tricksthe single axel, for instancethat had previously belonged to male skaters. "I want to do with skates (in the movies) what Fred Astaire is doing with dancing," she said. Sonjas mother, Selma, was not keen on sports or speed. She entered her first Olympic Winter Games the next year, primarily for experience, and took third place in the free skating competition. The couple traveled the world and socialized. Sonja Henie She was the youngest athlete in the first Winter Olympics, the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals, and one of Hollywood's top-grossing stars. It is also merciless, sharing every last foible and flaw. She telegraphed her maid and told her to place a picture of her with Hitler, which he had autographed, in a prominent place in her house. She herself earned over $200,000 from her film work alone in 1937. Sonja Henie grew up here, only a short walk away from the ice skating rink at Frogner. She won the children's figure skating championship of Oslo when she was 8, and two years later, in 1923, she won the figure skating championship of Norway. At the Olympics, a chastened Sonja did not salute, though word that she and her parents had lunched with Hitler at his retreat in the mountains didnt help matters. * Sonja Henie had an estate worth over a hundred million dollars at her death, part of this fortune she inherited from her Norwegian fathers fur trade business, part of it she earned. Henie also insisted on having total control of the skating numbers in her films such as Second Fiddle (1939). There's a lot of interesting things about it, but it feels like they had no idea . The two-acre estate, purchased by the actress/singer/ cosmetics tycoon in 1974 for . Eight years later, she was the Norwegian Skating Champion. Controversy appeared first when Henie greeted Hitler with a Nazi salute at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and after the Games she accepted an invitation to lunch with Hitler at his resort home in nearby Berchtesgaden, where Hitler presented Henie with an autographed photo with a lengthy inscription. Neither man worked, both took advantage of Sonjas generosity, according to her brother, and both marriages failed. She had style and artistry and athleticism, but most important, I think, at the beginning and back in that era, she had guts. Wilhelm, who came from old money generated by a brush factory and a fur company, was a smart businessman who grew the family fortune. The first thing she remembers wanting was to skate. He liked Sonja, admired her, and though he knew himself to be shrewd, he once said, Sonja is shrewder.. (Getty Images) Not long after the center's lavish opening celebration, Henie was diagnosed with leukemia. Finally, I hope you enjoyed reading about, 's home. She broke with her manager in 1951, and began producing shows on her own, but gave them up after a block of seats at a Baltimore armory collapsed before a show in March, 1952, injuring more than 250 people. She has starred in movies such as Thin Ice, Happy Landing, and Second Fiddle. The collapse of a section of bleachers during a show in Baltimore, Maryland in 1952 compounded the tour's legal and financial woes. She didnt give an inch, and Zanuck caved. Since their relationship was made public in 2004, Zara and Mike have delighted royal watchers with their modern, supportive, and fun-loving romance. This is from a Vanity Fair article about Sonja: In 1985, about 16 years after Sonja's death, a biography co-written by Raymond Strait and Leif Henie (who died in 1984) was published: Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows: The Unsuspected Life of Sonja Henie. As Michael Kirby, the Canadian champion who was Sonjas skating partner in the late 1940s, would write, She had what was thought to be incredible gall for wearing pure white skates. 20th Century-Fox and debuted in. skating even more. Her one regret in life was she not able to have children. [on studio publicity promoting what was an imaginary romance with Tyrone Power] We had to consult the gossip columns every day to see if we were still in love or not. Another popular room is adorned in light pastel colors and boasts knights chairs that at one time were used by the English palace. June 6, 1956 - October 12, 1969 (her death). Now I arrive at the Garden at 6:45 and I never stop until 11:10. One can see why chief among her legion of fans was Adolf Hitler. In her revised 1954 biography,[9] she states that no Norwegian judge was in the panel for the 1936 Olympicsas she was entitled to as a Norwegian. In 1936, following a successful ice show in Los Angeles orchestrated by her father to launch her film career, Hollywood studio chief Darryl Zanuck signed her to a long-term contract at Twentieth Century Fox, which made her one of the highest-paid actresses of the time. Sonja Henie, the dimple-faced Norwegian skating sensation of the 1930s, . While Irina Slutskaya of Russia has held the record for most European titles among ladies' skaters since 2006, Henie still retains the record of most consecutive titles, sharing it with Katarina Witt of Eastern Germany/Germany (19831988). Henie won the first of an unprecedented ten consecutive World Figure Skating Championships in 1927 at the age of fourteen. Ancestors. 764 views Jul 21, 2015 4 Dislike Share British Movietone 315K subscribers (5 Aug 1937) CU Sonja Henie. Sonja was visionary in that she saw what the audience for figure skating could be, says Edward Z. Epstein, an author and playwright who worked with Universal Pictures for many years and was a competitive skater in his teens. Sonja Henie (8. aprill 1912 Oslo - 12. oktoober 1969) oli Norra iluuisutaja ja filminitleja.. Sonja Henie tuli kolmekordseks olmpiavitjaks: 1928., 1932. ja 1936. aasta taliolmpiamngudel.. Sonja Henie tuli 10 korda maailmameistriks ja 5 korda Euroopa meistriks aastatel 1927-1936.Ta esines ka jrevdes.Aastal 1936 siirdus ta USA-sse ja hakkas filminitlejaks. It was October 12, 1969, and she was 57. The 77-year-old Stevens gained fame as the character Cricket in the 1960s television series Hawaiian Eye. Among her other TV credits are 77 Sunset Strip, Wendy and Me and Loves Savage Fury., What to know about the real estate market in Beverly Hills, Former Twins slugger Jason Kubel catches a buyer in Calabasas, Home of the Day: Life on a grand scale in Pacific Palisades. The Paranormal Forum is a place to share your experiences, thoughts, questions, and to learn about things that are considered supernatural such as ghosts, hauntings, Ouija board, UFOs, psychic phenomena, and much more. Furthermore, aside from her career as a figure skater, Henie also had a successful film career. She swept through Europe during the summer of 1953, beautifully presented by Chalfen, and prepared to face her fears in Oslo33 performances from August 21 to September 20. olimpiai, vilg- s Eurpa-bajnok norvg mkorcsolyz, sznszn. And it did. Her innovative skating techniques and glamorous demeanor transformed the sport permanently and confirmed its acceptance as a legitimate sport in the Winter Olympics.[5]. I wanted more than anything else, Sonja wrote, to make my free-skating program a blend of dancing and figure skating., You have to have an image of yourself, says Peggy Fleming, the 1968 Olympic gold medalist. There are now three generations that have never heard of her. As a result, none of Henie's properties in Norway were confiscated or damaged by the Germans. Don Watson, a friend until her death, says Sonja was told it was anemia, and she was treated with blood transfusions. Although later cleared of any responsibility for the accident, she did not stage any more arena- type shows. and Oslo. Miss Henie had been suffering from. . Schooling was out and the best skating teachers were in: Oscar Holte, Martin Stixrud, and later, for a steep price, the full-time services of Howard Nicholson. Well ok, very few listeners actually asked, but the puzzler's still on vacation and there's a lot of air time to fill, alright? He signed her to a touring contract and within weeks tested the waters by presenting Sonja Henie Night at Madison Square Gardena smashing success. Oslo's shock April snowfall of 1912 is remembered as one of the city's more memorable events of the last century, but it pales in comparison to the emergence of Sonja Henie, the precocious figure-skater who went on to become a hugely successful Hollywood movie star and performer, in its wake. During her amateur skating career, she performed often in Germany and was a favorite of German audiences and of Hitler personally. Sonja Henie was born on 8 April, 1912 in Kristiania, Norway [now Oslo, Norway], is an Actress, Soundtrack, Writer. Sonja Henie Address: Delfern Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90077. The Henie-Onstad Art Center opened with royal fanfare on August 23, 1968. And drinking.. Sonja signed a five-year contract stipulating $125,000 per picture, one picture a year, its filming to be done during the summer so she could tour with her ice show in the winter. Born 8 Apr 1912 in Kristiania, Oslo, Norge. [2][15] She is buried with Onstad in Oslo on the hilltop overlooking the Henie Onstad Art Centre. I was there and every performance was sold out, says Don Watson. After the war, Henie was mindful that many of her countrymen considered her to be a quisling. 4.5 out of 5 stars (5,282) $ 5.99. Also, Please follow us on each of these. She saw that as a dimpled soubrette shed have to do some form of musical comedy. And she wasnt going to take any second billing. Sonja wouldnt let other blonds in the show, never mind another star. Henie broke off her arrangement with Wirtz in 1950 and for the next three seasons produced her own tours under the name "Sonja Henie Ice Revue". Whatever Sonja wanted, she eventually gota family dynamic that would last a lifetime. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Her illness had been a well-kept secret. Having announced her retirement from competition, she received calls from producers and film studios. She was a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion (1927-1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931-1936). At 14, Sonja was entered in the 1927 World championship in Oslo, the youngest contestant ever in that event. The second child of Wilhelm and Selma Henie was born in a snowstorm. Photo: Carlos Marques, Marcott Studios, The formal dining room She then placed eighth in a field of eight at the 1924 Winter Olympics, at the age of eleven. Whatever your preference, this house has it. As a girl Henie also was a nationally ranked tennis player, and a skilled swimmer and equestrienne. (image - low resolution, fair use . In 1936 she would turn professional and tour with her own ice show. Whichever time line is correct, the essential truths are these: once on the ice, Sonja didnt want to come off, and once having won, her winning became the family grail. Discover Sonja Henie famous and rare quotes. A formal living room features a rounded brick fireplace; the kitchen has an island/breakfast bar; and a master suite has a custom walk-in closet. The birth name of the boxer was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, and he was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 17, 1942. She competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics and came in eighth place. U nder the watch of Adolf Hitler and an international crowd, Sonja Henie was competing for her third gold medal in figure skating at the 1936 Olympic Games. See more ideas about hollywood, golden age of hollywood, movie stars. Sonjas 10 years of domination date from her 1927 world title. and delighted. She once called Eddie Pec, the only person she permitted to sharpen her skates, in New York, to ask him to come to Chicago, where her show was to open. It was an ill-advised decision to set herself up in competition with Wirtz, whose shows now featured the new Olympic champion Barbara Ann Scott. Henie became so popular with the public that police had to be called out for crowd control on her appearances in various disparate cities such as Prague and New York City. Its very unusual to run on toe picks, says Aja Zanova Steindler, the world-champion figure skater who defected from Czechoslovakia in 1950, at the age of 18. The Royal Family were very mindful of whom they supported after the war and Norwegians looked to them as role models in that respect. If a massive, 14,880-square-foot mansion set on 27 acres in Greenwich, Conn., doesnt already tempt with its spaciousness, privacy, classic beauty and proximity to Manhattan, this one amps up the offerings. She therefore made the most of it and won her third Olympic medal. Wood paneling and wide-plank wood floors mark many of the indoor spaces. Furthermore, Susanne Bier directed it. She had the guts to follow her thoughtsto follow the image that she had of herself.. Rolling annually into Madison Square Garden, Sonja Henies Hollywood Ice Revue rocked the house. Sonja had by now developed a comedy flair and these films were all among the top box-office hits for 20th Century-Fox the respective years. In 1969, Henie died from complications due to leukemia at the age of fifty-seven. This magnificent Paul Williams estate, originally built for Sonja Henie in 1939, has been the home of iconic actress/entertainer, business woman and philanthropist, Connie Stevens, for the past 34 years. If there is a link within comment it will not be published. Then "Like" us onFacebookand "follow" us onTwitter. More information Sonja Henie in the Holmby Hills mansion that she haunts to this day. Less than two weeks ago she attended a theater performance in Oslo with her husband. Ice skating was always top priority, and when Sonja was nine, her parents took her out of school so she could devote all her time to training. Her autobiography Mitt livs eventyr was published in 1938. 7. The vast kitchen begs for a gourmand with its marble countertops, La Cornue range, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliancesincluding a warming drawer and wine cooler. Photo: Carlos Marques, Marcott Studios, The manicured gardens and tennis court Never a drinker, she started hitting the scotch which, according to her brother, accentuated the black-and-white sides of her personality. What began as film star and Olympic figure skater Sonja Henie's estate in the 1940s has been preserved and developed into a hidden gem where celebrities, Palm Springs residents, and visitors alike have found a private getaway to relax in the warm desert weather. Commenting on the difference between skating in her shows and in competition, Miss Henie once said: "When I was in championship competition I was on the ice for exactly four minutes. When the Nazis arrived to take over the house, they saw the picture and left quickly. Her movies, so many of them nestled in frosty-paned Mitteleuropa mountain resorts, were an alternate universe made of powdered sugaran antidote to Europes ominous rumbling toward war. Wife of Daniel Reid Topping married 4 Jul 1940 (to 1946) in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States. He was a man of his word who honored a handshake. Like many Hollywood stars, she supported the U.S. war effort through USO and similar activities. Check out the, Address: Delfern Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90077, We post on luxury real estate and celebrity homes on our, . Outside, the exterior is clad in hand-honed granite with custom gutters and bronze windows trimmed in limestone. For Sonja, the year 1936 was like winning the lottery. Why Diane Kruger Changed Her Mind About Having Children, The actor said that in her mid-30s she began to wonder, What am I doing all this for?, Gus Kenworthy Says a Gay Kiss Was Cut From. At 15 she would win the Olympic gold medal in Skating, a feat she would repeat in 1932 and 1936. Sonja went on to not one but two Social Register marriages: the first, in 1940, to Dan Topping, an heir to millions and part owner of the New York Yankees (his brother Bob was married to Lana Turner), and the second, in 1949, to Winthrop Gardiner Jr., who had inherited Gardiners Island. And Sonja was going through that.

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