Ice Follies Explained

Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice, Inc.
Former Name:Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies, Inc.
Holiday on Ice
Trade Name:Disney On Ice
Type:private subsidiary
Industry:Entertainment
Hq Location:Feld Entertainment Studio
Hq Location City:Ellenton, Florida
Hq Location Country:United States
Area Served:Worldwide
Areas Served:-->
Production:Touring ice shows
Brands:Disney on Ice
Parent:Feld Entertainment

The Ice Follies, formerly known as the Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies, is a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. It was founded in 1936 by Eddie and Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson.[1] [2] In later years, Olympic skaters such as Donald Jackson, Barbara Berezowski, Peggy Fleming, and Janet Lynn were in the cast. Ice Follies also featured novelty acts such as Frick and Frack and Richard Dwyer, who was billed as "Mr. Debonair".[3]

The production company is now called Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice, Inc., a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment which produces the shows under the Disney on Ice and "... on Ice" titles. Feld formed the new subsidiary from the Ice Follies and U.S. Holiday on Ice touring companies.

The show was a variety show that included a chorus line called The Ice Folliettes, which led to synchronized figure skating, that famously precisely performed a kick line and pinwheel on ice.[2]

History

Son of Swedish parents who had migrant to St. Paul, Minnesota, typewriter salesman Eddie Skeppstedts (later Shipstads) became friends with chemist Oscar Johnson skating at local lakes. They practiced skating stunts together and were hired as halftime entertainment for the local professional hockey team and then for the National Hockey League New York Rangers.

Eddie's brother Roy - himself a successful amateur skater - would later join them to perform charity shows and eventually as the Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies.

Ice Follies produced the first large scale, professional touring show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on .[4] [5] Ice Follies was featured in the Joan Crawford film, The Ice Follies of 1939, MGM's answer to the popular Sonja Henie films of the time. Frick and Frack, the comic skating duo, joined the show in 1939.[6]

In 1946, Ice Follies began co-producing Ice Cycles with Ice Capades.[7] In 1949, Ice Follies left the Ice Cycles show, leaving it under Ice Capades' ownership.[4] In 1950, Roy Shipstad retired from performing and recruited Richard Dwyer to take over his role of "Debonair" as the "Young Debonair". By 1966, "Young" was dropped from the role title that later became "Mr. Debonair".[3] Frack became ill in 1954 ending the duo,[6] but Frick continued at Ice Follies with other partners.[8]

In the mid-1960s, Thomas Scallen took an executive position with Ice Follies which he eventually bought[9] in 1964.[10] The Ice Follies were placed within General Ice Shows, Inc., a subsidiary of Scallen's Medical Investment Corporation. General Shows purchased Holiday on Ice (HoI) by . After lawsuits filed by HoI's Chaffen[11] and Arthur Wirtz were resolved in August 1971 and February 1976 respectively,[12] Wirtz gained ownership of both shows.[13]

Mattel's Irvin & Kenneth Feld Productions purchased the Ice Follies and the Holiday on Ice from Wirtz for $12 million in 1979.[13] The company soon approached Disney about doing a Disney-related show on ice.[14]

Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice

Ice Follies merged with Holiday on Ice in 1980, operating as a combined show in 1980 and 1981. The first Disney's World on Ice began touring in 1981.[2] [14]

Frick suffered a career ending injury in 1980.[8]

In 1995, the company branched out from Disney's World on Ice with The Wizard of Oz on Ice,[15] the first of the Classic Ice Spectaculars. Disney's World on Ice launched its first international tour in 1986 starting in Japan, had five different touring units by 1988,[16] and changed its name in 1998 to "Disney on Ice".[17] The first ice show done in conjunction with 20th Century Fox was Anastasia On Ice starting in 1998.[18]

Ice Follies also expanded to perform Grease on Ice as early as 1999.[19] Based on the Disney Channel original movie, High School Musical was launched as an ice tour in 2006 and lasted three years, despite having been originally expected to last one year.[20]

Shows

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Ice Follies: how a Swedish family changed American entertainment history. Taes. Sofie. 2019-01-15. language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-02.
  2. Web site: Schneider Farris. Jo Ann. Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies. ThoughtCo.com. IAC. July 30, 2015.
  3. Web site: Schneider Farris. Jo Ann. Richard Dwyer - "Mr. Debonair" Ice Skating Show Star and Figure Skating Legend . About.com . IAC . August 7, 2015.
  4. Web site: Timeline . proskatinghistoricalfoundation.org . Pro Skating Historical Foundation . July 30, 2015.
  5. Book: Hines, James R. . Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating . 2011 . Scarecrow Press . 978-0-8108-6859-5 . Lanham, Maryland . xxvi . xxvi.
  6. News: Bernstein. Adam. 'Frick' was half of a comic ice-skating duo. November 23, 2016. Los Angeles Times. The Washington Post. April 23, 2008.
  7. News: Kirschner. Betty Jean. Thrills, Laughs, Flashing Blades Put Ice Cycles' on Must-See List. September 6, 2016. Daily Illini. January 9, 1946.
  8. News: Hevesi. Dennis. Werner Groebli, Ice Skating's Frick, Dies at 92. November 23, 2016. The New York Times. April 23, 2008.
  9. News: Royce. Royce. The unsinkable Thomas Scallen: Old-school showman and dealmaker dies at 89. August 7, 2015. Star Tribune. Star Tribune Media Company. March 23, 2015.
  10. News: Henry (Heinie) Brock, 89, of Shipstad, Johnson Ice Follies. August 10, 2015. Los Angeles Times. August 23, 1989.
  11. Web site: Chalfen v. Medical Investment Corporation 210 N.W.2d 216 (1973) . Justia U.S. Law. Supreme Court of Minnesota. August 9, 2015.
  12. Web site: Bright. CHICAGO STADIUM CORPORATION, a Delaware Corporation, and Chicago Blackhawk Hockey Team, Inc., an Illinois Corporation, Appellees, v. Thomas K. SCALLEN and Medical Investment Corporation, a Minnesota Corporation, Appellants. 530 F.2d 204. Public.Resource.Org. United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. August 10, 2015. February 10, 1976.
  13. News: Dale. Steve. Snow White And Greenbacks. July 30, 2015. Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. January 20, 1995.
  14. News: Feld Family Buys Ringling Bros . ... a family that had owned the circus and has been in its management for 26 years. Two members of the family, Irvin Feld and his son, Kenneth, stated the deal included the circus, Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice and the new Walt Disney's World on Ice. ... . Associated Press. The New York Times. March 19, 1982 . July 20, 2008.
  15. News: Mangan. Jennifer. With Vocal, Visual Talent All Around, It's Wonderful 'Wizard Of Oz On Ice' . August 8, 2015. Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. September 27, 1995.
  16. News: Disney Ice Extravaganza Opens. August 10, 2015. Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. July 1, 1988.
  17. Web site: About Feld Entertainment. feldentertainment.com. Feld Entertainment. November 23, 2016. 2.
  18. News: Hirsch. Deborah. Anastasia: Legend, Fantasy On Ice. August 8, 2015. Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. March 12, 1999.
  19. News: Jones . Chris . Bannon. Tim. Hevrdejs. Judy. Glitzy Entertainment On Ice Still Melts Hearts In Evergreen Park. July 30, 2015. Chicago Tribune. October 31, 1999.
  20. News: Frederick. Missy. With new motor sports unit, Feld Entertainment battles recession. August 7, 2015. Washington Business Journal. American City Business Journals. June 1, 2009.
  21. News: Corry. John. Ice Extravaganza Visits The Garden. August 10, 2015. The New York Times. September 10, 1981.
  22. Web site: Feld Entertainment, Inc Company profile. eswr.com. Feld Entertainment, Inc. August 14, 2015.
  23. News: Feld Entertainment's 'Starlight Express' Fails To Find Niche, Pulled From Road. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017174052/http://business.highbeam.com/53/article-1G1-19907076/feld-entertainment-tarlight-express-fails-find-niche . dead . October 17, 2015 . October 20, 1997. Amusement Business . February 8, 2008 .
  24. News: Zoltak. James. Feld Entertainment launches new ice show.. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017174052/http://business.highbeam.com/53/article-1G1-19560309/feld-entertainment-launches-new-ice-show. dead. October 17, 2015. August 8, 2015. Amusement Business. June 30, 1997.
  25. News: Jones. Chris. 'Anastasia' Impressive Bit Of Family Fare. August 8, 2015. Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. September 25, 1998.

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