Lake Placid Serenade (1944) DVD-R

Starring Vera Ralston, Eugene Pallette, Barbara Jo Allen, Robert Livingston, Lloyd Corrigan
Directed by Steve Sekely

Print: black/white
Runtime: 85 min.
Genre: musical
Print Quality: B

On a peaceful, pre-war winter in Czechoslovakia, the genial godfather, Jaroslav Haschek, of
Vera Hascheck, presents the young girl with her first pair of ice skates. Soon, she
astonished the warm-hearted people of her village with her skill, and she is acclaimed a
marvel-on-ice. She wins the ice-skating championship of her country and is invited to skate
at the fabulous Lake Placid Carnival in the United States. Vera receives an offer of a
contract from eager showman, Carlton Webb, and his press agent Jiggers - but she turns
them down. The financial backer for the two men is a wealthy, gabby, man-chasing woman
called "Countess". Vera is a sensation at Lake Placid when she learns of Nazi Germany's
move on Czechoslovakia, and she immediately attempts to abandon her career and rejoin
her people. The trip can not be arranged and, alone in a strange country, she seeks an
uncle, Carl Cermack, who has become a prosperous American citizen. The uncle welcomes
her to his sumptuous Lond Island home, where he lives with his spoiled débutante
daughters Irene and Susan. Vera learns that the two sisters are fighting it out over the
same man, Paul Jordan, Cermack's junior partner, who isn't overwhelmed by either sister.
Vera invites her uncle and cousins to join her at Lake Placid, where she is to appear in the
dazzling New Year's Eve ballet. She is named "Queen" of the ballet, and Roy Rogers, a
visiting movie-cowboy star is named "King." Paul begins to pick up interest in Vera, and she
agrees to sign a contract with Webb, provided she can use an assumed name in his shows.
Jiggers suggests they call her "Cinderella," because she has lost one of her famous
skates. When Vera opens at Madison Square Garden, Jiggers plants the story that she
refuses to appear until her skate is returned. Aware that Paul has kept her skate as a
souvenir, Cermack telephones his partner in Texas. On the night of the opening, Webb and
Jiggers are driven to desperation, since Vera has taken their publicity gag in earnest and
refuses to go on unless her skate is returned. None of the phony "Prince Charmings"
Jiggers has hired has the right skate, of course. The weary Vera doesn't even look at the
last applicant - but the skate is hers. She stares down and recognizes her godfather,
Jaroslav, who has been brought to American by her uncle. He explains that her skate was
given to him by a young man. He beckons into the crowd and Paul emerges. Vera finds
herself in the arms of her own Prince Charming.