The International Ice Follies
| Disney On Ice | |
|
Formerly called
|
Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies, Inc. Holiday on Ice |
| private subsidiary | |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Feld Entertainment Studio, Ellenton, Florida, United States |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
| Brands | Disney on Ice |
|
Production output
|
Touring ice shows |
| Parent | Feld Entertainment |
The Ice Follies, formerly known as the Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies, was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. It was founded in 1936 by Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, who also skated in the show. 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".
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.
Ice Follies produced the first large scale, professional touring show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on November 7, 1936. 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 the 1939.
In 1946, Ice Follies began co-producing Ice Cycles with Ice Capades. In 1949, Ice Follies left the Ice Cycles show, leaving it under Ice Capades' ownership. 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". Frack became ill in 1954 ending the duo, but Frick continued at Ice Follies with other partners.
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Wikipedia