"Ice Castles", the Movie

SkateFan4Life · Oct 27, 2004

It's Kleenex time....down memory lane with the 1978 motion picture "Ice Castles" starring Lynn-Holly Johnson, as a young, would-be Olympic figure skater, and her boyfriend, played by Robby Benson. Remember "Lexie", how she was spotted at a Regionals competition by one of the country's best coaches, brought to the Broadmoor, trained her heart out and won the next year's Sectionals, then injured herself in a freak skating accident just a few hours after winning that competition? Lexie managed to return to the ice, with blurred vision, skated at the next year's Nationals, and skated a beautiful performance. When she skated to the center ice to take her bows, she did not see the flowers and petals that had been thrown on the ice, and she stumbled and fell. Tears, gasps, etc. Reach for the Kleenex!!

Anyway, I loved the score then, and I still love it now. "In the Eyes of Love", sung by Melissa Manchester - what a great song, and what a great opening for the movie - as it was played while Lexie skated outdoors in her native Iowa.

OK -- question is. How successfull was Lynn-Holly Johnson as a competitive figure skater? She was obviously a very well-trained skater, as she skated all of the sequences of this movie. Lynn-Holly landed only doubles, no triples, but then, most women did not land triples 25 years ago.

Did Lynn-Holly compete at Nationals? I have no record of her. Thanks for your Sherlock Holmes work!

SailorGalaxia518 · Oct 27, 2004

She also was in the James Bond Movie "For Your Eyes Only" whose character was also training for the olympics in figure skating.

icy fresh · Oct 27, 2004

I love Ice Castles! My mom bought the DVD, it's so good. It's kind of sad too, but it makes me cry and smile. So much potential........
I'm actually going to skate a program to Through the Eyes of Love for a Holiday show in December

BronzeisGolden · Oct 27, 2004

Funny, I should have realized I would later become a skating fanatic...this was one of my favorite movies as a child. I loved the rough-around-the-edges rink owner. I think she was played by Colleen Dewhurst. Anyway, the movie is great and the song is still very moving.

NJSk8Fan · Oct 27, 2004

I've always loved this movie. I wasn't a die-hard skating fan like I am now when it came out, and didn't become a fan until many years later.
Where is Lynn Holly Johnson these days? I only know of one other movie she did, "Where the Boys Are" remake...I think " '84" was in the title.

dlkksk8fan · Oct 27, 2004

Here is some Lynn-Holly Johnson info-

Biography for
Lynn-Holly Johnson

Height
5' 3"
Spouse
Kelly Givens
(1993 - present) 1 son
Trivia

She refused to do a nude scene in Ice Castles (1978). The producers kept trying to write a nude scene in the movie for her, but she walked off the set and halted production for a day rather than appear nude. Ms. Johnson admitted in a recent interview in People magazine that it tickles her that after all these years, people come up to her and tell her how great a family movie this is, and she thinks, "you have no idea!"

Has one brother, Gregg

Professional ice skater

2nd place at the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships - Novice level

Gave up amateur competitive skating in 1977 to join the Ice Capades.

Has gone by the name Lynn Holly Givens since her marriage to Kelly J. Givens in 1993.

Where are they now

(2000) Has quit acting to be a full-time wife and mother to her young son, Kellen Dane Givens

Criminal Mind, The (1996) Mrs. Augustine
Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996) (TV) Kara
Behind the Scenes with Goldfinger (1995) (V) Herself Diggin' Up Business (1990) Tesia Papadapacropolis
Out of Sight, Out of Mind (1990)
Sisterhood, The (1988/I)
Alien Predator (1987) Samantha
Angel River (1986) Jensie
Where the Boys Are '84 (1984) Laurie
Mickey Spillane's:More Than Murder (1983) Sandy
For Your Eyes Only (1981) Bibi
The Watcher in the Woods (1980) Jan Curtis
Ice Castles (1978) Alexis Winston

Notable TV guest appearances

"MacGyver" (1985) "Ingrid Bannister" "Enemy Within" "CHiPs" (1977) playing "Ellen Getraer" "Fallout"

Longhornliz · Oct 27, 2004

I've always wanted to see this... but my video store doesnt have it and im hesitant to buy it.... is it good enough to just poney up and order it from amazon?

Ice Princess · Oct 27, 2004

SailorGalaxia518 said:
She also was in the James Bond Movie "For Your Eyes Only" whose character was also training for the olympics in figure skating.

That's neat!

I haven't seen that! I liked the movie so much I bought it! :agree:

dlkksk8fan · Oct 27, 2004

Here is a list of all of her movie credits-

Criminal Mind, The (1996) Mrs. Augustine
Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996) (TV) Kara
Behind the Scenes with Goldfinger (1995) (V) Herself Diggin' Up Business (1990) Tesia Papadapacropolis
Out of Sight, Out of Mind (1990)
Sisterhood, The (1988/I)
Alien Predator (1987) Samantha
Angel River (1986) Jensie
Where the Boys Are '84 (1984) Laurie
Mickey Spillane's:More Than Murder (1983) Sandy
For Your Eyes Only (1981) Bibi
The Watcher in the Woods (1980) Jan Curtis
Ice Castles (1978) Alexis Winston

BronzeisGolden · Oct 28, 2004

I've always wanted to see this... but my video store doesnt have it and im hesitant to buy it.... is it good enough to just poney up and order it from amazon?

I would say yes, Liz. But, I also warn you that it was made in the 70s and there is somewhat of a "cheese" factor present. However, I think you will like it if you don't mind a little cheese (I'm a sentimental cheese ball at times, so it works wonderfully for me, lol). It is a moving story with strong performances from the entire cast. The music is great. And, it is about skating!

Longhornliz · Oct 28, 2004

I'll be sure to put it on the list for santa this year!!!!

JonnyCoop · Oct 28, 2004

Every time I think of that movie I always remember the girl who was Lexie's roommate at the Broadmoor who NEVER SHUT UP and made that comment about "That's so-and-so; 20 minutes on How I Found Someone To Sharpen My Skates -- then she runs out of interesting conversation"..... :rofl:

NJSk8Fan · Oct 28, 2004

Didn't some actual skaters have some very breif cameo type appearances in this movie...I thought I remembered seeing Doug Ladret in there somewhere.....?????

icy fresh · Oct 28, 2004

Was it popular when it was first released? I was born yet, so I don't know.

BronzeisGolden · Oct 28, 2004

NJ, I think Doug Ladret was in "The Cutting Edge"...another one of my favorites!

Ice Princess · Oct 29, 2004

"The Cutting Edge" was another favorite of mine, too! I want to buy that movie also!

floskate · Oct 29, 2004

Longhornliz: despite it's 70's cheesiness this film is a must for the collection of all skating fans. Years ago, before I had internet, I scoured for months trying to find it, and eventually picked it up in a 2nd hand video store in an obscure market.

I love the film and I blub every time. It's the face of her former big time coach at the end. Man those tears are for real!!

Also a little titbit: although Lynn Holly did most of her skating, some of her more difficult jumps such as the double axels were actually performed by Lynn Nightingale of Canada IIRC. And in her first comp at the beginning it looks like she does a Ina Bauer into 2x but the shot changes so if you watch it frame by frame it's actually a triple salchow!! Not bad for 78!!!!

SkateFan4Life · Oct 31, 2004

dlkksk8fan said:
Here is some Lynn-Holly Johnson info-
Professional ice skater

2nd place at the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships - Novice level

Gave up amateur competitive skating in 1977 to join the Ice Capades.
/QUOTE]

Thanks so much for the information! Lynn-Holly Johnson was obviously a trained figure skater, but I had no idea as to who far she had gone as an eligible skater. In those days, the skaters had to perform the compulsory school figures, so Lynn-Holly spent a great deal of her younger years at the rink.

As another poster wrote, Colleen Dewhurst played the role of LH's first coach and operator of the bowling alley/skating rink.

There was a sad segment of "Ice Castles" - the Christmas show in which LH skated brilliantly. This show also featured the then-French national champion who had finished second at Worlds a season or so ago but who had stopped competing for "mysterious reasons". Rumors flew that this young woman had confidence/emotional problems and, sadly, whatever inner demons possessed her were evident in this Christmas show. She fell repeatedly and was last seen trying to pick herself off the ice. The show producer cut her program short and called in the chorus line. Lynn-Holly (Lexie) witnessed this meltdown and fled to the restroom in tears. Her coach found her barracaded in one of the stalls, brought her out, hugged her, and promised, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Lexie's coach wasn't exactly altruistic, either. When she confided to her TV sports commentator friend that she wanted to coach Lexie to the "top", her friend replied (to paraphrase), "This will also help you, too. You won't be known just as one of the best women coaches."

Longhornliz · Nov 8, 2004

They have been showing this on one of the HBO's lately... if you have cable keep an eye out for it. I dvr'd it but probably wont have a chance to watch it till after school is over.

SkateFan4Life · Nov 8, 2004

Longhornliz said:
They have been showing this on one of the HBO's lately... if you have cable keep an eye out for it. I dvr'd it but probably wont have a chance to watch it till after school is over.

I don't subscribe to HBO. My so-called "basic family cable" has about 85 stations, which is far, far more than I can possibly watch. At least I have A&E, ESPN, and ESPN2, all of which carry figure skating competitions and shows.

"Ice Castles", the Movie

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SailorGalaxia518

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Ice Princess

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