Breaking the Ice
Synopsis
The story begins while Tommy Martin and his mother, Martha Martin say goodbye to Henry and Reuben Johnson. After having stopped by the Mennonite farm, where Tommy and Martha stay with the William and Annie Decker, the Johnsons are headed back to their hometown of Goshen. The balance of the film is concerned with both trying to get the necessary train fare and with Tommy clearing his name over a misunderstanding.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Bobby Breen
Tommy Martin
Dolores Costello
Martha Martin
Charles Ruggles
Sam Terwilliger
Irene Dare
Irene Dare
Dorothy Peterson
Annie Decker
Robert Barrat
William Decker
John 'Dusty' King
Henry Johnson
Margaret Hamilton
Mrs. Small
Billy Gilbert
Mr. Small
Jonathan Hale
Mr. Kane
Delmar Watson
Reuben Johnson
Spencer Charters
Smith
Cy Kendall
Judd
Charles Murray
Janitor
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 22, 1938
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Edward F. Cline
- Screenplay & Story
- Bernard Schubert, Manuel Seff, Mary C. McCall, Jr.
- Original Score
- Victor Young
- Original Title
- Breaking the Ice
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 21m
- Production Studios
- Bobby Breen Productions Inc., Sol Lesser Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Edward F. Cline
Bernard Schubert, Manuel Seff, Mary C. McCall, Jr., Fritz Falkenstein, Brewster Morse
Victor Young
Sol Lesser
Department Leadership Roster
Sol Lesser
Producer
Edward F. Cline
Director
Victor Young
Original Music Composer
Bernard Schubert
Screenplay
Manuel Seff
Screenplay
Mary C. McCall, Jr.
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Breaking the Ice.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Breaking the Ice.
list2
Oscar Best Score Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Score Nominees
Oscars 1939
Nominees and selected films for the 11th Academy Awards (ceremony year 1939).
Seasonal: Oscar Season Picks
Auto-managed by seasonal classifier. Do not edit manually.
Seasonal: Oscar Season Picks
Auto-managed by seasonal classifier. Do not edit manually.
Seasonal: Oscar Season Picks
Auto-managed by seasonal classifier. Do not edit manually.
Similar Titles to Breaking the Ice
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 2 3"%3E%3Crect width="2" height="3" fill="%23161922"/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
3.3Naughty Boys
6.1
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.5
6.2
10.0
0.5
7.1
3.3
6.7
8.4Anime
7.1
8.2
6.6
7.5
More Like Breaking the Ice
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breaking the Ice
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Breaking the Ice about?
The story begins while Tommy Martin and his mother, Martha Martin say goodbye to Henry and Reuben Johnson. After having stopped by the Mennonite farm, where Tommy and Martha stay with the William and Annie Decker, the Johnsons are headed back to their hometown of Goshen. The balance of the film is concerned with both trying to get the necessary train fare and with Tommy clearing his name over a misunderstanding.
Who directed Breaking the Ice?
Breaking the Ice was directed by Edward F. Cline.
Who stars in Breaking the Ice?
The principal cast of Breaking the Ice includes Bobby Breen, Dolores Costello, Charles Ruggles, Irene Dare, Dorothy Peterson.
When was Breaking the Ice released and how long is it?
Breaking the Ice was released in 1938 with a total runtime of 1h 21m.
Who composed the musical score for Breaking the Ice?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Breaking the Ice was composed by Victor Young.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Breaking the Ice?
Breaking the Ice holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).