This heartwarming musical based on the beloved children's classic was aired on television in 1969, more than a century after its original publication. But the tale didn't lose any of its original charm, character or appeal in Moose Charlap's adaptation. Eleanor Parker and Cyril Ritchard star in this exciting family-friendly feature filmed on location in Holland and Norway. Fantasy and hope drive the touching story of Hans, an Amsterdam teen, and his sister, Gretel, who want to help their injured father. A devoted ice skater, Hans enters a race on New Year's Eve, hoping to win a pair of silver skates to help his family that has fallen on hard times.


Mary Mapes Dodges' children's classic Hans Brinker: Or the Silver Skates was adapted as a TV musical, 104 years after its original publication, by Moose Charlap. Robin Askwith plays Hans, an Amsterdam teenager devoted to ice skating. When his father (John Gregson) is injured, the subsequent financial deprivations deny Hans the opportunity to purchase the silver skates that he'd had his heart set on. Hoping to win those skates in a New Years Eve competition, Hans hasn't forgotten his father's plight, and seeks out the aid of a prominent surgeon (Richard Basehart). Eleanor Parker and Cyril Ritchard co-star in this 2-hour film, which was filmed on location in Holland and Norway; it originally aired December 14, 1969. ~