SONJA HENIE DEAD

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32118, 14 October 1969, Page 17

SONJA HENIE DEAD

( N .Z .P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) OSLO, Oct 13. The world-famous Norwegian film star and figureskater, Sonja Henle, died in Oslo last night, aged 59. Miss Henie died aboard a plane bringing her to Oslo from Paris for medical treatment. She had been ill with leukaemia for some time and her condition worsened

suddenly last night. She had wanted to be treated by specialists in Oslo and left in a special plane from Paris early last evening, but she died just before it touched down at Fomebu Airport, outside Oslo. After winning fame as a figure - skater—she became world champion in 1927 and retained the title for nine years—Miss Henie went to Hollywood and won even greater fame as the star of a series of romantic films. Often with a winter sports setting, they made full use of her skating ability, and her Nordic beauty. She became an American citizen in 1941, 15 months after her first marriage to the American millionaire sportsman, Dan Topping. The marriage was dissolved in 1946.

In 1949 Miss Henie married the American socialite, Mr Winthrop. Gardiner jun., from whom she was divorced in 1956; and in the same year she married the Norwegian

shipping magnate, Mr Niels Onstad. Miss Henie and her husband provided £2jm for an arts museum to house their own collection and other pieces, at Novikikodden, near Oslo, and she was host to a gathering of old Hollywood friends and Norwegian royalty at the opening ceremony last August In 1938 Miss Henie was listed among the 10 highestearning film stars in Hollywood, her income being estimated at £175,000 a year. At that time her legs were insured for £lOOO a week.