Interview with Doug Breniser

Interview done by Pat Finnegan, Las Vegas, NV, Crystal Palace Skating Rink...It is my privilege to share with fellow skaters the life story of Doug Breniser, a man who mastered both sports of roller and ice skating.  At age 78, Doug still roller skates today at the Crystal Palace Rink in Las Vegas, and he runs the Senior Adult Sessions here.  I, Pat Finnegan, Doug’s friend and fellow skater, had the privilege to interview him.

Q.  How did you get started in skating, Doug?

A.  My family went to Walled Lake outside of Royal Oak, Michigan for the summer.  There was an amusement park there with a roller rink.  We spent a lot of time at the rink, and everyone enjoyed it.  When we returned to the city, my mother looked into a roller rink, the old Arena Gardens in Detroit where we could continue with our skating pleasure.  The rink had a huge Hammond organ and around 900 people for its sessions.  We took the bus 12 miles each way to this wonderful rink.  I got involved in the speed skating there – winning free tickets to skate.  The rink started a skate club there and I signed up for lessons.  I learned the dances, did the figures, and even did freestyle.  I got involved in various competitions – winning my first National medal in dance and freestyle in 1940.  I ended up skating in 7 National competitions.  I loved it and so did my parents (they always knew where I was!)

Q. What caused you to go from amateur to professional in skating?

A.  A show called the Roller Skating Vanities came to Detroit.  It had a cast of around 100 people and traveled to the major cities of the U.S.  After I saw that show, I fell in lo0ve with it!  Gloria Nord was the star of the show and it was built around her.  Ironically, Gloria was a ballet dancer to start with and wasn’t a roller skater.  She just adapted all her dancing skills to skates.  Anyhow, I told my parents that I wanted to join that show, but they wouldn’t let me do it until after I finished high school.  I was very fortunate in that I was accepted into the show.  For the first year I worked in the chorus and then I eventually I became the male star of the show and Gloria Nord’s skating partner.  I learned so much from this talented lady.

Q.  Was your career affected by the war?

A.  Most definitely!  After three years in the show, I was drafted into the Army and the Korean War (in the 1950s.  I must tell you that was the longest two years of my life.  I don’t regret it, but I didn’t have the opportunity to skate for one day during those two years.  When I got out of the army, the Roller Show was closed!  I was devastated because I though I could go right back into the show—they promised me that the job would be waiting for me.

Q.  Is this when you became involved with ice skating?

A.  Yes.  My good friend Gloria Nord had switched to ice skating and was in a show in England.  Again, an entire show was built around her and the audience loved her.  Gloria had written to me when I was in the Army telling me of her career change.  She said to me, “Doug, when you get out of the Army, get a pair if ice skates and learn how to ice skate.  When you think you’re good enough to get into the show, let me know.”  That’s exactly what I did.  I ended up ice skating with Gloria in “The Dancing Years” on ice in England.

Q. What were some of the highlights of your ice skating career?

A.  One would be doing a Royal Performance for the Queen of England.  I think that I was the only American ice skater that was introduced to Queen Elizabeth.  I have a picture of our shaking hands.  It was the show called “Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and I was “Prince Charming.”  I even married the English girl who played “Snow White” in real life!

Q.  How did you become Sonja Henie’s partner?

A.  After the show in England, I went to Paris, France to do a show with talented international skating stars.  It was called “Aladdin on Ice.”  When the show was over I returned to England.  I was due to return to New York in a few days.  I decided to talk to the produce r of the shows to thank him for all he had done for me.  As luck would have it, when I called him, he asked me if I would be interested in being in a show that would be touring Europe.  As it turned out, it was Sonja Henie’s manager and he said I would have to try out as Sonja’s partner.  They flew me to Sweden and my audition was a success.  Sonja liked me!  That’s how I became her partner.

Q.  What was the “black ice” episode?

A.  That was a number that Sonja did for 20^th Century Fox in Hollywood which was very successful.  Sonja wanted us to duplicate it in her next file, “Hello, London.”  It was a very messy situation because there was about ½ inch of black ink spread out all over the ice.  We had to be very careful so we wouldn’t spray the other skaters with this black ink.  Naturally, we were all dressed in white!  Sonja scared me when she said, “Try not to fall because if we do fall in these white costumes, we won’t be able to do the number!”  The costumes would be ruined and we only had one more day to use the ice rink.  I am so happy to say that the number was a success!

Q.  If it’s not too personal, where did you make the most money?

A.  That’s an easy question to answer.  I have been in roller and ice skating all my life and I can honestly say I have never made a lot of money.  It’s true, the ice shows paid better.  But I never fought for wages in either the roller or ice shows.  I never knew what the other skaters made, and the amount of money paid to me suited me just fine.

Q.  Isn’t there one more job you want to mention?

A.  I hadn’t planned on mentioning it, but since you asked I will.  I knew all along that these skating jobs were not going to be so plentiful.  I was getting older and I knew I had to start preparing for my future.  So I went to New York and learned the bartending trade at bartender’s school.  I took my first job as a bartender in Las Vegas and ended up at some of the finest hotels:  the Tropicana, Hacienda, Sahara, and the Aladdin.  I retired from the Desert Inn Hotel after working there ten years.  (That’s really where I made the most money.  HA!)