Film historian Ruth Anne Dywer, quoting
Leonard Mosley from his biography on
Darryl Zanuck, reports that producer
Jack Warner was not particularly impressed with St. Clair's directing, despite the fact that his Warner Bros. films had performed well at the box office.
New York Times film critic
Mordaunt Hall characterized
On Thin Ice as a “trite” and “clumsy story” in which “an effort has been made to maintain the mystery concerning the thief.” Hall concludes that director Mal St. Clair failed to endow the film “with any original or bright touches.” Though
Photoplay ranked
On Thin Ice among the best of the month, the studio canceled St. Clair's contract following the release of the film. ==Preservation==