Sun Valley Serenade Orchestra Wives
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Sun Valley Serenade Orchestra Wives t’s funny how music can define an entire come one of Miller’s biggest hits, “Chattanooga We also get some wonderful Harry Warren and era, and Glenn Miller’s unique sound did Choo Choo,” which, in the film, is a spectacu- Mack Gordon songs, including “At Last” (the Ijust that. It is not possible to think of World lar production number with Dandridge and The castoff from Sun Valley Serenade), “Serenade War II without thinking of the Miller sound. It Nicholas Brothers. Another great new song, “At in Blue,” “People Like You and Me,” and the was everywhere – pouring out of jukeboxes, Last,” was also recorded for the film, but wasn’t instant classic, “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.” radios, record players. Miller had been strug- used, except as background music for several The latter was, like “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” gling in the mid-1930s and was dejected, but scenes. The song itself would end up in the nominated for an Oscar for Best Song. It knew he had to come up with a unique sound next Miller film. lost to a little Irving Berlin song called “White to separate him from all the others – and, of Christmas.” course, the sound he came up with was spec- “Chattanooga Choo Choo” hit number one on tacular and the people ate it up. His song the Billboard chart in December of 1941 and George Montgomery’s trumpet playing was “Tuxedo Junction” sold 115,000 copies in one stayed there for nine weeks. The song was dubbed by Miller band member, Johnny Best week when it was released. Miller’s concerts nominated for an Oscar for Best Song, but lost and Miller pianist Chummy MacGregor dubbed were instant sellouts, and his popularity kept to “The Last Time I Saw Paris” from Lady Be Cesar Romero’s piano playing. As in Sun Val- on soaring. Whenever there’s a film about that Good (there were nine Best Song nominees ley Serenade, Lynn Bari was dubbed by Pat era, there are always those Miller classics on that year). But “Chattanooga Choo Choo”’s Friday. And there are three uncredited appear- the soundtrack because it does instantly define consolation prize was being the first song to ances in the film by three people who would that era. ever win a Gold Record. go on to have long and illustrious careers: Jackie Gleason plays Ben Beck, the band’s It was no surprise when Twentieth Century Fox The entire film has the Twentieth Century Fox bass player, Harry Morgan plays Cully Ander- snapped up Miller and his band for the movies. luster and sparkle and that Glenn Miller sound son, and Dale Evans plays Hazel. Interestingly, He only did two (he was slated to do a third, but is the stuff dreams are made of. Harry Morgan would play pianist Chummy he went in the Army and it never happened), MacGregor a little over a decade later in the but they were perfect vehicles. While no actor, ORCHESTRA WIVES bio-pic, The Glenn Miller Story. he had a low-key, charming personality and he Sun Valley Serenade proved to be so popu- photographed well. The movies were cleverly lar, that Fox immediately put another Glenn Sadly there were to be no more Glenn Miller built around him, and he was surrounded by Miller vehicle before the camera, this one en- films. Right after Orchestra Wives, Miller joined excellent actors, singers, and dancers. The titled Orchestra Wives. Orchestra Wives was the Army. Two years later, he and two others stories were simple, they didn’t overstay their a bit more serious than the light and airy Sun were to fly from England to France, but the welcome, and the music was superb. Valley Serenade. This time the cast included plane disappeared over the English Channel George Montgomery, Ann Rutherford, Lynn and the voice of one of the great geniuses of SUN VALLEY SERENADE Bari, Cesar Romero, Marion Hutton (sister of popular music was lost forever at the age of Betty), The Modernaires, and, of course, The forty. But his music and his sound has lived First up was Sun Valley Serenade (1941), Nicholas Brothers. on, thanks to many reissues and its use in just which featured Norwegian figure skater Sonja about any film set in the 1940s. It’s music that Henie, John Payne, Milton Berle, Lynn Bari, The director was Archie Mayo (The Petrified seems to resonate with every generation. Joan Davis, Dorothy Dandridge, the amazing Forest, The Adventures of Marco Polo, Char- The Nicholas Brothers, and, of course, Glenn ley’s Aunt, A Night in Casablanca), and the This is the first time Sun Valley Serenade and Miller and his orchestra, along with The Mod- screenplay was by Karl Tunberg and Darrell Orchestra Wives are being released complete, ernaires. The director was the reliable H. Bruce Ware. each CD close to eighty minutes in length. Pre- Humberstone, and the screenplay was by Rob- vious LP and CD releases only featured the ert Ellis and Helen Logan. The story revolves Connie Ward (Rutherford) meets Bill Abbott Miller Orchestra tracks, but for this release the around a band pianist (Payne), being convinced (Montgomery), a trumpet player in the Gene master film recordings — all of the songs, inci- by his manager (Milton Berle) that it would be Morrison (Glenn Miller – they kept the initials dental scoring, plus bonus material and every- good publicity if the band adopted a foreign ref- the same so they could use the GM music thing featured on prior releases — have been ugee child. When they arrive at Ellis Island to stands Miller had), and, in true Hollywood style, lovingly restored by Mike Matessino from the pick up the young girl they discover that she’s impulsively marries him. She joins the other original Fox vault elements. It should be noted not a child but a young woman (Sonja Henie). wives who accompany their band member hus- that while the films were given a synthesized She sets her cap for Payne, Payne’s girlfriend bands across the country. Of course there are stereo treatment in the early 1990s for home (Lynn Bari) is not happy about it and quits the jealousies, flirtations, and eventually Connie video, all of the original music elements are, in band, and amusing complications occur until walks out on Bill, things become so tense that fact, monaural. Yet they remain as clear and everything ends happily. Gene Morrison breaks up the band, but, never vibrant as the day they were recorded. fear, eventually all works out, the band reunites — Bruce Kimmel In addition to some Miller classics (“Moonlight and Connie comes back to Bill. Serenade,” “In the Mood”), the movie also fea- tured a few great songs by Harry Warren and The film opens with Miller’s signature tune, Mack Gordon, including a song that would be- “Moonlight Serenade” playing over the credits. .