Orchestra
Cats: Big Band|
No movie starring a band leader could ever be successful. This was the logic at 20th Century Fox even when they signed Glenn Miller and his orchestra to a 5 picture deal. The first entry proved that logic to be true. Sun Valley Serenade starred Sonja Henie. The movie centered around Sonja Henie. Milton Berle ham boned it up and Glenn Miller and his orchestra were there for some reason. Mr. Miller did not like the picture. In fact, do not even bother unless you got a thing for Sonja Henie. He demanded script approval and to their credit, the powers that were at Fox gave it to him. Thank god for small miracles.
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The second film in the 5 picture deal is Orchestra Wives. This movie centers around the band. In fact the band is the real deal except for 3 actors inserted as musicians - Cesar Romero as the piano player, Jackie Gleason (the Jackie Gleason) as the bass player and George Montgomery as the star trumpet player of the band. The story concerns a young woman (Ann Rutherford) who meets, falls in love and marries Bill Abbot (Montgomery) all in one night. Simple story but it is nicely fleshed out as we see the hardships of trying to keep a relationship together while enduring the difficult life on the road as an “orchestra wife”. As the band manager puts it “only 30 dates in 35 cities”. Thats a lot of one nighters. The script moves along nicely and the performances are fine, even from the real musicians. No offense to real musicians. The comic relief comes from Cesar Romero as a womanizing divorcee and a chorus of orchestra wives who when they are not gossiping and scheming are mispronouncing every other word. The Nicholas Brothers have a great number (I’ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo) that was easily removed for the southern theaters. Thank god that we live in the north.
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The sound track was recorded on film stock so this film offers the best recordings of Glenn Miller ever made. The music was recorded basically in stereo as multi track recording was possible in film. In fact in the opening of the film we see how recordings were made pre war; on acetate discs, not tape which eventually allowed multi track recording to become standard. With film stock musical numbers were not limited to the 3 and a half minutes one could get out of an acetate disc.
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Glenn Miller never finished his commitment to Fox. The war had started and Mr. Miller enlisted. His call to service put his contract on hold for the duration of the war. As we know, Mr. Miller never made it back. I am very happy that we have these two records, especially Orchestra Wives, of his legacy.
Orchestra Wives will be on the Fox Movie Channel on Wednesday, April 18 at 6:00 AM, Saturday April 28 at 8:00AM and May 23 at 10:30AM. Set up your DVRs, DVD burners or your large acetate discs and get this one.
May 4th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Looks like this “Robin Hood” movie would be a great movie to watch just like the movie about King Arthur.:,,