Customer Reviews

Orchestra Wives [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Glenn Miller made two films for 20th Century Fox during the early 1940s the first film was "Sun Valley Serenade," released in 1941, the second was "Orchestra Wives," released in 1942. Personally, I find "Orchestra Wives" the better of the two and am happy to know Fox will be releasing a DVD of this entertaining film.

When Glenn Miller signed on to have himself and his band appear in two films for Fox he insisted that the band play an integral part in the story. Up until this point bands had made brief appearances in feature films, usually in nightclub or dance hall scenes, but had never been fully worked into the storyline. "Orchestra Wives" fully integrates the Glenn Miller Band into the storyline with great success.

The story centers on the arrival of the Miller band into a small Midwest town. Ann Rutherford plays a naive, young woman obsessed with the orchestra's trumpet player played by George Montgomery. By chance Rutherford meets Montgomery and they fall instantly in love (that's how it happened in these old movies folks) and before too long they marry, thus throwing her among the pack of backbiting, backstabbing orchestra wives of the title. Lynn Bari plays a scheming vixen, also the band's principal girl singer, who already had designs on Montgomery. Bari plots to breakup the newlyweds in order to get her catty claws into Montgomery herself. So that's the basic plot. Although the story is kind of corny it's simply a vehicle for some great musical numbers by the Miller orchestra.

The songs in the film, mostly written by Fox's songwriting team of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon, became hits for Miller and most have gone on to become American standards. "At Last" tops that list for me and the subtle musical number featuring a duet with singer Ray Eberle and Lynn Bari (who's voice was ghosted by singer Pat Friday) is one of the highlights of the film. The film also includes the songs "Serenade in Blue" and "I've Got A Girl in Kalamazoo." The later song being the film's climactic showstopping number featuring a vocal by band members Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, The Modernaires and the singing and dancing talents of The Nicholas Brothers.

The cast is comprised of some big talents. Along with the above mentioned Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery and Lynn Bari, Fox saw fit to round out the cast with Cesar Romero, Carole Landis and a very young, pre-Ralph Kramden, Jackie Gleason. Character actor Harry Morgan, who went on to costar in "Dragnet" and "M*A*S*H" on the small screen, also has a small part as a sodajerk friend of Miss Rutherford's.

Because of the enormous success of both "Sun Valley Serenade" and "Orchestra Wives," Fox picked up an option to make two more films with Miller and his band. The next film had the working title of "Blind Date" but, alas, it was never made. Miller became a captain in the U.S. Army and disappeared during a flight to Paris on December 15, 1944. Although Glenn Miller's life was cut short prematurely the film "Orchestra Wives" lives on to give generations of Americans a chance to enjoy his great music and to relive the long-gone days of the Big Bands.

This amazing musical from the early forties has more songs that became classics still heard today than "Meet Me in St. Louis." Glenn Miller and his merry troupe of musicians are the real stars. The story is forgettable but the music is what you really want. "People Like You and Me", "At Last," "Serenade in Blue" and the rousing "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." Lynn Bari has a strange role: she's bitchy and cold but when she lip-synchs to her numbers, you love her. The knockout performer, who never even got a movie credit, was blonde, dynamic Marion Hutton, the sister of once great musical star, Betty Hutton. Marion captures your attention in her terrific rendition, along with the Modernaires, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." She looks fantastic in her black, sequined gown and matching hair piece. That's Dorothy Dandridge dancing with the Nicholas Brothers in their extended sequence of "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." Marion made several movies during the forties, all musicals. If fate had been more favorable, she was the Hutton sister who should have achieved big-time stardom.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies! I was raised on Rock & Roll and became a musician during the sixties, a part time occupation that I enjoy to this day. My favorite influences were Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and Joni Mitchell. When I began, I knew nothing of the music that is featured in Orchestra Wives nor was I interested much. I've been a working musician for 35 years and have seen all the hardship that the business offers. This movie is THE MOST believable record of the highs and lows of playing music for a living that I've seen next to its closest runner up: Prince's 'Purple Rain'. The best line in the movie is when the horn player's girlfriend complains: 'Breakfast? Now? it's almost 2:00 pm!' The world of music performance has not changed AT ALL since this movie was made and I defy any young person to prove me wrong! It's the musicians' wives and girlfriends that put up with the trials of the biz just as much as the players do. The musicians cannot sustain themselves with their support. It's a very hard road if one chooses to perform music for a living. Also, you HAVE NOT LIVED until you've checked out the trumpet solo in 'At Last'!

I LOVE this movie - makes me wish I had been born about 20 years earlier - when sexy women were still called "dames," and the styles of hair and dress were classy all the way. The music is the best of the best - this stuff really influenced the jazz of today - Ray Eberle's smooth vocals, the vocal jazz quartet - and lets not forget Tex Benneke (he's that hip cat playing the tenor sax and doing those cool vocals - God, my kingdom for a zoot suit!). The humor is priceless, and Glenn Miller actually could act. The final number, "Kalamazoo", makes ya wanna get out of your chair and find someone to jitterbug with. Get this movie and get out your saddle shoes :)

A small town girl marries the trumpet player of a travelling swing band. A very popular film in its day, this movie is infinitely more enjoyable than the title - which sounds like a statistical classification - would suggest. The cast is fun if eclectic: George Montgomery, Carole Landis, Cesar Romero, Ann Rutherford, Lynn Bari, Jackie Gleason & the Nicholas Brothers! Numbers include the zany I'VE GOT A GAL IN KALAMAZOO. ORCHESTRA WIVES was the second and final film made by the famed band leader Glenn Miller who disbanded his civilian band in September of 1942 and entered the military. Miller's Army Air Force band was astonishingly modern for its day with a much more sophisticated sound with lush arrangements accompanied by strings and superlative solos from the best sidemen in the pop music business. Miller disappeared during his flight over the English Channel on December 15, 1944: the world mourned this most popular of all Big Band leaders of the fabled Swing Era.

Glenn Miller, a legendary musician, had the fortune to be a part of a couple of films such as Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and this film, Orchestra Wives, from 1942. Sun Valley Serenade is the film most people consider the best while Orchestra Wives is a light and fun comedy in the shadow of a traveling band and marriage trouble. In Orchestra Wives, Glenn Miller's band performs swinging tunes that had the 1940s youth dancing and soldiers longing for their next leave, as the World War II was fought on three different continents.

Orchestra Wives opens with the Glenn Morrison's Orchestra (Glenn Miller's Orchestra) recording while the secret of a new tour leaks out to the band through the mischievous singer Jaynie Stevens (Lynn Bari). It is not a venture that many band members desire, but it is necessary, as it helps promote their next record that will be played on jukeboxes throughout the nation. In the perspective of the recent documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004), it is rather amusing to see these guys in the orchestra arguing about a tour, as their incomes were probably not even close to that of Metallica's members.

With the tour, comes family tensions and interpersonal conflict within the band. There is also the other aspect of the tour, meeting new people every night, as the plan is to play in 29 cities in 30 nights. The trumpet player Bill Abbott (George Montgomery) does not waste any time to converge with the opposite sex whenever an opportunity arises. However, when Bill meets Connie (Ann Rutherford) her beauty infatuates him, but the meeting is short as Connie's boyfriend appears. Nonetheless, Bill invites Connie to the following evening when Bill performs in a nearby town. The meeting does not go as planned, but in the process, they become husband and wife.

Eventually, Connie meets the other Glenn Morrison's Orchestra wives including Jaynie, who once dated Bill for a period of a year. It might not have been a big deal today, but tension would still emerge between them. In the 40s, it was a much different picture, as society still employed the moral codes provided by strong Christian values. It was also due to these values that Connie and Bill got married on the spot, as they must have felt obligated to follow socially innate rules. Despite what was socially acceptable, Jaynie continues to try to sway Bill over to her while deceiving Connie. This will unfortunately lead to a sad emotional mess full with jealousy and insecurities fueled by the gossip of the malicious orchestra wives.

Orchestra Wives presents a rather shallow narration of the predicament of being on the road without a solid home. The story touches on the emotional insecurities and envies that brew under the surface of the women who see their men performing in front of the dreamy eyes of longing women. It also provides momentary focus on the notion of home and a solid spot in life, but does not really address these issues through the storytelling. As stated, there are weaknesses within the story, yet this film provides a light cinematic journey that entertains through comedy and musical performances of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, which eventually leaves the viewer with a wonderful cinematic experience.

Don't buy this one for plot, but enjoy the period music by one of the best musicians of the era. This Glenn Miller vehicle allows the orchestra to play without voice-over interuption. Lots of great music throughout. And, towards the end, there is a bonus performance by the fabulour Nicholas Brothers. Their acrobatic tap-dancing is a highlight of the film.

Great little musical comedy about life on the road of a traveling "Big Band Era" troupe and their spouses who travel with them. Connie Ward (Ann Ruthford) falls in love with and, on impulse, marries trumpet player Bill Abbott (George Montgomery) while the band is performing and passing through her small town. Then joins him (as with the other wives of the band members) on the road (or train track) along with the life of a travleing big band orchestra. Then she gets caught up in the petty squabbles and back stabbings of the band members and the wives causing an eventual disentegration of the band. Then she must use her wits to get the band together again. A little predictable, but pretty funny stuff. The best part of course is the music. The performance of "I got A Gal in Kalamazoo" is the highlight song in the film. A smooth, catchy tune from the Big Band Era performed by the Glenn Miller Orchestra who happen to be the travleing band in the film. Glenn Miller actually does some acting in the film playing (for a stretch) the band leader, but he is actually pretty good and convincing. Ann Rutherford is adorably cute in the film as the small town girl thrust onto a life on the road of a musical group. Note: Look for Cesar Romero (tv's Batman' Joker himself), Jackie Gleason, and Harry Morgan (tv's MASH, Col. Potter) in small supporting roles. Also, there is a great dance routine with the Nicholas Brothers.

In the 2nd (and final) motion picture appearance of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, the 1st being the 1941 film "Sun Valley Serenade", the music overcomes a somewhat hokey plot. To see as well as hear Glenn Miller, Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke, and the Modernaires performing their hit tunes of "People Like You And Me", "At Last", "Serenade In Blue", and "I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo", plus the dancing of the Nicholas Brothers, is more than worth the "price of admission". Another "must have" video complement to any Glenn Miller audio collection.

Entertaining Movie. However for Swing Dance Buffs, The Nicolas Bros. are Outstanding in their Tap Dance scene, a must have for any dance video collector.