Orchestra Wives

Orchestra Wives
Orchestra Wives

Orchestra Wives DVD cover
Directed by Archie Mayo
Produced by William LeBaron
Screenplay by Karl Tunberg
Darrell Ware
Story by James Prindle
Starring George Montgomery
Ann Rutherford
Lynn Bari
Cesar Romero
Marion Hutton
Studio Twentieth Century Fox
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Release date(s) 4 September 1942
Running time 98 min
Language English

Orchestra Wives is a 1942 American musical film by 20th Century Fox starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, and Glenn Miller. The film was the second and last film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is notable among the many swing era musicals because its plot is more serious and realistic than the insubstantial storylines that were typical of the genre. The movie was re-released in 1954 by 20th Century Fox to tie-in with the biopic The Glenn Miller Story.

Contents

Synopsis

Connie Ward (Rutherford) is a young woman who marries Bill Abbott (Montgomery), a trumpet player in Gene Morrison's (Miller) swing band (Miller's character was given a name with initials that matched Miller's so that the band could use their monogrammed stainless-steel bandstands). She soon finds herself at odds with the cattiness and petty jealousies of the other band members' spouses. Her discomfort is exacerbated by a flirtation between Abbott and Jaynie (Bari), the band's female vocalist. When Ward eventually walks out on Abbott, their split releases so many other tensions among the musicians and their wives, leader Morrison is forced to break up the orchestra. Ward and the band's pianist Sinjin (Romero) then work behind the scenes to reunite the band, which also produces a reconciliation between Ward and Abbot [with additional help from Connie's father (Grant Mitchell)].

Songs

1954 20th Century Fox re-release movie poster.
RCA Victor 78 release of "At Last", 27934-B.

Orchestra Wives features a treasure trove of songs by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren, the same team responsible for the hits featured in Miller's first film Sun Valley Serenade (1941).[1] The main production number is "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo", an analogue of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", from the first film that features a folksy vocal and some gutsy tenor sax work by Tex Beneke, backup singing by the Modernaires, and a gravity-defying dance sequence by the Nicholas Brothers. Other songs include the period piece "People Like You and Me", a breakneck performance of "Bugle Call Rag" and the still-popular romantic ballads "At Last" (originally intended for Miller's initial film, Sun Valley Serenade) and "Serenade in Blue".[2]The film score uses "At Last" as a musical motif that is played throughout the movie in dramatic and romantic scenes. "That's Sabotage" was also written for the movie but was cut from the film. The song was, however, released as a 78 single by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, and the unused soundtrack recording was featured on various LP compilations of Miller's soundtracks.

Glenn Miller's theme song "Moonlight Serenade" from 1939 also appears over the opening credits.

"Boom Shot", an instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and Billy May for the movie, also is played in the movie, first on the jukebox in the soda shop, then when Ann Rutherford and Harry Morgan are shown dancing, but is uncredited on the soundtrack and film credits. "Boom Shot" is heard in the movie when the Gene Morrison orchestra plays it at the dance as filmed by the camera in a boom shot.

Cast listing

Actor/Actress Role
Ann Rutherford Connie Ward / Connie Abbott
George Montgomery Bill Abbott
Glenn Miller Gene Morrison
Lynn Bari Jaynie
Cesar Romero Sinjin
Virginia Gilmore Elsie
Glenn Miller Orchestra Gene Morrison Orchestra
The Modernaires Themselves
The Nicholas Brothers Themselves

Uncredited performances

Three future stars have uncredited appearances: Jackie Gleason portrays the band's bass player, Ben Beck, and in the soda fountain scene, Harry Morgan is the soda-jerk Cully Anderson, who also dates Connie Ward (Ann Rutherford), and Dale Evans plays Ann Rutherford's friend Hazel.[3] Pat Friday dubbed Lynn Bari's singing, as she had done in Sun Valley Serenade.[4] George Montgomery's on-screen trumpet playing was actually performed on the soundtrack by Miller sideman Johnny Best.

Harry Morgan would co-star in the film The Glenn Miller Story in 1953, portraying Glenn Miller Orchestra pianist Chummy MacGregor.

Award nominations

Academy Awards

  • Nominated: Best Music, Original Song, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo", Harry Warren (music), Mack Gordon (lyrics) (1943)

See also

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Glenn Miller Orchestra — Glenn Miller während seiner Dienstzeit beim US Army Air Corps Alton Glenn Miller (* 1. März 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa; † 15. Dezember 1944) war ein US amerikanischer Jazz Posaunist, Bandleader, Komponist und Arr …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Grand Guignol Orchestra — Cover of the first Grand Guignol Orchestra volume published by Hakusensha in …   Wikipedia

  • Columbia Symphony Orchestra — The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra formed by Columbia Records. It provided a vehicle for some of Columbia s better known recording artists to record using only company resources. Contents 1 Bruno Walter 2 Sir Thomas Beecham 3… …   Wikipedia

  • The Six Wives of Henry VIII — Studioalbum von Rick Wakeman Veröffentlichung 1973 Label A M Records …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • University City Symphony Orchestra - Programs by Season — The University City Symphony Orchestra is a non profit community orchestra located in the St. Louis area. This is a partial listing of its programs during its 40+ year existence:2007 2008 SeasonThe 2007 2008 season has been announced and will… …   Wikipedia

  • The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera) — The Merry Wives of Windsor (in German: Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor) is an opera in three acts by Otto Nicolai to a German libretto by Hermann Salomon Mosenthal, based on the play The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. The opera is …   Wikipedia

  • Glenn Miller discography — Glenn Miller discography Major Glenn Miller Releases In addition to leading bands and playing the trombone, Glenn Miller composed music or lyrics to a number of songs. These and others were recorded by Miller with his pre war civilian bands… …   Wikipedia

  • Moonlight Serenade — This article is about the Miller Parish song. For the albums, see Moonlight Serenade (Carly Simon album) and Moonlight Serenade (Wink album). Moonlight Serenade Single by Glenn Miller …   Wikipedia

  • Harry Warren — (December 24, 1893 ndash; September 22, 1981; born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna in Brooklyn, New York) was an Italian American composer and lyricist.Biography Harry Warren married Josephine Wensler in 1917. They had a son, also named Harry (who… …   Wikipedia

  • Harry Warren — Datos generales Nombre real Salvatore Antonio Guaragna Nacimiento …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”